Pyramid Compass › Cairo & Transport
Cairo has four viable ways to ride: app-based Uber, app-based Careem, a metered white taxi (hailing on the street), and a microbus (shared van). Each has a different cost, a different etiquette, and a different surge risk. This matrix shows the price difference side by side for your specific route, then tells you when surge is likely so you don't book into a multiplier.
Pick a route and run the comparison.
"Take a taxi from the airport" is what every guidebook says. They don't tell you that a metered white taxi runs roughly 25% of an Uber price on a normal hour — but the meter doesn't start when you hail one outside the airport, because most drivers will quote a flat 600–900 EGP and refuse the meter. Knowing which mode wins on which corridor at which hour is the gap.
The matrix returns four rows: Uber, Careem, white metered taxi (with a flag if it's negotiable on this route), and microbus (when applicable). The cheapest option is highlighted. Prices are median estimates at the user-entered time of day; on surge, both app-based options can double. The white taxi number assumes the meter is actually used.
Surge warning at the bottom tells you when to expect multipliers above 1.5x. The pattern is consistent: morning rush (7–9 AM), evening rush (4–7 PM), Fridays at noon, public-holiday evenings, and after-midnight landings at the airport.
The microbus row appears only when the route is on a known microbus corridor. Microbuses don't accept reservations, don't stop at your door, and don't run at night. They're 5–10 EGP and stop only at fixed stations.
About 60% of the time, after you insist. The polite phrase is "balad balad" (city meter) — driver often yields. If they refuse, walk one block away and hail another. Cairo has many white taxis.
Roughly the same — Careem is local-owned, Uber is international. Both run similar base + per-km rates. Careem sometimes has a slight edge in older vehicles (less surge on Econ), Uber has wider driver coverage in outer areas. Pick whichever has the closer car.
Downtown: 500–700 EGP. Giza Plateau: 600–800 EGP. Heliopolis: 200–350 EGP. Anything over 800 EGP for downtown is high. Walk past the terminal taxi line and hail one outside — drivers there sometimes accept the meter.
Generally yes during daytime, and they use the same roads as everything else. Pickpocketing risk is real. The bigger issue is route knowledge: you need to know the corridor (e.g. Heliopolis–Abbasia–Downtown). Without Arabic reading, app-based options are safer for first-time visitors.
Page last updated: October 2026.
What it is. A small JavaScript calculator that compares per-ride costs across Uber, Careem, white taxi, and microbus for a Cairo route.
Who it's for. Independent travelers choosing between app-based and street-hailed rides. Not for tour-package travelers.
What it isn't. Not a live price comparison. Surge multipliers change minute by minute.
Limitations. Surge, weather, and special events can change the matrix in real time.
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Last updated: October 2026.
Not professional advice. The information on Pyramid Compass is for general informational purposes only. It is not professional travel, legal, financial, medical, or safety advice.
Accuracy. We do our best to keep prices, ticket tiers, opening hours, EGP rates, and rules current. Conditions in Egypt change quickly — always cross-check with your hotel concierge, your embassy, and the official site.
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Last updated: October 2026.