Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $2,794 in Aarau, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aarau and in Cairo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aarau and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,794 per month in Aarau vs $647 in Cairo, rent included.

Aarau $2,794
Cairo $647

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in Aarau vs $1,035 in Cairo, rent included.

Aarau $4,568
Cairo $1,035

A family of three spends $6,342 per month in Aarau vs $1,423 in Cairo, rent included.

Aarau $6,342
Cairo $1,423

Aarau costs about 332% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aarau sits 107% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.07 CHF 23.94

$4.64 E£248

526.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 87.6

$28.12 E£1,501

278.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.63 CHF 14.52

$6.03 E£322

192.37%

Cappuccino

$5.80 CHF 4.78

$1.72 E£92.1

237.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.30

$0.36 E£19.38

1350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$0.12 E£6.41

3816.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 CHF 5.06

$1.51 E£80.4

307.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.44

$2.32 E£124

184.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$0.92 E£48.92

122.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 CHF 2.98

$0.73 E£38.92

395.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.13

$0.74 E£39.64

250.00%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.95

$1.19 E£63.7

506.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.30 CHF 24.96

$4.33 E£231

599.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$5.03 E£269

483.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 33.19

$9.28 E£496

334.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.38

$1.77 E£94.4

63.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$0.73 E£39.03

143.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$0.55 E£29.51

343.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$0.50 E£26.91

1000.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$0.42 E£22.42

295.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$0.41 E£21.81

378.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$0.33 E£17.51

590.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.98

$0.21 E£11.20

466.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 CHF 8.94

$1.98 E£106

448.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 CHF 8.41

$7.81 E£417

30.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$1.59 E£84.7

56.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$2.09 E£112

36.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 CHF 4.20

$0.35 E£18.83

1360.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 CHF 120

$8.69 E£464

1582.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.64

$0.39 E£21.02

1653.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.74

$0.22 E£11.57

1409.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.8 CHF 48.45

$1.51 E£80.5

3795.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$0.43 E£22.88

416.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

$32.7K E£1.7M

31.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$27.2K E£1.5M

44.26%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$120 CHF 98.9

$27.27 E£1,456

340.41%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$30.84 CHF 25.40

$8.58 E£458

259.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.84

$13.99 E£747

297.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 CHF 80.6

$29.69 E£1,585

229.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.6 CHF 49.04

$7.25 E£387

721.38%

Cinema Ticket

$21.42 CHF 17.64

$4.86 E£260

340.74%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,152 CHF 2,596

$121 E£6,438

2514.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$3,560 E£190.1K

811.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 CHF 73.0

$40.28 E£2,151

120.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CHF 58.2

$49.53 E£2,645

42.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 90.1

$115 E£6,137

-4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 CHF 140

$60.0 E£3,206

182.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 CHF 1,052

$222 E£11.9K

475.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 CHF 851

$195 E£10.4K

429.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 CHF 1,886

$550 E£29.3K

316.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 CHF 1,742

$346 E£18.5K

510.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 E£42.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,759

$525 E£28.0K

2157.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,801 CHF 5,601

$200 E£10.7K

3304.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

16.21

-85.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

Cairo

$195 30.2% 81.1% $838

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$588 21%

Cairo

$142 21.9% 75.9% $446

Eating Out

Aarau

$439 15.7%

Cairo

$90 13.9% 79.5% $349

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 75.9% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7.1%

Cairo

$119 18.4% 39.6% $78

Getting Around

Aarau

$190 6.8%

Cairo

$12 1.8% 93.9% $178

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Cairo

$39 6.1% 72% $101

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,277 in Aarau versus $222 in Cairo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3305% higher in Aarau, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Aarau versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $588 vs $142 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

00:30 12:30 AM

01:30 1:30 AM

1 h ahead of Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Aarau Cairo 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Aarau
Cairo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aarau vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 332% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,191 per month in Aarau and $970 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1582% less in Cairo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,152 per month in Aarau and $121 in Cairo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Aarau at $2,794. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.