Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al `arish and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Al `arish: $427 a month against $614 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Al `arish, Egypt
Cairo, Egypt
Al `arish
🇪🇬 Egypt
$427
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al `arish 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 Al `arish and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $427 in Al `arish versus $614 in Cairo.

  • Al `arish $427
  • Cairo $614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $684 in Al `arish versus $974 in Cairo.

  • Al `arish $684
  • Cairo $974

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $940 in Al `arish versus $1,333 in Cairo.

  • Al `arish $940
  • Cairo $1,333

Living in Al `arish costs roughly 30% less than in Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al `arish 68% lower, Cairo 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Al `arish
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.81 E£211
$4.61 E£255
-17.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.41 E£797
$27.32 E£1,511
-47.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.40 E£243
$5.33 E£295
-17.45%
Cappuccino
$1.11 E£61.2
$1.64 E£90.6
-32.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 E£17.94
$0.34 E£19.05
-5.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 E£7.04
$0.16 E£8.73
-18.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.36 E£75.3
$1.39 E£77.1
-2.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 E£152
$2.11 E£117
29.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Al `arish
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.80 E£44.01
$0.85 E£46.98
-5.88%
White Bread (500g)
$0.32 E£17.53
$0.74 E£40.86
-56.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.61 E£33.93
$0.65 E£35.96
-6.15%
Eggs
$1.27 E£70.3
$1.15 E£63.6
10.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.26 E£125
$3.84 E£212
-41.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.37 E£186
$4.69 E£259
-28.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.41 E£410
$8.98 E£497
-17.48%
Apples (1kg)
$1.40 E£77.5
$1.67 E£92.2
-16.17%
Banana (1kg)
$0.56 E£30.97
$0.72 E£40.03
-22.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.40 E£22.21
$0.55 E£30.44
-27.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.33 E£17.98
$0.52 E£28.59
-36.54%
Potato (1kg)
$0.41 E£22.49
$0.37 E£20.46
10.81%
Onion (1kg)
$0.43 E£23.64
$0.39 E£21.80
10.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.25 E£13.74
$0.30 E£16.56
-16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.19 E£10.36
$0.22 E£12.19
-13.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.79 E£99.1
$1.87 E£103
-4.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.40 E£243
$7.34 E£406
-40.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 E£55.8
$1.47 E£81.1
-31.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 E£85.2
$1.93 E£107
-20.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Al `arish
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 E£9.53
$0.34 E£19.00
-50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$7.76 E£429
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.28 E£15.64
$0.38 E£20.75
-26.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 E£20.51
$0.15 E£8.48
146.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.15 E£63.6
$0.55 E£30.47
109.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.40 E£22.08
$0.44 E£24.32
-9.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K E£1.7M
$31.8K E£1.8M
-6.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4K E£1.3M
$25.0K E£1.4M
-6.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al `arish
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$14.23 E£787
$25.45 E£1,407
-44.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.74 E£372
$7.67 E£424
-12.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.26 E£1,286
$14.55 E£804
59.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Al `arish
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.12 E£836
$27.17 E£1,502
-44.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$7.25 E£401
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.62 E£200
$4.35 E£240
-16.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Al `arish
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$79.4 E£4,388
$123 E£6,776
-35.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,230 E£123.3K
$10.3K E£567.0K
-78.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Al `arish
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$9.85 E£544
$39.47 E£2,182
-75.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.67 E£2,414
$49.07 E£2,713
-11.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 E£8,211
$113 E£6,262
31.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.4 E£2,844
$54.0 E£2,987
-4.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Al `arish
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$124 E£6,875
$210 E£11.6K
-40.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$72.3 E£3,997
$186 E£10.3K
-61.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$240 E£13.3K
$465 E£25.7K
-48.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$137 E£7,569
$306 E£16.9K
-55.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$713 E£39.4K
$808 E£44.7K
-11.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$334 E£18.5K
$491 E£27.1K
-31.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Al `arish
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$184 E£10.2K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
22.5
15.93
41.24%

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

Last update for Al `arish: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cairo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Clothing & Footwear
Al `arish
$114
Cairo
$115 0.9% $1.1
Groceries & Markets
Al `arish
$100
Cairo
$134 33.6% $34
Accommodation & Living
Al `arish
$72
Cairo
$186 157% $113
Eating Out
Al `arish
$71
Cairo
$86 20.7% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al `arish
$44
Cairo
$48 7.8% $3.4
Sport & Entertainment
Al `arish
$22
Cairo
$36 60.4% $14
Getting Around
Al `arish
$2.8 *
Cairo
$10 263% $7.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $124 in Al `arish and $210 in Cairo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14 in Al `arish vs $27 in Cairo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $100 vs $134 per month, with Al `arish cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Al `arish
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
23:35 11:35 PM
23:35 11:35 PM
Same time as Al `arish
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
199,243
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 55.29 EGP (100 EGP = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.83 EGP (100 EGP = 1.62 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Al `arish Cairo 270 km
From you
  • Al `arish
  • 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
Al `arish vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Al `arish or Cairo?
Al `arish wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Cairo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Al `arish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Al `arish and in Cairo?
You’d need roughly $641 in Al `arish and $922 in Cairo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Al `arish compared to Cairo?
Rent for a central apartment: $124 in Al `arish versus $210 in Cairo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Al `arish or in Cairo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Cairo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Al `arish compared to Cairo?
All in, you’ll spend $427 per month in Al `arish versus $614 in Cairo – Al `arish is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Al `arish or in Cairo?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Al `arish gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Al `arish is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cairo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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