Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria and Ismailia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ismailia: $330 a month against $452 in Alexandria, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Ismailia
Learn more

Ismailia Living Index

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Alexandria

🇪🇬 Egypt

$452

/mo nomad

Ismailia

🇪🇬 Egypt

$330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alexandria and in Ismailia

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

A single person spends $452 per month in Alexandria vs $330 in Ismailia, rent included.

Alexandria $452
Ismailia $330

A couple spends around $750 per month in Alexandria vs $561 in Ismailia, rent included.

Alexandria $750
Ismailia $561

A family of three spends $1,048 per month in Alexandria vs $792 in Ismailia, rent included.

Alexandria $1,048
Ismailia $792

Alexandria costs about 37% more than Ismailia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Alexandria and Ismailia are more affordable than the global median – Alexandria 67% lower, Ismailia 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.22 E£225

$3.30 E£176

27.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.66 E£996

$14.58 E£778

27.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.74 E£253

$3.76 E£201

26.06%

Cappuccino

$1.26 E£67.3

$1.04 E£55.5

21.15%

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

$0.30 E£15.96

$0.30 E£15.91

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.31

$0.13 E£6.85

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 E£70.9

$1.32 E£70.6

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 E£146

$1.80 E£96.0

52.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 E£44.97

$0.79 E£42.30

6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 E£37.73

$0.36 E£19.07

97.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.58 E£30.74

$0.60 E£32.12

-3.33%

Eggs

$1.10 E£59.0

$1.15 E£61.5

-4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.66 E£195

$3.49 E£186

4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 E£224

$3.98 E£213

5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 E£490

$6.95 E£371

31.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 E£77.7

$1.45 E£77.3

0.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 E£41.63

$0.54 E£29.05

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.51 E£27.48

$0.41 E£22.01

24.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.34 E£18.27

$0.31 E£16.79

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 E£12.77

$0.26 E£13.89

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.30 E£15.98

$0.32 E£17.12

-6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.27 E£14.47

$0.23 E£12.31

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 E£11.93

$0.20 E£10.67

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 E£99.6

$1.86 E£99.5

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 E£300

$5.48 E£293

2.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 E£61.9

$1.04 E£55.4

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 E£115

$1.89 E£101

13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 E£11.66

$0.23 E£12.26

-4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.95 E£585

$3.77 E£201

190.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 E£30.48

$0.39 E£20.60

46.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 E£26.19

$0.48 E£25.72

2.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 E£59.1

$1.13 E£60.2

-1.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.45 E£24.16

$0.42 E£22.18

7.14%

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

$32.8K E£1.8M

$27.6K E£1.5M

18.57%

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

$25.2K E£1.3M

$14.6K E£780.2K

72.33%

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

$14.02 E£749

$13.94 E£744

0.57%

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

$6.60 E£353

$6.66 E£355

-0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.75 E£681

$7.33 E£391

73.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.39 E£662

$9.65 E£515

28.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.31 E£390

$18.42 E£984

-60.31%

Cinema Ticket

$2.73 E£146

$1.82 E£97.4

50.00%

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

$85.2 E£4,549

$65.6 E£3,502

29.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,035 E£108.6K

$1,171 E£62.5K

73.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.61 E£1,741

$12.92 E£690

152.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.28 E£2,418

$9.19 E£491

392.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 E£6,687

$127 E£6,764

-1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 E£2,933

$27.53 E£1,470

99.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$131 E£7,020

$78.3 E£4,181

67.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$69.3 E£3,702

$31.44 E£1,679

120.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 E£14.9K

$120 E£6,414

132.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$142 E£7,603

$75.2 E£4,017

89.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$679 E£36.2K

$458 E£24.5K

48.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$431 E£23.0K

$131 E£6,984

229.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$137 E£7,313

$101 E£5,387

35.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.33

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

Last update for Alexandria: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alexandria

$124 27.4%

Ismailia

$108 32.8% 12.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandria

$116 25.7%

Ismailia

$79 24.1% 31.7% $37

Eating Out

Alexandria

$77 17%

Ismailia

$62 18.8% 19.3% $15

Accommodation & Living

Alexandria

$69 15.3%

Ismailia

$31 9.5% 54.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandria

$33 7.4%

Ismailia

$28 8.5% 16.3% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandria

$18 4%

Ismailia

$13 4% 25.5% $4.6

Getting Around

Alexandria

$15 3.3%

Ismailia

$7.5 2.3% 49.6% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $131 in Alexandria versus $78.3 in Ismailia. 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 36% higher in Alexandria, 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 $19.00 in Alexandria versus $15.00 in Ismailia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $124 vs $108 – making Ismailia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Alexandria

🇪🇬 Ismailia

🕒 Local time

23:58 11:58 PM

Same time as Alexandria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,546,231

352,000

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Alexandria vs Ismailia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria costs about 37% more than Ismailia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $678 per month in Alexandria and $494 in Ismailia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $85.2 per month in Alexandria and $65.6 in Ismailia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Alexandria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $452 in Alexandria and $330 in Ismailia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ismailia – 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 Ismailia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alexandria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.