Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandria, Egypt and New Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $435 a month against $677 in New Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Alexandria, Egypt
New Cairo, Egypt
Alexandria
🇪🇬 Egypt
$435
/mo nomad
New Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$677
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alexandria and in New Cairo

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 New Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $435 per month in Alexandria vs $677 in New Cairo, rent included.

  • Alexandria $435
  • New Cairo $677

A couple spends around $721 per month in Alexandria vs $1,026 in New Cairo, rent included.

  • Alexandria $721
  • New Cairo $1,026

A family of three spends $1,006 per month in Alexandria vs $1,375 in New Cairo, rent included.

  • Alexandria $1,006
  • New Cairo $1,375

Alexandria is about 36% cheaper than New Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Alexandria and New Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Alexandria 68% lower, New Cairo 50% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alexandria
New Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.01 E£225
$5.44 E£304
-26.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.98 E£1,006
$23.75 E£1,329
-24.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.54 E£254
$5.48 E£307
-17.15%
Cappuccino
$1.22 E£68.3
$1.94 E£108
-37.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 E£16.84
$0.36 E£20.21
-16.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.10 E£5.45
$0.13 E£7.39
-23.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.27 E£71.3
$2.72 E£152
-53.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 E£150
$3.10 E£173
-13.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alexandria
New Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 E£45.87
$0.91 E£50.7
-9.89%
White Bread (500g)
$0.62 E£34.88
$0.98 E£55.0
-36.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.55 E£30.87
$0.74 E£41.34
-25.68%
Eggs
$1.10 E£61.8
$1.34 E£75.1
-17.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.54 E£198
$4.04 E£226
-12.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.20 E£235
$4.90 E£274
-14.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.78 E£491
$8.05 E£450
9.07%
Apples (1kg)
$1.47 E£82.2
$1.61 E£90.4
-8.70%
Banana (1kg)
$0.70 E£38.95
$0.69 E£38.73
1.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.52 E£29.25
$0.50 E£27.95
4.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.32 E£17.93
$0.35 E£19.53
-8.57%
Potato (1kg)
$0.25 E£14.04
$0.33 E£18.48
-24.24%
Onion (1kg)
$0.30 E£17.00
$0.48 E£26.80
-37.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.23 E£12.81
$0.19 E£10.71
21.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.18 E£9.90
$0.20 E£11.18
-10.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.74 E£97.3
$1.85 E£103
-5.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.37 E£300
$9.11 E£510
-41.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 E£65.4
$1.26 E£70.6
-7.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 E£114
$1.94 E£109
5.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Alexandria
New Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 E£11.52
$0.16 E£8.95
31.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.53 E£589
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.51 E£28.35
$0.51 E£28.34
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.48 E£26.58
$0.18 E£10.09
166.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.12 E£62.5
$3.62 E£203
-69.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.40 E£22.41
$0.43 E£24.07
-6.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.9K E£1.8M
$29.9K E£1.7M
6.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K E£1.3M
$24.8K E£1.4M
-4.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alexandria
New Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$13.47 E£753
$38.48 E£2,153
-64.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.21 E£347
$9.12 E£510
-31.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.48 E£698
$13.53 E£757
-7.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alexandria
New Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$12.16 E£680
$27.42 E£1,534
-55.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.77 E£379
$5.80 E£324
16.72%
Cinema Ticket
$2.69 E£151
$3.11 E£174
-13.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alexandria
New Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$81.4 E£4,552
$168 E£9,424
-51.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,986 E£111.1K
$4,338 E£242.7K
-54.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alexandria
New Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.88 E£1,728
$42.59 E£2,383
-27.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.63 E£2,385
$50.8 E£2,840
-16.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$123 E£6,859
$107 E£5,971
14.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.0 E£2,964
$52.8 E£2,954
0.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alexandria
New Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$126 E£7,076
$289 E£16.2K
-56.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$66.3 E£3,712
$224 E£12.5K
-70.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$268 E£15.0K
$504 E£28.2K
-46.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$134 E£7,474
$335 E£18.7K
-60.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$656 E£36.7K
$1,115 E£62.4K
-41.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$418 E£23.4K
$629 E£35.2K
-33.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alexandria
New Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$132 E£7,366
$177 E£9,900
-25.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
21.33
11.4
87.11%

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

Last update for Alexandria: October 25, 2026

Last update for New Cairo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Alexandria
$119
New Cairo
$138 15.3% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Alexandria
$112
New Cairo
$114 1.5% $1.7
Eating Out
Alexandria
$74
New Cairo
$105 42.5% $31
Accommodation & Living
Alexandria
$66
New Cairo
$224 237% $157
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alexandria
$32
New Cairo
$61 90.1% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Alexandria
$18
New Cairo
$34 91.8% $16
Getting Around
Alexandria
$14
New Cairo
$2.1 * 85.6% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $126 in Alexandria versus $289 in New 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 34% higher in New Cairo, 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 $18 in Alexandria versus $24 in New Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $119 vs $138 – making Alexandria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Alexandria
🇪🇬 New Cairo
🕒 Local time
10:16 10:16 AM
10:16 10:16 AM
Same time as Alexandria
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,546,231
298,343
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 55.95 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.47 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

On the map
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Alexandria vs New Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Alexandria or New Cairo?
New Cairo costs about 55% more than Alexandria, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Alexandria and in New Cairo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $653 per month in Alexandria and $1,015 in New Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Alexandria or New Cairo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alexandria, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $126 there versus $289 in New Cairo.
How do dining costs compare in Alexandria and in New Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Alexandria and $24 in New Cairo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Alexandria or in New Cairo?
Groceries cost about 15% more in New Cairo, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Alexandria or in New Cairo?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $435 in Alexandria and $677 in New Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Alexandria – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Alexandria or to New Cairo?
If budget matters most, go with Alexandria. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New Cairo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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