Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alicante and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $1,803 in Alicante, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Alicante
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,803
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,803 in Alicante versus $643 in Cairo.

  • Alicante $1,803
  • Cairo $643

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,791 in Alicante versus $1,037 in Cairo.

  • Alicante $2,791
  • Cairo $1,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,779 in Alicante versus $1,431 in Cairo.

  • Alicante $3,779
  • Cairo $1,431

Living in Alicante is roughly 180% more expensive than in Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alicante is 35% above, Cairo is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Alicante
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.46 €17.36
$4.69 E£245
314.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 €60.0
$28.49 E£1,491
135.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.14
$6.03 E£315
88.39%
Cappuccino
$2.16 €1.93
$1.81 E£94.7
19.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$0.35 E£18.18
511.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 €1.18
$0.15 E£7.95
780.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.29 €2.94
$1.45 E£76.0
126.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 €2.98
$2.24 E£117
48.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Alicante
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.03
$0.97 E£50.7
18.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 €1.51
$0.73 E£37.96
131.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 €1.51
$0.77 E£40.24
119.48%
Eggs
$3.22 €2.87
$1.17 E£61.2
175.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.72 €15.82
$4.32 E£226
310.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.50 €8.48
$5.07 E£265
87.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.16 €14.42
$8.92 E£467
81.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.62 €2.33
$1.83 E£95.8
43.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$0.75 E£39.07
178.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 €1.63
$0.57 E£29.78
221.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$0.51 E£26.62
427.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.84 €1.64
$0.38 E£20.05
384.21%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$0.42 E£21.88
380.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 €1.12
$0.35 E£18.43
257.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 €0.58
$0.24 E£12.57
170.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.73 €6.00
$1.99 E£104
238.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 €5.09
$7.48 E£391
-23.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.52 E£79.4
-21.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 €1.92
$2.13 E£112
0.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Alicante
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.62 €1.44
$0.33 E£17.10
390.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.35 €23.51
$8.66 E£453
204.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 €2.68
$0.37 E£19.27
710.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.33 €1.19
$0.20 E£10.65
565.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.98 €15.15
$1.49 E£77.8
1039.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.56
$0.46 E£23.94
280.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K €31.1K
$32.6K E£1.7M
6.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.9K €25.7K
$28.4K E£1.5M
1.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alicante
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 €123
$27.54 E£1,441
402.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.71 €16.70
$8.27 E£432
126.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.82 €26.61
$14.05 E£735
112.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Alicante
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.39 €36.94
$28.27 E£1,479
46.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.06 €15.23
$6.70 E£350
154.63%
Cinema Ticket
$9.52 €8.50
$4.40 E£230
116.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Alicante
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$709 €633
$121 E£6,356
483.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,531 €8,505
$3,619 E£189.3K
163.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Alicante
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.9 €74.9
$40.16 E£2,101
108.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.58 €31.75
$49.61 E£2,596
-28.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.9 €86.5
$115 E£6,033
-15.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.8
$60.6 E£3,170
75.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Alicante
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 €907
$220 E£11.5K
361.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$837 €747
$194 E£10.2K
331.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 €1,517
$514 E£26.9K
230.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,537 €1,372
$334 E£17.5K
360.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,254 €3,797
$806 E£42.2K
427.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,066 €1,844
$513 E£26.9K
302.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Alicante
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,925 €1,718
$200 E£10.5K
861.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.99
16.21
-81.55%

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

Last update for Alicante: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Alicante
$837
Cairo
$194 76.8% $643
Groceries & Markets
Alicante
$288
Cairo
$141 50.9% $146
Eating Out
Alicante
$253
Cairo
$91 63.9% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Alicante
$187
Cairo
$50 73.3% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Alicante
$145
Cairo
$120 17.7% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Alicante
$60
Cairo
$37 38.7% $23
Getting Around
Alicante
$42
Cairo
$11 73.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Alicante and $220 in Cairo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alicante pays 862% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Alicante vs $28.00 in Cairo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $141 per month, with Cairo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Alicante
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
06:59 6:59 AM
07:59 7:59 AM
1 h ahead of Alicante
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
349,282
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Alicante Cairo 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Alicante
  • 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
Alicante vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Alicante or Cairo?
Cairo wins on cost – living expenses run 180% lower than in Alicante. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cairo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Alicante or in Cairo?
Average pay runs 862% higher in Alicante, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Alicante compared to Cairo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,016 in Alicante versus $220 in Cairo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Alicante and in Cairo?
Childcare runs $709 in Alicante versus $121 in Cairo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Alicante or in Cairo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Alicante. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Alicante or in Cairo?
At $643 in Cairo versus $1,803 in Alicante, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cairo but tight or insufficient in Alicante. The gap between the two cities makes Cairo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Alicante or Cairo?
Both work as nomad bases, but Cairo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $643 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cairo hard to pass up.
How safe is Alicante compared to Cairo?
Safety-wise, Alicante and Cairo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Cairo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Alicante. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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