Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antwerp and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $2,197 in Antwerp, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Antwerp
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,197
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,197 in Antwerp versus $643 in Cairo.

  • Antwerp $2,197
  • Cairo $643

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,371 in Antwerp versus $1,037 in Cairo.

  • Antwerp $3,371
  • Cairo $1,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,545 in Antwerp versus $1,431 in Cairo.

  • Antwerp $4,545
  • Cairo $1,431

Living in Antwerp is roughly 242% more expensive than in Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antwerp is 64% above, Cairo is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Antwerp
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.46 €20.93
$4.69 E£245
400.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$106 €94.3
$28.49 E£1,491
270.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 €11.78
$6.03 E£315
118.91%
Cappuccino
$4.39 €3.92
$1.81 E£94.7
142.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.57 €3.19
$0.35 E£18.18
920.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 €3.24
$0.15 E£7.95
2320.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.64 €5.03
$1.45 E£76.0
288.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.23 €5.56
$2.24 E£117
178.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Antwerp
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 €1.21
$0.97 E£50.7
40.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 €2.49
$0.73 E£37.96
282.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$0.77 E£40.24
184.42%
Eggs
$3.69 €3.30
$1.17 E£61.2
215.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.02 €15.19
$4.32 E£226
293.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.20 €10.89
$5.07 E£265
140.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.96 €20.49
$8.92 E£467
157.40%
Apples (1kg)
$3.04 €2.71
$1.83 E£95.8
66.12%
Banana (1kg)
$2.36 €2.11
$0.75 E£39.07
214.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.72 €2.42
$0.57 E£29.78
377.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.38 €3.02
$0.51 E£26.62
562.75%
Potato (1kg)
$2.46 €2.19
$0.38 E£20.05
547.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.42 E£21.88
369.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 €1.33
$0.35 E£18.43
325.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 €0.94
$0.24 E£12.57
341.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.81 €11.43
$1.99 E£104
543.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.89 €7.93
$7.48 E£391
18.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.52 E£79.4
15.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 €1.83
$2.13 E£112
-3.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Antwerp
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.39 €3.03
$0.33 E£17.10
927.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.6 €49.60
$8.66 E£453
541.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.49 €4.90
$0.37 E£19.27
1383.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.68 €2.39
$0.20 E£10.65
1240.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.04 €39.30
$1.49 E£77.8
2855.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 €1.85
$0.46 E£23.94
352.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.5K
$32.6K E£1.7M
8.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.0K €30.4K
$28.4K E£1.5M
19.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Antwerp
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$206 €183
$27.54 E£1,441
646.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.64 €19.31
$8.27 E£432
161.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.82 €42.68
$14.05 E£735
240.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Antwerp
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.87 €32.90
$28.27 E£1,479
30.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.20 €24.27
$6.70 E£350
305.97%
Cinema Ticket
$15.45 €13.79
$4.40 E£230
251.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Antwerp
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,617 €1,443
$121 E£6,356
1230.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.7K €30.1K
$3,619 E£189.3K
832.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Antwerp
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$112 €99.8
$40.16 E£2,101
178.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.1 €45.59
$49.61 E£2,596
2.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.1
$115 E£6,033
-10.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$170 €152
$60.6 E£3,170
180.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Antwerp
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 €922
$220 E£11.5K
369.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$857 €765
$194 E£10.2K
341.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,603 €1,431
$514 E£26.9K
211.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,348 €1,203
$334 E£17.5K
304.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,499 €4,015
$806 E£42.2K
457.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,040 €2,713
$513 E£26.9K
492.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Antwerp
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,087 €2,755
$200 E£10.5K
1442.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
16.21
-78.66%

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

Last update for Antwerp: 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
Antwerp
$857
Cairo
$194 77.3% $663
Groceries & Markets
Antwerp
$364
Cairo
$141 61.2% $222
Eating Out
Antwerp
$349
Cairo
$91 73.9% $258
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Antwerp
$275
Cairo
$50 81.9% $225
Clothing & Footwear
Antwerp
$196
Cairo
$120 39.1% $77
Getting Around
Antwerp
$88
Cairo
$11 87.1% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Antwerp
$68
Cairo
$37 45.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,033 in Antwerp and $220 in Cairo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antwerp pays 1442% 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: $106 in Antwerp vs $28.00 in Cairo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $141 per month, with Cairo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇪 Antwerp
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
08:16 8:16 AM
09:16 9:16 AM
1 h ahead of Antwerp
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
525,935
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
  • Antwerp Cairo 3,230 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Antwerp
  • 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
Antwerp vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Antwerp and in Cairo?
Antwerp and Cairo differ by about 242% in total monthly costs ($2,197 vs $643 including rent). Cairo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Antwerp or Cairo?
Average pay runs 1442% higher in Antwerp, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Antwerp and in Cairo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,033 in Antwerp versus $220 in Cairo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Antwerp and in Cairo?
A monthly transit pass in Cairo runs roughly 542% less than in Antwerp. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Antwerp and Cairo?
Childcare runs $1,617 in Antwerp versus $121 in Cairo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $643 in Cairo versus $2,197 in Antwerp, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cairo but tight or insufficient in Antwerp. The gap between the two cities makes Cairo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Antwerp and Cairo?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Antwerp or Cairo safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Antwerp 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.
Where should expats move: Antwerp or Cairo?
Expats usually find Cairo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 242% less than in Antwerp. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Antwerp vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?