Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aswan and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Aswan: $430 a month against $462 in Alexandria, rent and utilities included – about $380 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Alexandria outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Aswan
🇪🇬 Egypt
$430
/mo nomad
Alexandria
🇪🇬 Egypt
$462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aswan and in Alexandria

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

A single person spends $430 per month in Aswan vs $462 in Alexandria, rent included.

  • Aswan $430
  • Alexandria $462

A couple spends around $709 per month in Aswan vs $766 in Alexandria, rent included.

  • Aswan $709
  • Alexandria $766

A family of three spends $988 per month in Aswan vs $1,071 in Alexandria, rent included.

  • Aswan $988
  • Alexandria $1,071

Aswan is about 7% cheaper than Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Aswan and Alexandria are more affordable than the global median – Aswan 68% lower, Alexandria 66% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aswan
Alexandria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.86 E£206
$4.17 E£223
-7.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.58 E£832
$18.84 E£1,006
-17.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.63 E£247
$4.77 E£255
-2.94%
Cappuccino
$1.30 E£69.3
$1.23 E£65.9
5.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 E£16.28
$0.33 E£17.37
-9.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.11 E£5.70
$0.13 E£7.07
-15.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.29 E£68.8
$1.28 E£68.5
0.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 E£132
$2.80 E£149
-11.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aswan
Alexandria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.72 E£38.58
$0.81 E£43.26
-11.11%
White Bread (500g)
$0.70 E£37.43
$0.71 E£38.11
-1.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.70 E£37.22
$0.62 E£32.94
12.90%
Eggs
$1.27 E£67.9
$1.16 E£62.1
9.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.55 E£190
$3.71 E£198
-4.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.52 E£188
$4.23 E£226
-16.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.73 E£413
$8.91 E£476
-13.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.58 E£84.5
$1.46 E£77.8
8.22%
Banana (1kg)
$0.65 E£34.59
$0.73 E£39.07
-10.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.54 E£28.81
$0.51 E£27.46
5.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.38 E£20.24
$0.34 E£18.25
11.76%
Potato (1kg)
$0.31 E£16.73
$0.26 E£13.90
19.23%
Onion (1kg)
$0.32 E£16.83
$0.32 E£17.32
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.25 E£13.28
$0.25 E£13.28
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.19 E£9.90
$0.21 E£11.37
-9.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.14 E£115
$1.80 E£96.0
18.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.03 E£376
$5.45 E£291
28.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 E£65.7
$1.17 E£62.7
5.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 E£115
$2.19 E£117
-1.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Aswan
Alexandria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 E£10.53
$0.17 E£9.02
17.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$10.97 E£586
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.37 E£19.71
$0.58 E£31.17
-36.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 E£10.99
$0.49 E£26.12
-57.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.23 E£65.4
$1.12 E£59.6
9.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.42 E£22.40
$0.42 E£22.66
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K E£1.6M
$33.5K E£1.8M
-12.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.2K E£1.3M
$25.5K E£1.4M
-5.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aswan
Alexandria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$17.37 E£928
$13.68 E£730
26.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.80 E£363
$6.71 E£359
1.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.90 E£689
$13.13 E£701
-1.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aswan
Alexandria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$16.31 E£871
$12.74 E£680
28.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.70 E£251
$7.20 E£384
-34.72%
Cinema Ticket
$2.90 E£155
$2.77 E£148
4.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aswan
Alexandria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$80.7 E£4,307
$84.5 E£4,514
-4.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,074 E£110.7K
$2,051 E£109.5K
1.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aswan
Alexandria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$16.05 E£857
$33.04 E£1,765
-51.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.02 E£2,244
$43.88 E£2,343
-4.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$131 E£7,007
$126 E£6,720
4.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 E£3,053
$54.7 E£2,923
4.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aswan
Alexandria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$145 E£7,722
$132 E£7,071
9.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$65.7 E£3,507
$69.8 E£3,727
-5.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$234 E£12.5K
$285 E£15.2K
-17.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$149 E£7,949
$143 E£7,646
3.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$866 E£46.3K
$679 E£36.3K
27.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$349 E£18.6K
$438 E£23.4K
-20.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aswan
Alexandria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$138 E£7,370
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
21.33
-24.00%

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

Last update for Aswan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Aswan
$119
Alexandria
$126 5.9% $7
Clothing & Footwear
Aswan
$111
Alexandria
$119 7% $7.7
Eating Out
Aswan
$73
Alexandria
$78 6.5% $4.8
Accommodation & Living
Aswan
$66
Alexandria
$71 8.8% $5.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aswan
$37
Alexandria
$34 7.4% $2.7
Sport & Entertainment
Aswan
$22
Alexandria
$19 15.3% $3.4
Getting Around
Aswan
$2.2 *
Alexandria
$15 585% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $145 in Aswan versus $136 in Alexandria. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Aswan versus $19.00 in Alexandria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $119 vs $126 – making Aswan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Aswan
🇪🇬 Alexandria
🕒 Local time
12:36 12:36 PM
12:36 12:36 PM
Same time as Aswan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
241,261
4,546,231
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Aswan Alexandria 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Aswan
  • Alexandria

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
Aswan vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Aswan or Alexandria?
Alexandria costs about 7% more than Aswan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 Aswan and in Alexandria?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $645 per month in Aswan and $693 in Alexandria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Aswan or Alexandria?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Aswan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Aswan and in Alexandria?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Aswan and $19.00 in Alexandria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Aswan or in Alexandria?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Alexandria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Aswan or in Alexandria?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $430 in Aswan and $462 in Alexandria, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Aswan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Aswan or to Alexandria?
If budget matters most, go with Aswan. 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.

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