Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bologna and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $2,203 in Bologna, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bologna
🇮🇹 Italy
$2,203
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,203 per month in Bologna vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Bologna $2,203
  • Cairo $643

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in Bologna vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Bologna $3,399
  • Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Bologna vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Bologna $4,595
  • Cairo $1,431

Bologna costs about 242% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bologna sits 64% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bologna
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.43 €20.02
$4.69 E£245
378.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.7 €81.0
$28.49 E£1,491
218.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.73 €12.25
$6.03 E£315
127.69%
Cappuccino
$2.20 €1.96
$1.81 E£94.7
21.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 €3.16
$0.35 E£18.18
911.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 €1.56
$0.15 E£7.95
1066.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.70 €5.97
$1.45 E£76.0
362.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 €4.96
$2.24 E£117
148.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bologna
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 €1.19
$0.97 E£50.7
37.11%
White Bread (500g)
$3.11 €2.78
$0.73 E£37.96
326.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.98 €2.66
$0.77 E£40.24
287.01%
Eggs
$3.90 €3.48
$1.17 E£61.2
233.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.73 €18.50
$4.32 E£226
379.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.22 €10.90
$5.07 E£265
141.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.84 €18.60
$8.92 E£467
133.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.38 €2.13
$1.83 E£95.8
30.05%
Banana (1kg)
$2.40 €2.14
$0.75 E£39.07
220.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.63 €2.35
$0.57 E£29.78
361.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.36 €3.00
$0.51 E£26.62
558.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 €1.72
$0.38 E£20.05
405.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.81 €1.61
$0.42 E£21.88
330.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.35 E£18.43
302.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 €0.46
$0.24 E£12.57
112.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.13
$1.99 E£104
245.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.78 €6.94
$7.48 E£391
4.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.52 E£79.4
26.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 €2.54
$2.13 E£112
33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Bologna
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 €2.28
$0.33 E£17.10
672.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.29 €38.63
$8.66 E£453
399.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.58 €4.08
$0.37 E£19.27
1137.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 €1.53
$0.20 E£10.65
760.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.11 €28.66
$1.49 E£77.8
2055.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.18 €1.94
$0.46 E£23.94
373.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.0K €33.0K
$32.6K E£1.7M
13.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.6K €32.7K
$28.4K E£1.5M
28.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bologna
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$245 €219
$27.54 E£1,441
789.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.42 €10.19
$8.27 E£432
38.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.85 €27.53
$14.05 E£735
119.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bologna
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.4 €56.6
$28.27 E£1,479
124.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.03 €24.12
$6.70 E£350
303.43%
Cinema Ticket
$9.94 €8.87
$4.40 E£230
125.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bologna
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$772 €689
$121 E£6,356
535.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.0K €14.3K
$3,619 E£189.3K
343.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bologna
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.4 €81.5
$40.16 E£2,101
127.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.96 €41.90
$49.61 E£2,596
-5.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 €109
$115 E£6,033
6.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 €130
$60.6 E£3,170
140.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bologna
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,154 €1,030
$220 E£11.5K
424.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$871 €777
$194 E£10.2K
348.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,072 €1,849
$514 E£26.9K
302.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,566 €1,398
$334 E£17.5K
369.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,020 €4,480
$806 E£42.2K
522.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,647 €3,254
$513 E£26.9K
610.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bologna
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,174 €1,940
$200 E£10.5K
985.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
16.21
-80.32%

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

Last update for Bologna: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bologna
$871
Cairo
$194 77.7% $677
Groceries & Markets
Bologna
$363
Cairo
$141 61.1% $222
Eating Out
Bologna
$313
Cairo
$91 70.9% $222
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bologna
$287
Cairo
$50 82.6% $237
Clothing & Footwear
Bologna
$183
Cairo
$120 34.6% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Bologna
$83
Cairo
$37 55.5% $46
Getting Around
Bologna
$67
Cairo
$11 83% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,154 in Bologna versus $220 in 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 986% higher in Bologna, 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 $91.0 in Bologna versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Bologna
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
06:55 6:55 AM
07:55 7:55 AM
1 h ahead of Bologna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
386,663
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
  • Bologna Cairo 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bologna
  • 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
Bologna vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bologna or Cairo?
Bologna costs about 242% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Bologna and in Cairo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,304 per month in Bologna and $965 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bologna or Cairo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Bologna compared to Cairo?
Public transport costs about 400% less in Cairo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Bologna and in Cairo?
Kindergarten costs $772 per month in Bologna and $121 in Cairo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Bologna or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Bologna at $2,203. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bologna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Bologna compared to Cairo?
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.
Should I move to Bologna or to Cairo?
If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bologna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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