For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $635 a month against $1,890 in Aalen, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cairo and in Aalen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $635 in Cairo versus $1,890 in Aalen.
Cairo $635
Aalen $1,890
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,010 in Cairo versus $2,985 in Aalen.
Cairo $1,010
Aalen $2,985
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,385 in Cairo versus $4,080 in Aalen.
Cairo $1,385
Aalen $4,080
🌍
Living in Cairo costs roughly 66% less than in Aalen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Cairo is 53% below, Aalen is 39% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
Aalen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63E£247
$17.02€15.14
-72.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.66E£1,477
$67.5€60.1
-59.05%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.83E£311
$12.57€11.18
-53.62%
Cappuccino
$1.69E£90.1
$3.55€3.16
-52.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35E£18.79
$2.79€2.48
-87.46%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13E£6.86
$2.43€2.16
-94.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.47E£78.3
$4.42€3.93
-66.74%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21E£118
$4.47€3.98
-50.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
Aalen
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.94E£50.5
$1.26€1.12
-25.40%
White Bread(500g)
$0.79E£41.96
$1.98€1.76
-60.10%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.70E£37.41
$2.81€2.50
-75.09%
Eggs
$1.12E£59.5
$2.89€2.57
-61.25%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.08E£218
$14.01€12.46
-70.88%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.77E£255
$10.28€9.14
-53.60%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.81E£470
$16.30€14.50
-45.95%
Apples(1kg)
$1.68E£89.7
$3.05€2.72
-44.92%
Banana(1kg)
$0.71E£38.07
$2.00€1.78
-64.50%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.59E£31.31
$2.13€1.89
-72.30%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.51E£27.06
$4.28€3.81
-88.08%
Potato(1kg)
$0.37E£19.81
$1.20€1.07
-69.17%
Onion(1kg)
$0.44E£23.47
$1.31€1.17
-66.41%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.34E£18.37
$1.54€1.37
-77.92%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21E£11.16
$0.54€0.48
-61.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.99E£106
$9.03€8.04
-77.96%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.49E£400
$5.71€5.08
31.17%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51E£80.4
$0.80€0.71
88.75%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08E£111
$1.64€1.46
26.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
Aalen
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.34E£18.29
$2.74€2.44
-87.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$8.31E£444
$67.5€60.0
-87.68%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.40E£21.48
$3.98€3.54
-89.95%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.19E£9.99
$2.23€1.98
-91.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.50E£80.0
$28.02€24.92
-94.65%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.45E£23.77
$2.03€1.81
-77.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1KE£1.8M
$32.9K€29.3K
0.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1KE£1.4M
$38.5K€34.3K
-32.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
Aalen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$27.62E£1,475
$267€238
-89.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.83E£418
$16.18€14.39
-51.61%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.39E£769
$48.40€43.05
-70.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
Aalen
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$28.62E£1,528
$35.79€31.83
-20.03%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.47E£399
$28.51€25.36
-73.80%
Cinema Ticket
$4.56E£244
$16.10€14.32
-71.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
Aalen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$120E£6,417
$524€466
-77.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,476E£185.6K
$9,506€8,455
-63.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
Aalen
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.13E£2,090
$66.6€59.2
-41.25%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04E£2,619
$53.4€47.46
-8.08%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$111E£5,934
$79.2€70.4
40.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.0E£3,043
$88.9€79.1
-35.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
Aalen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$215E£11.5K
$900€800
-76.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$196E£10.5K
$707€628
-72.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$542E£28.9K
$1,651€1,468
-67.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$338E£18.0K
$1,516€1,349
-77.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$830E£44.3K
$5,506€4,898
-84.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$512E£27.3K
$4,450€3,958
-88.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
Aalen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$195E£10.4K
$3,454€3,073
-94.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
16.21
3.95
310.38%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cairo: October 18, 2026
Last update for Aalen: October 18, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$196 30.8%
Aalen
$707 37.4% ↑ 261%$511
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$137 21.6%
Aalen
$292 15.5% ↑ 113%$155
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$115 18.2%
Aalen
$130 6.9% ↑ 12.4%$14
🍽Eating Out
Cairo
$88 13.9%
Aalen
$268 14.2% ↑ 204%$180
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$50 7.8%
Aalen
$332 17.6% ↑ 565%$282
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$38 5.9%
Aalen
$68 3.6% ↑ 80.2%$30
🚌Getting Around
Cairo
$11 1.7%
Aalen
$94 5% ↑ 749%$83
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$338 24.4%
Aalen
$1.5K 37.2% ↑ 349%$1.2K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$313 22.6%
Aalen
$694 17% ↑ 122%$381
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$256 18.5%
Aalen
$288 7.1% ↑ 12.4%$32
🍽Eating Out
Cairo
$315 22.7%
Aalen
$877 21.5% ↑ 179%$562
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$58 4.2%
Aalen
$348 8.5% ↑ 503%$290
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$83 6%
Aalen
$165 4% ↑ 98.3%$82
🚌Getting Around
Cairo
$23 1.6%
Aalen
$193 4.7% ↑ 748%$170
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Cairo and $900 in Aalen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Aalen pays 1672% 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: $28.00 in Cairo vs $68.0 in Aalen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $137 vs $292 per month, with Cairo cheaper across the board.
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
Cairo vs Aalen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cairo or Aalen?
Cairo wins on cost – living expenses run 197% lower than in Aalen. 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 Cairo or in Aalen?
On paper, salaries run 1672% lower in Aalen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Cairo compared to Aalen?
Rent for a central apartment: $215 in Cairo versus $900 in Aalen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Cairo and in Aalen?
Dining out is cheaper in Cairo – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $68.0 in Aalen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Cairo compared to Aalen?
All in, you'll spend $635 per month in Cairo versus $1,890 in Aalen – a 197% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Cairo or in Aalen?
At $635 in Cairo versus $1,890 in Aalen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cairo but tight or insufficient in Aalen. The gap between the two cities makes Cairo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Cairo or Aalen?
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.
How safe is Cairo compared to Aalen?
Safety-wise, Cairo and Aalen 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 197% less than in Aalen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.