Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Aarau

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $2,794 in Aarau, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Aarau

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 Aarau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $647 per month in Cairo vs $2,794 in Aarau, rent included.

Cairo $647
Aarau $2,794

A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Cairo vs $4,568 in Aarau, rent included.

Cairo $1,035
Aarau $4,568

A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Cairo vs $6,342 in Aarau, rent included.

Cairo $1,423
Aarau $6,342

Cairo is about 77% cheaper than Aarau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairo sits 52% below the global median, while Aarau is 107% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 E£248

$29.07 CHF 23.94

-84.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 E£1,501

$106 CHF 87.6

-73.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£322

$17.63 CHF 14.52

-65.80%

Cappuccino

$1.72 E£92.1

$5.80 CHF 4.78

-70.34%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 E£19.38

$5.22 CHF 4.30

-93.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.41

$4.70 CHF 3.87

-97.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 E£80.4

$6.15 CHF 5.06

-75.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 E£124

$6.60 CHF 5.44

-64.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 E£48.92

$2.05 CHF 1.69

-55.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£38.92

$3.62 CHF 2.98

-79.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£39.64

$2.59 CHF 2.13

-71.43%

Eggs

$1.19 E£63.7

$7.22 CHF 5.95

-83.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£231

$30.30 CHF 24.96

-85.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 E£269

$29.34 CHF 24.16

-82.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 E£496

$40.30 CHF 33.19

-76.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 E£94.4

$2.89 CHF 2.38

-38.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 E£39.03

$1.78 CHF 1.46

-58.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 E£29.51

$2.44 CHF 2.01

-77.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.91

$5.50 CHF 4.53

-90.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 E£22.42

$1.66 CHF 1.37

-74.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£21.81

$1.96 CHF 1.61

-79.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 E£17.51

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-85.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 E£11.20

$1.19 CHF 0.98

-82.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 E£106

$10.86 CHF 8.94

-81.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 E£417

$10.21 CHF 8.41

-23.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 E£84.7

$2.49 CHF 2.05

-36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 E£112

$2.86 CHF 2.36

-26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 E£18.83

$5.11 CHF 4.20

-93.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.69 E£464

$146 CHF 120

-94.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£21.02

$6.84 CHF 5.64

-94.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.57

$3.32 CHF 2.74

-93.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 E£80.5

$58.8 CHF 48.45

-97.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.43 E£22.88

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-80.63%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.7K E£1.7M

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

-23.82%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K E£1.5M

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

-30.68%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$27.27 E£1,456

$120 CHF 98.9

-77.29%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.58 E£458

$30.84 CHF 25.40

-72.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.99 E£747

$55.7 CHF 45.84

-74.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 E£1,585

$97.9 CHF 80.6

-69.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 E£387

$59.6 CHF 49.04

-87.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 E£260

$21.42 CHF 17.64

-77.31%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$121 E£6,438

$3,152 CHF 2,596

-96.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,560 E£190.1K

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

-89.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.28 E£2,151

$88.7 CHF 73.0

-54.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.53 E£2,645

$70.6 CHF 58.2

-29.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,137

$109 CHF 90.1

5.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 E£3,206

$169 CHF 140

-64.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 E£11.9K

$1,277 CHF 1,052

-82.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 E£10.4K

$1,033 CHF 851

-81.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 E£29.3K

$2,290 CHF 1,886

-76.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 E£18.5K

$2,114 CHF 1,742

-83.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 E£42.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 E£28.0K

$11.8K CHF 9,759

-95.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.7K

$6,801 CHF 5,601

-97.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

2.31

601.73%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$195 30.2%

Aarau

$1K 37% 430% $838

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$142 21.9%

Aarau

$588 21% 315% $446

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$119 18.4%

Aarau

$197 7.1% 65.5% $78

Eating Out

Cairo

$90 13.9%

Aarau

$439 15.7% 387% $349

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Aarau

$207 7.4% 315% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$39 6.1%

Aarau

$141 5% 257% $101

Getting Around

Cairo

$12 1.8%

Aarau

$190 6.8% 1541% $178

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Cairo versus $1,277 in Aarau. 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 3305% higher in Aarau, 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 $28.00 in Cairo versus $106 in Aarau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $588 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇨🇭 Aarau

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

00:36 12:36 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

21,191

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cairo Aarau 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Aarau

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 Aarau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aarau costs about 332% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Cairo and $4,191 in Aarau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 1582% less in Cairo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $121 per month in Cairo and $3,152 in Aarau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Aarau at $2,794. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.