Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Aja

For one person, living is cheaper in Aja: $434 a month against $635 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cairo, Egypt
Aja, Egypt
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$635
/mo nomad
Aja
🇪🇬 Egypt
$434
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Aja

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

A single person spends $635 per month in Cairo vs $434 in Aja, rent included.

  • Cairo $635
  • Aja $434

A couple spends around $1,010 per month in Cairo vs $700 in Aja, rent included.

  • Cairo $1,010
  • Aja $700

A family of three spends $1,385 per month in Cairo vs $966 in Aja, rent included.

  • Cairo $1,385
  • Aja $966

Cairo costs about 47% more than Aja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cairo and Aja are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 53% lower, Aja 68% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
Aja
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 E£256
$3.89 E£215
19.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.66 E£1,528
$15.29 E£845
80.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.83 E£322
$4.67 E£258
24.84%
Cappuccino
$1.69 E£93.2
$1.25 E£69.0
35.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 E£19.44
$0.32 E£17.80
9.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 E£7.10
$0.11 E£6.35
18.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.47 E£81.0
$1.32 E£72.7
11.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 E£122
$2.87 E£158
-23.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
Aja
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 E£52.2
$0.80 E£44.14
17.50%
White Bread (500g)
$0.79 E£43.41
$0.71 E£39.29
11.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.70 E£38.71
$0.62 E£34.38
12.90%
Eggs
$1.12 E£61.6
$1.21 E£66.7
-7.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.08 E£225
$3.26 E£180
25.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.77 E£263
$4.01 E£221
18.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.81 E£487
$7.95 E£439
10.82%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 E£92.8
$1.51 E£83.7
11.26%
Banana (1kg)
$0.71 E£39.39
$0.64 E£35.47
10.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.59 E£32.40
$0.49 E£26.88
20.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.51 E£27.99
$0.33 E£17.97
54.55%
Potato (1kg)
$0.37 E£20.50
$0.34 E£18.96
8.82%
Onion (1kg)
$0.44 E£24.28
$0.31 E£16.97
41.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.34 E£19.01
$0.25 E£13.75
36.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21 E£11.55
$0.17 E£9.24
23.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.99 E£110
$1.92 E£106
3.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.49 E£414
$6.30 E£348
18.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 E£83.2
$1.23 E£68.0
22.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 E£115
$2.02 E£111
2.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
Aja
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 E£18.92
$0.20 E£11.01
70.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.31 E£459
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 E£22.23
$0.36 E£19.98
11.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.19 E£10.34
$0.16 E£9.11
18.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.50 E£82.8
$1.22 E£67.2
22.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.45 E£24.59
$0.46 E£25.18
-2.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K E£1.8M
$31.6K E£1.7M
4.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K E£1.4M
$24.9K E£1.4M
5.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
Aja
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$27.62 E£1,526
$14.99 E£828
84.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.83 E£433
$7.02 E£388
11.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.39 E£795
$13.55 E£749
6.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
Aja
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.62 E£1,581
$16.16 E£893
77.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.47 E£413
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.56 E£252
$2.78 E£154
64.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
Aja
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$120 E£6,639
$87.4 E£4,830
37.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,476 E£192.1K
$1,900 E£105.0K
82.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
Aja
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.13 E£2,162
$17.08 E£944
129.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04 E£2,710
$43.98 E£2,430
11.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 E£6,140
$115 E£6,360
-3.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.0 E£3,148
$56.1 E£3,100
1.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
Aja
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$215 E£11.9K
$131 E£7,219
64.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$196 E£10.8K
$77.0 E£4,254
154.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$542 E£29.9K
$255 E£14.1K
112.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$338 E£18.7K
$146 E£8,088
130.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$830 E£45.9K
$755 E£41.7K
9.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$512 E£28.3K
$347 E£19.2K
47.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
Aja
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$195 E£10.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
16.21
-

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

Last update for Cairo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Aja: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$196
Aja
$77 60.7% $119
Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$137
Aja
$119 13.6% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$115
Aja
$105 9.4% $11
Eating Out
Cairo
$88
Aja
$74 16.1% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$50
Aja
$36 28.6% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$38
Aja
$22 42.4% $16
Getting Around
Cairo
$11
Aja
$2 * 82% $9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Cairo versus $131 in Aja. 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 $28 in Cairo versus $15 in Aja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $137 vs $119 – making Aja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Cairo
🇪🇬 Aja
🕒 Local time
07:32 7:32 AM
07:32 7:32 AM
Same time as Cairo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,120,350 Capital
47,013
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 55.25 EGP (100 EGP = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.99 EGP (100 EGP = 1.61 EUR).

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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 Aja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cairo or Aja?
Cairo costs about 47% more than Aja, 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 Cairo and in Aja?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $953 per month in Cairo and $650 in Aja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cairo or Aja?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Aja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $131 there versus $215 in Cairo.
How much does it cost to live in Cairo compared to Aja?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $635 in Cairo and $434 in Aja. That’s a gap of about 47%.
How do childcare costs compare in Cairo and in Aja?
Kindergarten costs $120 per month in Cairo and $87 in Aja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Cairo or in Aja?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $635 in Cairo and $434 in Aja, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Aja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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