Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Al `arish Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Al `arish

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Cairo versus $462 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $831 in Cairo versus $728 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,144 in Cairo versus $993 in Al `arish.

Living in Cairo is roughly 12% more expensive than Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cairo 61% lower, Al `arish 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.84 E£202

$3.87 E£204

-0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.05 E£1,055

$14.03 E£738

42.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 E£259

$5.48 E£288

-10.22%

Cappuccino

$1.55 E£81.4

$1.41 E£74.0

9.93%

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

$0.36 E£19.12

$0.41 E£21.62

-12.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.81

$0.15 E£7.82

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 E£73.6

$1.27 E£66.6

10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 E£146

$1.94 E£102

42.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 E£48.85

$0.93 E£48.84

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 E£33.45

$0.47 E£24.59

36.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.72 E£38.01

$0.71 E£37.09

1.41%

Eggs

$1.53 E£80.7

$1.49 E£78.3

2.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.42 E£180

$1.98 E£104

72.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 E£228

$4.09 E£215

6.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.81 E£464

$8.27 E£435

6.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 E£79.8

$1.46 E£76.6

4.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 E£31.78

$0.60 E£31.43

Oranges (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.42

$0.38 E£20.11

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.13

$0.40 E£20.85

-5.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.28

$0.50 E£26.37

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 E£22.83

$0.53 E£27.71

-18.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 E£11.51

$0.29 E£15.45

-24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 E£10.39

$0.15 E£8.09

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 E£107

$1.97 E£104

3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 E£409

$4.29 E£226

81.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 E£64.1

$1.45 E£76.0

-15.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 E£91.0

$1.65 E£87.0

4.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 E£15.22

$0.17 E£9.01

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.21 E£327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 E£22.03

$0.31 E£16.46

35.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 E£15.12

$0.23 E£12.03

26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 E£51.0

$1.93 E£101

-49.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£16.06

$0.33 E£17.36

-6.06%

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

$36.1K E£1.9M

$30.1K E£1.6M

20.22%

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

$30.0K E£1.6M

$35.9K E£1.9M

-16.46%

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

$26.21 E£1,379

$19.29 E£1,015

35.87%

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

$8.03 E£423

$7.42 E£390

8.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.43 E£654

$10.77 E£567

15.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.01 E£842

$21.96 E£1,155

-27.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.74 E£355

Cinema Ticket

$3.65 E£192

$6.75 E£355

-45.93%

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

$93.7 E£4,927

$97.2 E£5,114

-3.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,976 E£104.0K

$2,652 E£139.5K

-25.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.27 E£1,645

$17.46 E£918

79.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.03 E£2,316

$62.3 E£3,279

-29.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 E£5,607

$83.5 E£4,392

27.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 E£3,132

$51.8 E£2,725

14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 E£10.9K

$191 E£10.1K

8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 E£6,889

$99.0 E£5,209

32.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 E£21.8K

$309 E£16.3K

33.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 E£13.0K

$178 E£9,340

39.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$929 E£48.9K

$748 E£39.4K

24.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$523 E£27.5K

$397 E£20.9K

31.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 E£9,086

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

23.33

-28.55%

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

Last update for Cairo: April 21, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Cairo and $191 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Cairo vs $14 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $129 vs $113 per month, with Al `arish cheaper across the board.

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 Al `arish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `arish wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Cairo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al `arish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $778 in Cairo and $694 in Al `arish to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $208 in Cairo versus $191 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Cairo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $518 per month in Cairo versus $462 in Al `arish – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Al `arish gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Al `arish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Cairo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.