Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Alexandria Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Alexandria

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $523 per month in Cairo vs $442 in Alexandria, rent included.

A couple spends around $845 per month in Cairo vs $716 in Alexandria, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,167 per month in Cairo vs $989 in Alexandria, rent included.

Cairo costs about 18% more than Alexandria, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Cairo and Alexandria are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 61% lower, Alexandria 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 E£206

$3.64 E£186

10.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.77 E£1,010

$15.94 E£814

24.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 E£254

$4.76 E£243

4.41%

Cappuccino

$1.48 E£75.5

$1.49 E£75.9

-0.67%

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

$0.36 E£18.58

$0.29 E£14.55

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.55

$0.12 E£5.97

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 E£69.6

$1.17 E£59.6

16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 E£144

$2.91 E£148

-3.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 E£44.59

$0.80 E£40.99

8.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 E£30.47

$0.75 E£38.24

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 E£35.28

$0.70 E£35.75

-1.43%

Eggs

$1.54 E£78.7

$1.45 E£74.2

6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.26 E£166

$3.89 E£199

-16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 E£219

$4.40 E£225

-2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 E£433

$9.74 E£497

-13.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 E£77.7

$1.49 E£75.9

2.01%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 E£28.61

$0.53 E£27.18

5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 E£24.35

$0.39 E£20.08

23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.28

$0.36 E£18.47

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 E£23.84

$0.37 E£18.94

27.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.62

$0.43 E£21.99

-6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 E£12.26

$0.24 E£12.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 E£8.78

$0.20 E£10.09

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 E£103

$2.00 E£102

1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 E£399

$6.06 E£309

28.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 E£62.2

$1.35 E£68.9

-9.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 E£89.5

$2.65 E£135

-33.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 E£15.83

$0.18 E£8.94

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.94 E£303

$13.58 E£693

-56.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 E£21.26

$0.55 E£28.23

-23.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 E£16.00

$0.46 E£23.42

-32.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 E£51.2

$1.95 E£99.5

-48.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£15.64

$0.30 E£15.55

3.33%

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

$35.5K E£1.8M

$35.1K E£1.8M

1.32%

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

$30.4K E£1.6M

$33.0K E£1.7M

-7.86%

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

$25.86 E£1,320

$11.24 E£574

130.07%

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

$8.32 E£425

$5.81 E£296

43.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.53 E£640

$9.89 E£505

26.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.83 E£808

$13.00 E£664

21.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.94 E£354

$6.85 E£350

1.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.50 E£179

$2.93 E£149

19.45%

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

$92.9 E£4,741

$89.5 E£4,569

3.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,997 E£101.9K

$1,885 E£96.2K

5.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.12 E£1,588

$27.10 E£1,383

14.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.95 E£2,295

$49.05 E£2,504

-8.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 E£5,468

$109 E£5,582

-2.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 E£3,043

$51.3 E£2,617

16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 E£10.6K

$108 E£5,511

91.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 E£6,691

$67.1 E£3,426

95.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 E£21.5K

$247 E£12.6K

70.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 E£13.0K

$134 E£6,820

90.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$877 E£44.8K

$717 E£36.6K

22.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$496 E£25.3K

$460 E£23.5K

7.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 E£10.9K

$137 E£7,012

55.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-1.94%

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

Last update for Cairo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $207 in Cairo versus $108 in Alexandria. 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 56% higher in Cairo, 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 $20.00 in Cairo versus $16.00 in Alexandria. Groceries tell a different story – $126 in Cairo vs $131 in Alexandria – so Cairo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairo costs about 18% more than Alexandria, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $785 per month in Cairo and $664 in Alexandria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alexandria, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $92.9 per month in Cairo and $89.5 in Alexandria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Cairo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $523 in Cairo and $442 in Alexandria, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Alexandria – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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