Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Alkmaar

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $2,379 in Alkmaar, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$647
/mo nomad
Alkmaar
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,379
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Alkmaar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $647 in Cairo versus $2,379 in Alkmaar.

  • Cairo $647
  • Alkmaar $2,379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,035 in Cairo versus $3,521 in Alkmaar.

  • Cairo $1,035
  • Alkmaar $3,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,423 in Cairo versus $4,662 in Alkmaar.

  • Cairo $1,423
  • Alkmaar $4,662

Living in Cairo costs roughly 73% less than in Alkmaar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cairo is 52% below, Alkmaar is 76% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
Alkmaar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.64 E£248
$29.95 €26.64
-84.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.12 E£1,501
$90.2 €80.2
-68.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.03 E£322
$14.57 €12.96
-58.61%
Cappuccino
$1.72 E£92.1
$3.91 €3.48
-56.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 E£19.38
$3.14 €2.80
-88.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.12 E£6.41
$2.45 €2.18
-95.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.51 E£80.4
$5.72 €5.08
-73.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 E£124
$4.50 €4.00
-48.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
Alkmaar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 E£48.92
$1.44 €1.28
-36.11%
White Bread (500g)
$0.73 E£38.92
$2.34 €2.08
-68.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.74 E£39.64
$3.54 €3.15
-79.10%
Eggs
$1.19 E£63.7
$4.74 €4.21
-74.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.33 E£231
$13.90 €12.37
-68.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.03 E£269
$14.52 €12.91
-65.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.28 E£496
$17.18 €15.28
-45.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.77 E£94.4
$2.56 €2.27
-30.86%
Banana (1kg)
$0.73 E£39.03
$2.40 €2.13
-69.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.55 E£29.51
$1.79 €1.59
-69.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.50 E£26.91
$4.24 €3.77
-88.21%
Potato (1kg)
$0.42 E£22.42
$1.96 €1.75
-78.57%
Onion (1kg)
$0.41 E£21.81
$2.08 €1.85
-80.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.33 E£17.51
$1.27 €1.13
-74.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21 E£11.20
$0.80 €0.71
-73.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.98 E£106
$12.76 €11.35
-84.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.81 E£417
$7.21 €6.41
8.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 E£84.7
$1.27 €1.13
25.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 E£112
$2.23 €1.98
-6.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
Alkmaar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 E£18.83
$2.27 €2.02
-84.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.69 E£464
$58.3 €51.8
-85.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 E£21.02
$2.83 €2.52
-86.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 E£11.57
$1.64 €1.46
-86.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 E£80.5
$24.57 €21.86
-93.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.43 E£22.88
$2.34 €2.08
-81.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K E£1.7M
$40.8K €36.3K
-19.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K E£1.5M
$38.9K €34.6K
-29.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
Alkmaar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$27.27 E£1,456
$239 €213
-88.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.58 E£458
$20.90 €18.59
-58.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.99 E£747
$46.16 €41.06
-69.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
Alkmaar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.69 E£1,585
$45.38 €40.37
-34.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.25 E£387
$6.17 €5.49
17.50%
Cinema Ticket
$4.86 E£260
$15.01 €13.36
-67.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
Alkmaar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$121 E£6,438
$716 €637
-83.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,560 E£190.1K
$2,313 €2,058
53.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
Alkmaar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.28 E£2,151
$112 €100
-64.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.53 E£2,645
$45.65 €40.60
8.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 E£6,137
$107 €95.3
7.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.0 E£3,206
$118 €105
-48.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
Alkmaar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$222 E£11.9K
$788 €701
-71.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$195 E£10.4K
$1,015 €903
-80.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$550 E£29.3K
$2,815 €2,504
-80.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 E£18.5K
$1,568 €1,395
-77.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$800 E£42.7K
$5,013 €4,459
-84.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$525 E£28.0K
$4,123 €3,668
-87.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
Alkmaar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$200 E£10.7K
$3,317 €2,951
-93.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
4
305.25%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alkmaar: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$195
Alkmaar
$1K 420% $820
Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$142
Alkmaar
$342 141% $200
Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$119
Alkmaar
$172 44.6% $53
Eating Out
Cairo
$90
Alkmaar
$390 333% $300
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$50
Alkmaar
$306 514% $256
Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$39
Alkmaar
$75 91.3% $36
Getting Around
Cairo
$12
Alkmaar
$78 577% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $222 in Cairo and $788 in Alkmaar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alkmaar pays 1561% 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 $90.0 in Alkmaar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $142 vs $342 per month, with Cairo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Cairo
🇳🇱 Alkmaar
🕒 Local time
15:12 3:12 PM
14:12 2:12 PM
1 h behind Cairo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,120,350 Capital
111,834
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cairo Alkmaar 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cairo
  • Alkmaar

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 Alkmaar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cairo or Alkmaar?
Cairo wins on cost – living expenses run 268% lower than in Alkmaar. 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 Alkmaar?
On paper, salaries run 1561% lower in Alkmaar. 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 Alkmaar?
Rent for a central apartment: $222 in Cairo versus $788 in Alkmaar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Cairo compared to Alkmaar?
A monthly transit pass in Cairo runs roughly 570% less than in Alkmaar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Cairo and in Alkmaar?
Childcare runs $121 in Cairo versus $716 in Alkmaar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Cairo or in Alkmaar?
At $647 in Cairo versus $2,379 in Alkmaar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cairo but tight or insufficient in Alkmaar. 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 Alkmaar?
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 Alkmaar?
Safety-wise, Cairo and Alkmaar 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 268% less than in Alkmaar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Cairo vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?