For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $2,336 in Bonn, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Bonn actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $643 in Cairo versus $2,336 in Bonn.
Cairo $643
Bonn $2,336
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,037 in Cairo versus $3,461 in Bonn.
Cairo $1,037
Bonn $3,461
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,431 in Cairo versus $4,587 in Bonn.
Cairo $1,431
Bonn $4,587
🌍
Living in Cairo costs roughly 72% less than in Bonn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Cairo is 52% below, Bonn is 74% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
Bonn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.69E£245
$17.59€15.70
-73.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.49E£1,491
$79.1€70.6
-64.00%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.03E£315
$12.36€11.03
-51.21%
Cappuccino
$1.81E£94.7
$4.35€3.88
-58.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35E£18.18
$3.18€2.84
-88.99%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15E£7.95
$2.39€2.13
-93.72%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.45E£76.0
$5.65€5.05
-74.34%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24E£117
$4.15€3.70
-46.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
Bonn
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.97E£50.7
$1.46€1.31
-33.56%
White Bread(500g)
$0.73E£37.96
$2.85€2.54
-74.39%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.77E£40.24
$3.98€3.55
-80.65%
Eggs
$1.17E£61.2
$4.10€3.66
-71.46%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.32E£226
$13.89€12.40
-68.90%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.07E£265
$10.40€9.29
-51.25%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.92E£467
$26.56€23.70
-66.42%
Apples(1kg)
$1.83E£95.8
$3.51€3.13
-47.86%
Banana(1kg)
$0.75E£39.07
$2.65€2.37
-71.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.57E£29.78
$2.32€2.07
-75.43%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.51E£26.62
$5.30€4.73
-90.38%
Potato(1kg)
$0.38E£20.05
$2.18€1.95
-82.57%
Onion(1kg)
$0.42E£21.88
$1.64€1.46
-74.39%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.35E£18.43
$1.66€1.48
-78.92%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.24E£12.57
$1.32€1.18
-81.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.99E£104
$9.93€8.87
-79.96%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.48E£391
$6.22€5.55
20.26%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.52E£79.4
$1.27€1.13
19.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13E£112
$1.86€1.66
14.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
Bonn
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.33E£17.10
$4.48€3.99
-92.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$8.66E£453
$70.2€62.7
-87.67%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.37E£19.27
$3.00€2.68
-87.67%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.20E£10.65
$1.96€1.75
-89.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.49E£77.8
$31.31€27.94
-95.24%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.46E£23.94
$2.33€2.08
-80.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6KE£1.7M
$33.0K€29.5K
-1.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4KE£1.5M
$38.1K€34.0K
-25.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
Bonn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$27.54E£1,441
$332€296
-91.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.27E£432
$24.96€22.27
-66.87%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.05E£735
$39.45€35.21
-64.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
Bonn
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$28.27E£1,479
$44.00€39.26
-35.75%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.70E£350
$33.12€29.55
-79.77%
Cinema Ticket
$4.40E£230
$15.79€14.09
-72.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
Bonn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$121E£6,356
$548€489
-77.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,619E£189.3K
$13.8K€12.3K
-73.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
Bonn
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.16E£2,101
$75.5€67.4
-46.84%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.61E£2,596
$38.26€34.14
29.67%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115E£6,033
$106€94.6
8.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.6E£3,170
$116€104
-47.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
Bonn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$220E£11.5K
$1,038€926
-78.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$194E£10.2K
$917€818
-78.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$514E£26.9K
$2,152€1,920
-76.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$334E£17.5K
$1,645€1,468
-79.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$806E£42.2K
$6,282€5,606
-87.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$513E£26.9K
$4,528€4,041
-88.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
Bonn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$200E£10.5K
$3,508€3,130
-94.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
16.21
3.96
309.34%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026
Last update for Bonn: October 4, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$194 30.1%
Bonn
$917 39.8% ↑ 372%$722
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$141 21.9%
Bonn
$373 16.2% ↑ 164%$232
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$120 18.6%
Bonn
$151 6.6% ↑ 26.5%$32
🍽Eating Out
Cairo
$91 14.1%
Bonn
$289 12.6% ↑ 217%$198
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$50 7.7%
Bonn
$396 17.2% ↑ 695%$346
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$37 5.8%
Bonn
$76 3.3% ↑ 104%$39
🚌Getting Around
Cairo
$11 1.8%
Bonn
$101 4.4% ↑ 789%$90
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$334 23.7%
Bonn
$1.6K 35.3% ↑ 393%$1.3K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$323 22.9%
Bonn
$887 19% ↑ 175%$564
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$266 18.9%
Bonn
$336 7.2% ↑ 26.5%$70
🍽Eating Out
Cairo
$324 23%
Bonn
$974 20.9% ↑ 201%$650
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$58 4.1%
Bonn
$421 9% ↑ 625%$363
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$81 5.7%
Bonn
$184 4% ↑ 128%$103
🚌Getting Around
Cairo
$23 1.7%
Bonn
$211 4.5% ↑ 803%$187
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $220 in Cairo and $1,038 in Bonn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Bonn pays 1652% 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 $79.0 in Bonn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $141 vs $373 per month, with Cairo cheaper across the board.
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 Bonn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cairo or Bonn?
Cairo wins on cost – living expenses run 263% lower than in Bonn. 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 Bonn?
On paper, salaries run 1652% lower in Bonn. 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 Bonn?
Rent for a central apartment: $220 in Cairo versus $1,038 in Bonn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Cairo and in Bonn?
Childcare runs $121 in Cairo versus $548 in Bonn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Cairo or in Bonn?
Supermarket bills run roughly 164% higher in Bonn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Cairo or in Bonn?
At $643 in Cairo versus $2,336 in Bonn, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cairo but tight or insufficient in Bonn. 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 Bonn?
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 Bonn?
Safety-wise, Cairo and Bonn 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 263% less than in Bonn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.