Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Caen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $1,669 in Caen, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Caen
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Caen Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Caen

🇫🇷 France

$1,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Caen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $647 in Cairo versus $1,669 in Caen.

Cairo $647
Caen $1,669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,035 in Cairo versus $2,558 in Caen.

Cairo $1,035
Caen $2,558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,423 in Cairo versus $3,447 in Caen.

Cairo $1,423
Caen $3,447

Living in Cairo costs roughly 61% less than in Caen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cairo is 52% below, Caen is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 E£248

$16.49 €14.67

-71.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 E£1,501

$55.1 €49.04

-49.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£322

$13.17 €11.72

-54.21%

Cappuccino

$1.72 E£92.1

$2.82 €2.51

-39.01%

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

$0.36 E£19.38

$3.10 €2.76

-88.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.41

$2.14 €1.90

-94.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 E£80.4

$8.56 €7.61

-82.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 E£124

$5.73 €5.10

-59.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 E£48.92

$1.32 €1.18

-30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£38.92

$1.78 €1.58

-58.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£39.64

$1.94 €1.72

-61.86%

Eggs

$1.19 E£63.7

$3.75 €3.33

-68.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£231

$10.04 €8.93

-56.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 E£269

$11.49 €10.22

-56.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 E£496

$15.98 €14.21

-41.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 E£94.4

$2.97 €2.64

-40.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 E£39.03

$3.08 €2.74

-76.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 E£29.51

$1.44 €1.28

-61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.91

$4.25 €3.78

-88.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 E£22.42

$1.78 €1.58

-76.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£21.81

$1.95 €1.74

-78.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 E£17.51

$1.63 €1.45

-79.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 E£11.20

$0.13 €0.11

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 E£106

$12.58 €11.19

-84.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 E£417

$5.67 €5.04

37.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 E£84.7

$1.42 €1.26

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 E£112

$1.59 €1.42

31.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 E£18.83

$1.75 €1.56

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.69 E£464

$48.77 €43.37

-82.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£21.02

$2.30 €2.04

-83.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.57

$1.11 €0.99

-80.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 E£80.5

$32.86 €29.23

-95.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.43 E£22.88

$2.15 €1.91

-80.00%

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

$32.7K E£1.7M

$34.6K €30.8K

-5.44%

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

$27.2K E£1.5M

$32.1K €28.6K

-15.28%

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

$27.27 E£1,456

$138 €123

-80.23%

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

$8.58 E£458

$32.99 €29.34

-73.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.99 E£747

$31.71 €28.20

-55.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 E£1,585

$32.67 €29.06

-9.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 E£387

$22.06 €19.62

-67.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 E£260

$8.98 €7.98

-45.88%

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

$121 E£6,438

$903 €803

-86.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,560 E£190.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.28 E£2,151

$107 €95.5

-62.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.53 E£2,645

$38.27 €34.04

29.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,137

$102 €90.3

13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 E£3,206

$148 €132

-59.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 E£11.9K

$769 €684

-71.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 E£10.4K

$605 €539

-67.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 E£29.3K

$1,501 €1,335

-63.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 E£18.5K

$1,041 €926

-66.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 E£42.7K

$4,428 €3,938

-81.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 E£28.0K

$2,484 €2,209

-78.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.7K

$2,373 €2,110

-91.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

3.79

327.70%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Caen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$195 30.2%

Caen

$606 36.3% 211% $411

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$142 21.9%

Caen

$289 17.3% 104% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$119 18.4%

Caen

$178 10.7% 49.2% $59

Eating Out

Cairo

$90 13.9%

Caen

$281 16.8% 212% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Caen

$203 12.1% 307% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$39 6.1%

Caen

$51 3% 28.5% $11

Getting Around

Cairo

$12 1.8%

Caen

$64 3.8% 449% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $222 in Cairo and $769 in Caen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caen pays 1088% 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 $55.0 in Caen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $142 vs $289 per month, with Cairo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇫🇷 Caen

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

18:17 6:17 PM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

108,200

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.04 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairo Caen 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Caen

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 Caen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairo and Caen differ by about 158% in total monthly costs ($647 vs $1,669 including rent). Cairo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1088% lower in Caen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $222 in Cairo versus $769 in Caen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cairo runs roughly 461% less than in Caen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $121 in Cairo versus $903 in Caen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $647 in Cairo versus $1,669 in Caen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cairo but tight or insufficient in Caen. The gap between the two cities makes Cairo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Cairo and Caen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cairo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Caen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.