For one person, living is cheaper in Dahab: $443 a month against $635 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses 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 Dahab actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $635 per month in Cairo vs $443 in Dahab, rent included.
Cairo $635
Dahab $443
A couple spends around $1,010 per month in Cairo vs $735 in Dahab, rent included.
Cairo $1,010
Dahab $735
A family of three spends $1,385 per month in Cairo vs $1,026 in Dahab, rent included.
Cairo $1,385
Dahab $1,026
😐
Cairo costs about 44% more than Dahab, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.
📊
Both Cairo and Dahab are more affordable than the global median – Cairo53% lower, Dahab67% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
Dahab
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63E£247
$3.67E£196
26.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.66E£1,477
$12.95E£691
113.59%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.83E£311
$4.53E£242
28.70%
Cappuccino
$1.69E£90.1
$1.54E£82.3
9.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35E£18.79
$0.44E£23.36
-20.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13E£6.86
$0.26E£14.01
-50.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.47E£78.3
$1.82E£97.0
-19.23%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21E£118
$2.37E£127
-6.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
Dahab
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.94E£50.5
$0.93E£49.81
1.08%
White Bread(500g)
$0.79E£41.96
$1.09E£58.0
-27.52%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.70E£37.41
$0.73E£39.12
-4.11%
Eggs
$1.12E£59.5
$1.31E£70.0
-14.50%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.08E£218
$10.18E£544
-59.92%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.77E£255
$3.81E£203
25.20%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.81E£470
$10.21E£545
-13.71%
Apples(1kg)
$1.68E£89.7
$2.28E£122
-26.32%
Banana(1kg)
$0.71E£38.07
$1.47E£78.4
-51.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.59E£31.31
$0.62E£33.08
-4.84%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.51E£27.06
$0.58E£30.73
-12.07%
Potato(1kg)
$0.37E£19.81
$0.54E£28.74
-31.48%
Onion(1kg)
$0.44E£23.47
$0.53E£28.50
-16.98%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.34E£18.37
$0.80E£42.70
-57.50%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21E£11.16
$0.21E£10.96
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.99E£106
$1.50E£79.9
32.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.49E£400
$6.45E£344
16.12%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51E£80.4
$1.59E£85.1
-5.03%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08E£111
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
Dahab
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.34E£18.29
$0.18E£9.72
88.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$8.31E£444
$7.37E£394
12.75%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.40E£21.48
$0.73E£38.83
-45.21%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.19E£9.99
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.50E£80.0
-
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.45E£23.77
$0.42E£22.62
7.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1KE£1.8M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1KE£1.4M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
Dahab
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$27.62E£1,475
$17.34E£926
59.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.83E£418
$6.42E£343
21.96%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.39E£769
$17.43E£931
-17.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
Dahab
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$28.62E£1,528
$14.98E£800
91.05%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.47E£399
$9.05E£483
-17.46%
Cinema Ticket
$4.56E£244
$4.73E£253
-3.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
Dahab
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$120E£6,417
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,476E£185.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
Dahab
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.13E£2,090
-
-
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04E£2,619
-
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$111E£5,934
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.0E£3,043
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
Dahab
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$215E£11.5K
$186E£9,942
15.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$196E£10.5K
$127E£6,771
54.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$542E£28.9K
$511E£27.3K
5.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$338E£18.0K
$305E£16.3K
10.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$830E£44.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$512E£27.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
Dahab
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$195E£10.4K
$130E£6,921
50.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
16.21
0
-
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cairo: October 18, 2026
Last update for Dahab: October 18, 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
$196 30.8%
Dahab
$127 28.6% ↓ 35.3%$69
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$137 21.6%
Dahab
$163 * 36.9% ↑ 19.1%$26
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$115 18.2%
Dahab
- * 0% ↓ 100%
🍽Eating Out
Cairo
$88 13.9%
Dahab
$78 17.6% ↓ 11.7%$10
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$50 7.8%
Dahab
$41 9.3% ↓ 17.4%$8.7
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$38 5.9%
Dahab
$24 5.5% ↓ 35.2%$13
🚌Getting Around
Cairo
$11 1.7%
Dahab
$8.8 * 2% ↓ 19.9%$2.2
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$338 24.4%
Dahab
$305 29.7% ↓ 9.9%$33
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$313 22.6%
Dahab
$380 * 37% ↑ 21.2%$66
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$256 18.5%
Dahab
- * 0% ↓ 100%
🍽Eating Out
Cairo
$315 22.7%
Dahab
$219 21.3% ↓ 30.5%$96
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$58 4.2%
Dahab
$48 4.6% ↓ 17.5%$10
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$83 6%
Dahab
$58 5.6% ↓ 30.2%$25
🚌Getting Around
Cairo
$23 1.6%
Dahab
$18 * 1.8% ↓ 20.7%$4.7
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Cairo versus $186 in Dahab. 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 50% 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 $28.00 in Cairo versus $13.00 in Dahab. Groceries tell a different story – $137 in Cairo vs $163 in Dahab – so Cairo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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 Dahab: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dahab cheaper than Cairo?
Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $953 per month in Cairo and $664 in Dahab. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dahab, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Cairo and in Dahab?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $635 in Cairo and $443 in Dahab. That's a gap of about 44%.
Is eating out cheaper in Cairo or in Dahab?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo and $13.00 in Dahab. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cairo or Dahab?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $635 in Cairo and $443 in Dahab, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Cairo or Dahab more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Dahab – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Cairo or Dahab?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Dahab. 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.