Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Derna

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $171 a month against $643 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Derna

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Cairo vs $171 in Derna, rent included.

Cairo $643
Derna $171

A couple spends around $1,037 per month in Cairo vs $337 in Derna, rent included.

Cairo $1,037
Derna $337

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Cairo vs $503 in Derna, rent included.

Cairo $1,431
Derna $503

Cairo costs about 277% more than Derna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cairo and Derna are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, Derna 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 E£245

$4.01 LYD 25.66

16.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.49 E£1,491

$7.85 LYD 50.2

262.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£315

$3.20 LYD 20.46

88.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.48 LYD 3.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.15

Cappuccino

$1.81 E£94.7

$0.45 LYD 2.88

302.22%

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

$0.35 E£18.18

$0.29 LYD 1.89

20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 E£7.95

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 E£76.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 E£117

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 E£50.7

$0.72 LYD 4.63

34.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£37.96

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 E£40.24

$2.29 LYD 14.68

-66.38%

Eggs

$1.17 E£61.2

$0.93 LYD 5.95

25.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 E£226

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 E£265

$3.15 LYD 20.18

60.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 E£467

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 E£95.8

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 E£39.07

$0.75 LYD 4.82

Oranges (1kg)

$0.57 E£29.78

$0.96 LYD 6.14

-40.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 E£26.62

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.05

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 E£18.43

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 E£104

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 E£391

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 E£79.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 E£112

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 E£17.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 E£453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.27

$0.80 LYD 5.15

-53.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 E£10.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 E£77.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.94

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

$32.6K E£1.7M

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

$28.4K E£1.5M

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

$27.54 E£1,441

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

$8.27 E£432

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 E£735

$14.23 LYD 91.1

-1.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.27 E£1,479

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 E£350

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 E£230

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

$121 E£6,356

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,619 E£189.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.16 E£2,101

$31.11 LYD 199

29.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 E£2,596

$39.65 LYD 254

25.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,033

$38.36 LYD 245

200.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 E£3,170

$39.17 LYD 251

54.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 E£11.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 E£10.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 E£26.9K

$159 LYD 1,017

223.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 E£17.5K

$95.5 LYD 611

249.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 E£42.2K

$196 LYD 1,255

311.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$513 E£26.9K

$78.0 LYD 499

558.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.5K

$169 LYD 1,080

18.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

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

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Derna: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$194 30.1%

Derna

–

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$141 21.9%

Derna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$120 18.6%

Derna

–

Eating Out

Cairo

$91 14.1%

Derna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Derna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$37 5.8%

Derna

–

Getting Around

Cairo

$11 1.8%

Derna

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 19% 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 $8.00 in Derna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $141 vs $44.00 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇱🇾 Derna

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

07:21 7:21 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

50,000

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairo Derna 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Derna

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 Derna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 277%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Cairo and $256 in Derna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 219% more in Cairo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo and $8.00 in Derna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $643 in Cairo and $171 in Derna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Derna – 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 Derna. 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.