Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and El Faiyum Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and El Faiyum

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $523 per month in Cairo vs $435 in El Faiyum, rent included.

A couple spends around $843 per month in Cairo vs $732 in El Faiyum, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,163 per month in Cairo vs $1,028 in El Faiyum, rent included.

Cairo costs about 20% more than El Faiyum, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cairo and El Faiyum are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 61% lower, El Faiyum 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 E£209

$2.31 E£120

74.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.82 E£1,026

$13.75 E£712

44.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 E£253

$4.70 E£243

3.83%

Cappuccino

$1.50 E£77.5

$1.24 E£64.2

20.97%

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

$0.37 E£18.92

$0.31 E£16.30

19.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.87

$0.10 E£5.06

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 E£73.3

$1.16 E£60.2

22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 E£146

$3.02 E£157

-6.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 E£48.14

$0.72 E£37.20

29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 E£30.44

$0.78 E£40.39

-24.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£38.49

$0.66 E£34.02

12.12%

Eggs

$1.54 E£79.9

$1.19 E£61.8

29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.31 E£171

$2.95 E£153

12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 E£225

$4.46 E£231

-2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 E£436

$8.21 E£425

2.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 E£80.9

$1.49 E£77.3

4.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 E£29.02

$0.54 E£27.94

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.47 E£24.20

$0.43 E£22.05

9.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.39 E£20.19

$0.36 E£18.78

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 E£23.94

$0.38 E£19.59

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.91

$0.43 E£22.21

-6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 E£11.32

$0.24 E£12.45

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 E£11.70

$0.17 E£8.73

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 E£105

$2.02 E£104

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 E£407

$5.66 E£293

38.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 E£65.3

$1.34 E£69.4

-5.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 E£91.6

$2.29 E£119

-22.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 E£14.85

$0.06 E£2.89

383.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.97 E£309

$6.09 E£316

-1.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 E£19.79

$0.42 E£21.95

-9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 E£14.93

$0.29 E£14.89

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 E£52.6

$0.94 E£48.90

8.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£15.80

$0.33 E£17.34

-6.06%

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

$36.1K E£1.9M

$35.7K E£1.8M

1.12%

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

$30.7K E£1.6M

$33.0K E£1.7M

-7.07%

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

$26.21 E£1,357

$11.20 E£580

134.02%

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

$8.42 E£436

$5.75 E£297

46.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.30 E£637

$9.96 E£515

23.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.02 E£829

$25.46 E£1,318

-37.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 E£352

$25.58 E£1,324

-73.42%

Cinema Ticket

$3.51 E£182

$2.39 E£124

46.86%

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

$91.9 E£4,758

$25.66 E£1,328

258.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,993 E£103.2K

$879 E£45.5K

126.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.43 E£1,627

$27.77 E£1,438

13.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.87 E£2,323

$44.38 E£2,298

1.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 E£5,548

$107 E£5,552

-0.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 E£2,978

$47.03 E£2,435

22.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 E£10.6K

$188 E£9,732

8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 E£6,754

$85.5 E£4,424

52.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 E£21.9K

$327 E£17.0K

29.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 E£12.9K

$185 E£9,574

35.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$843 E£43.6K

$411 E£21.3K

104.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 E£25.0K

$201 E£10.4K

140.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$196 E£10.1K

$70.6 E£3,654

177.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

177.83%

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

Last update for Cairo: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $205 in Cairo versus $188 in El Faiyum. 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 177% 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 $20.00 in Cairo versus $14.00 in El Faiyum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $128 vs $120 – making El Faiyum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 El Faiyum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $784 per month in Cairo and $653 in El Faiyum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Faiyum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $20.00 in Cairo and $14.00 in El Faiyum. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $523 in Cairo and $435 in El Faiyum, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward El Faiyum – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with El Faiyum. 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.