Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and El Gouna

For one person, living is cheaper in El Gouna: $462 a month against $614 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cairo, Egypt
El Gouna, Egypt
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$614
/mo nomad
El Gouna
🇪🇬 Egypt
$462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in El Gouna

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

A single person spends $614 per month in Cairo vs $462 in El Gouna, rent included.

  • Cairo $614
  • El Gouna $462

A couple spends around $974 per month in Cairo vs $727 in El Gouna, rent included.

  • Cairo $974
  • El Gouna $727

A family of three spends $1,333 per month in Cairo vs $991 in El Gouna, rent included.

  • Cairo $1,333
  • El Gouna $991

Cairo costs about 33% more than El Gouna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cairo and El Gouna are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 55% lower, El Gouna 66% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
El Gouna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.61 E£252
$3.63 E£198
27.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.32 E£1,493
$15.64 E£855
74.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.33 E£291
$4.48 E£245
18.97%
Cappuccino
$1.64 E£89.6
$1.48 E£81.0
10.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 E£18.83
$0.31 E£17.17
9.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 E£8.63
$0.12 E£6.42
33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.39 E£76.2
$1.25 E£68.5
11.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 E£115
$3.04 E£166
-30.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
El Gouna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 E£46.43
$0.87 E£47.50
-2.30%
White Bread (500g)
$0.74 E£40.38
$0.57 E£31.17
29.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.65 E£35.55
$0.69 E£37.81
-5.80%
Eggs
$1.15 E£62.8
$1.45 E£79.1
-20.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.84 E£210
$3.32 E£182
15.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.69 E£256
$4.29 E£234
9.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.98 E£491
$8.71 E£476
3.10%
Apples (1kg)
$1.67 E£91.2
$1.48 E£80.6
12.84%
Banana (1kg)
$0.72 E£39.57
$0.59 E£32.06
22.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.55 E£30.08
$0.43 E£23.41
27.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.52 E£28.26
$0.36 E£19.75
44.44%
Potato (1kg)
$0.37 E£20.22
$0.37 E£20.41
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.39 E£21.54
$0.40 E£21.83
-2.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.30 E£16.37
$0.24 E£13.15
25.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.22 E£12.05
$0.20 E£11.02
10.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.87 E£102
$1.95 E£107
-4.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.34 E£401
$6.28 E£343
16.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 E£80.2
$1.25 E£68.3
17.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 E£106
$1.82 E£99.5
6.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
El Gouna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 E£18.78
$0.19 E£10.53
78.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.76 E£424
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.38 E£20.51
$0.38 E£20.86
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.15 E£8.38
$0.31 E£17.05
-51.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$0.55 E£30.12
$1.94 E£106
-71.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.44 E£24.04
$0.31 E£16.82
41.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.8K E£1.7M
$35.7K E£2.0M
-10.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K E£1.4M
$33.4K E£1.8M
-25.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
El Gouna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$25.45 E£1,391
$11.91 E£651
113.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.67 E£419
$6.85 E£374
11.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.55 E£795
$11.17 E£611
30.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
El Gouna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.17 E£1,485
$21.06 E£1,151
29.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.25 E£396
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.35 E£238
$2.99 E£164
45.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
El Gouna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$123 E£6,697
$89.0 E£4,866
37.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.3K E£560.5K
$1,856 E£101.5K
452.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
El Gouna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.47 E£2,157
$27.96 E£1,528
41.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.07 E£2,682
$44.86 E£2,451
9.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 E£6,190
$107 E£5,823
6.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.0 E£2,952
$50.9 E£2,783
6.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
El Gouna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$210 E£11.5K
$191 E£10.4K
9.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$186 E£10.1K
$102 E£5,549
82.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$465 E£25.4K
$278 E£15.2K
66.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$306 E£16.7K
$155 E£8,456
97.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$808 E£44.1K
$796 E£43.5K
1.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$491 E£26.8K
$332 E£18.2K
47.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
El Gouna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$184 E£10.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
15.93
16.67
-4.44%

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

Last update for Cairo: November 2, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$186
El Gouna
$102 45.3% $84
Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$134
El Gouna
$123 8.5% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$115
El Gouna
$104 10% $11
Eating Out
Cairo
$86
El Gouna
$74 13.3% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$48
El Gouna
$30 37.2% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$36
El Gouna
$27 24.6% $8.8
Getting Around
Cairo
$10
El Gouna
$2.7 * 73.6% $7.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $210 in Cairo versus $191 in El Gouna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Cairo versus $16 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $134 vs $123 – making El Gouna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Cairo
🇪🇬 El Gouna
🕒 Local time
06:58 6:58 AM
06:58 6:58 AM
Same time as Cairo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,120,350 Capital
15,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 54.65 EGP (100 EGP = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.52 EGP (100 EGP = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cairo El Gouna 380 km
From you
  • Cairo
  • El Gouna

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 El Gouna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Gouna cheaper than Cairo?
Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 33%, 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 $922 per month in Cairo and $693 in El Gouna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Cairo and El Gouna?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $210 in Cairo and $191 in El Gouna. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Cairo and in El Gouna?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $614 in Cairo and $462 in El Gouna. That makes El Gouna about 25% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $123 per month in Cairo and $89 in El Gouna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cairo or El Gouna?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $614 in Cairo and $462 in El Gouna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Cairo or El Gouna more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward El Gouna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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