Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and El Mahalla El Kubra Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and El Mahalla El Kubra

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $658 per month in Cairo vs $424 in El Mahalla El Kubra, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,056 per month in Cairo vs $686 in El Mahalla El Kubra, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,453 per month in Cairo vs $949 in El Mahalla El Kubra, rent included.

Cairo costs about 55% more than El Mahalla El Kubra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cairo and El Mahalla El Kubra are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, El Mahalla El Kubra 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 E£246

$4.26 E£217

13.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.14 E£1,482

$14.91 E£758

95.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 E£292

$3.07 E£156

86.64%

Cappuccino

$1.79 E£90.9

$1.36 E£69.0

31.62%

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

$0.38 E£19.37

$0.32 E£16.12

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 E£7.26

$0.12 E£6.28

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 E£74.5

$1.39 E£70.8

5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 E£118

$2.91 E£148

-20.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 E£49.65

$0.85 E£43.44

15.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 E£41.72

$0.29 E£14.62

182.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 E£38.86

$0.57 E£29.25

33.33%

Eggs

$1.28 E£65.4

$1.23 E£62.8

4.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.10 E£208

$2.98 E£151

37.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 E£250

$4.10 E£208

19.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 E£464

$7.61 E£387

19.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 E£97.7

$1.60 E£81.5

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 E£39.23

$0.67 E£34.19

14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.62 E£31.30

$0.51 E£25.87

21.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 E£29.47

$0.37 E£19.02

56.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 E£21.73

$0.27 E£13.79

59.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£20.92

$0.33 E£16.92

24.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 E£18.39

$0.29 E£14.86

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 E£11.14

$0.22 E£11.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 E£108

$1.93 E£98.4

10.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 E£398

$6.00 E£305

30.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 E£79.2

$1.31 E£66.8

19.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 E£110

$2.69 E£137

-19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 E£17.24

$0.17 E£8.76

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.88 E£401

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 E£20.42

$0.33 E£16.64

21.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 E£10.49

$0.45 E£22.92

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 E£81.7

$0.94 E£47.81

71.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 E£22.23

$0.40 E£20.35

10.00%

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

$35.0K E£1.8M

$32.8K E£1.7M

6.61%

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

$29.6K E£1.5M

$23.6K E£1.2M

25.56%

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

$26.99 E£1,373

$14.19 E£722

90.20%

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

$8.74 E£445

$4.12 E£210

112.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.95 E£710

$8.95 E£455

55.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 E£1,314

$17.98 E£915

43.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 E£344

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 E£205

$2.99 E£152

34.78%

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

$110 E£5,612

$32.73 E£1,665

237.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,434 E£174.7K

$2,190 E£111.4K

56.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.83 E£2,230

$17.20 E£875

154.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 E£2,410

$45.15 E£2,297

4.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 E£5,978

$107 E£5,450

9.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.2 E£3,213

$55.9 E£2,841

13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$213 E£10.9K

$130 E£6,627

63.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 E£10.1K

$74.2 E£3,775

168.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 E£26.5K

$263 E£13.4K

98.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 E£17.8K

$154 E£7,824

127.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$813 E£41.4K

$787 E£40.0K

3.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$520 E£26.4K

$409 E£20.8K

26.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 E£10.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

21.33

-24.00%

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

Last update for Cairo: August 31, 2026

Last update for El Mahalla El Kubra: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $213 in Cairo versus $130 in El Mahalla El Kubra. 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 $29.00 in Cairo versus $15.00 in El Mahalla El Kubra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $116 – making El Mahalla El Kubra 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 Mahalla El Kubra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 55%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $988 per month in Cairo and $636 in El Mahalla El Kubra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $658 in Cairo and $424 in El Mahalla El Kubra. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $110 per month in Cairo and $32.73 in El Mahalla El Kubra. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $658 in Cairo and $424 in El Mahalla El Kubra, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward El Mahalla El Kubra – 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 Mahalla El Kubra. 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.