Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Goma

For one person, living is cheaper in Goma: $430 a month against $647 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cairo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Goma

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Goma

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

A single person spends $647 per month in Cairo vs $430 in Goma, rent included.

Cairo $647
Goma $430

A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Cairo vs $751 in Goma, rent included.

Cairo $1,035
Goma $751

A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Cairo vs $1,071 in Goma, rent included.

Cairo $1,423
Goma $1,071

Cairo costs about 50% more than Goma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cairo and Goma are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, Goma 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 E£248

$14.95 CDF 33.9K

-68.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 E£1,501

$45.52 CDF 103.1K

-38.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£322

$10.19 CDF 23.1K

-40.82%

Cappuccino

$1.72 E£92.1

$3.51 CDF 7,960

-51.00%

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

$0.36 E£19.38

$1.03 CDF 2,331

-65.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.41

$1.01 CDF 2,292

-88.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 E£80.4

$1.19 CDF 2,685

26.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 E£124

$5.03 CDF 11.4K

-53.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 E£48.92

$0.98 CDF 2,211

-6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£38.92

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£39.64

$1.22 CDF 2,758

-39.34%

Eggs

$1.19 E£63.7

$1.60 CDF 3,625

-25.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£231

$6.03 CDF 13.7K

-28.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 E£269

$2.57 CDF 5,814

95.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 E£496

$5.02 CDF 11.4K

84.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 E£94.4

$1.97 CDF 4,470

-10.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 E£39.03

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 E£29.51

$1.52 CDF 3,448

-63.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.91

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 E£22.42

$0.51 CDF 1,165

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£21.81

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 E£17.51

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 E£11.20

$0.69 CDF 1,552

-69.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 E£106

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 E£417

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 E£84.7

$2.02 CDF 4,567

-21.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 E£112

$2.52 CDF 5,698

-17.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 E£18.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.69 E£464

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£21.02

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.57

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 E£80.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.43 E£22.88

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

$32.7K E£1.7M

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

$27.2K E£1.5M

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

$27.27 E£1,456

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

$8.58 E£458

$14.71 CDF 33.3K

-41.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.99 E£747

$60.4 CDF 136.9K

-76.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 E£1,585

$30.38 CDF 68.8K

-2.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 E£387

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 E£260

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

$121 E£6,438

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,560 E£190.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.28 E£2,151

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.53 E£2,645

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,137

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 E£3,206

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 E£11.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 E£10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 E£29.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 E£18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 E£42.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 E£28.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.7K

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 11, 2026

Last update for Goma: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$195 30.2%

Goma

–

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$142 21.9%

Goma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$119 18.4%

Goma

–

Eating Out

Cairo

$90 13.9%

Goma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Goma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$39 6.1%

Goma

–

Getting Around

Cairo

$12 1.8%

Goma

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo versus $46.00 in Goma. Groceries tell a different story – $142 in Cairo vs $108 in Goma – so Goma wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇨🇩 Goma

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

10:41 10:41 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

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Cairo Goma 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Goma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Cairo and $645 in Goma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 31% 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 $46.00 in Goma. 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 $647 in Cairo and $430 in Goma, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Goma – 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 Goma. 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.