For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $2,380 in Hamar, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Hamar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $647 per month in Cairo vs $2,380 in Hamar, rent included.
Cairo $647
Hamar $2,380
A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Cairo vs $3,750 in Hamar, rent included.
Cairo $1,035
Hamar $3,750
A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Cairo vs $5,120 in Hamar, rent included.
Cairo $1,423
Hamar $5,120
🙂
Cairo is about 73% cheaper than Hamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Cairo sits 52% below the global median, while Hamar is 76% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
Hamar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.64E£248
$21.18NOK 199
-78.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.12E£1,501
$125NOK 1,180
-77.56%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.03E£322
$15.83NOK 149
-61.91%
Cappuccino
$1.72E£92.1
$5.76NOK 54.2
-70.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36E£19.38
$4.21NOK 39.63
-91.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.12E£6.41
$3.28NOK 30.85
-96.34%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.51E£80.4
$11.49NOK 108
-86.86%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32E£124
$8.07NOK 76.0
-71.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
Hamar
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.92E£48.92
$2.50NOK 23.53
-63.20%
White Bread(500g)
$0.73E£38.92
$2.93NOK 27.57
-75.09%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.74E£39.64
$2.06NOK 19.36
-64.08%
Eggs
$1.19E£63.7
$5.76NOK 54.3
-79.34%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.33E£231
$11.05NOK 104
-60.81%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.03E£269
$12.20NOK 115
-58.77%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.28E£496
$31.42NOK 296
-70.46%
Apples(1kg)
$1.77E£94.4
$3.21NOK 30.26
-44.86%
Banana(1kg)
$0.73E£39.03
$2.57NOK 24.17
-71.60%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.55E£29.51
$3.05NOK 28.74
-81.97%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.50E£26.91
$5.89NOK 55.5
-91.51%
Potato(1kg)
$0.42E£22.42
$2.48NOK 23.34
-83.06%
Onion(1kg)
$0.41E£21.81
$2.44NOK 22.95
-83.20%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.33E£17.51
$2.12NOK 19.97
-84.43%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21E£11.20
$1.99NOK 18.74
-89.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.98E£106
$18.94NOK 178
-89.55%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.81E£417
$16.40NOK 154
-52.38%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59E£84.7
$3.38NOK 31.78
-52.96%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09E£112
$4.18NOK 39.37
-50.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
Hamar
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.35E£18.83
$4.66NOK 43.87
-92.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$8.69E£464
$67.5NOK 635
-87.12%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.39E£21.02
$11.92NOK 112
-96.73%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.22E£11.57
$1.78NOK 16.76
-87.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.51E£80.5
$69.5NOK 654
-97.83%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.43E£22.88
$2.37NOK 22.32
-81.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7KE£1.7M
$47.8KNOK 449.5K
-31.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2KE£1.5M
$43.6KNOK 410.2K
-37.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
Hamar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$27.27E£1,456
$223NOK 2,104
-87.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.58E£458
$33.07NOK 311
-74.06%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.99E£747
$54.1NOK 509
-74.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
Hamar
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$29.69E£1,585
$58.2NOK 548
-49.00%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.25E£387
$29.40NOK 277
-75.34%
Cinema Ticket
$4.86E£260
$19.79NOK 186
-75.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
Hamar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$121E£6,438
$207NOK 1,948
-41.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,560E£190.1K
$15.8KNOK 148.3K
-77.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
Hamar
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.28E£2,151
$102NOK 959
-60.46%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.53E£2,645
$59.5NOK 560
-16.80%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115E£6,137
$131NOK 1,230
-12.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.0E£3,206
$104NOK 977
-42.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
Hamar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$222E£11.9K
$1,227NOK 11.6K
-81.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$195E£10.4K
$847NOK 7,973
-76.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$550E£29.3K
$1,578NOK 14.9K
-65.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$346E£18.5K
$1,489NOK 14.0K
-76.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$800E£42.7K
$4,302NOK 40.5K
-81.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$525E£28.0K
$3,421NOK 32.2K
-84.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
Hamar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$200E£10.7K
$4,269NOK 40.2K
-95.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
16.21
4.94
228.14%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026
Last update for Hamar: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$195 30.2%
Hamar
$847 35.6% ↑ 334%$652
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$142 21.9%
Hamar
$450 18.9% ↑ 217%$308
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$119 18.4%
Hamar
$178 7.5% ↑ 49.5%$59
🍽Eating Out
Cairo
$90 13.9%
Hamar
$390 16.4% ↑ 333%$299
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$50 7.7%
Hamar
$311 13.1% ↑ 523%$261
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$39 6.1%
Hamar
$98 4.1% ↑ 148%$58
🚌Getting Around
Cairo
$12 1.8%
Hamar
$107 4.5% ↑ 823%$95
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$346 24.3%
Hamar
$1.5K 29.1% ↑ 330%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$324 22.8%
Hamar
$1K 20.5% ↑ 224%$725
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$265 18.6%
Hamar
$396 7.7% ↑ 49.5%$131
🍽Eating Out
Cairo
$320 22.5%
Hamar
$1.4K 27.2% ↑ 336%$1.1K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$58 4.1%
Hamar
$344 6.7% ↑ 488%$285
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$86 6.1%
Hamar
$225 4.4% ↑ 161%$139
🚌Getting Around
Cairo
$24 1.7%
Hamar
$223 4.4% ↑ 835%$199
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Cairo versus $1,227 in Hamar. 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 2037% higher in Hamar, 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 $125 in Hamar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $450 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hamar cheaper than Cairo?
Yes – Hamar is pricier by about 268%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Cairo and $3,570 in Hamar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Cairo and in Hamar?
Groceries cost about 217% more in Hamar, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Cairo or in Hamar?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo and $125 in Hamar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cairo or in Hamar?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Hamar at $2,380. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cairo or Hamar more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.