Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Kalmar

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $1,907 in Kalmar, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Kalmar
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Kalmar Living Index

Jump to prices

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Kalmar

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Kalmar

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

A single person spends $647 per month in Cairo vs $1,907 in Kalmar, rent included.

Cairo $647
Kalmar $1,907

A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Cairo vs $2,844 in Kalmar, rent included.

Cairo $1,035
Kalmar $2,844

A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Cairo vs $3,781 in Kalmar, rent included.

Cairo $1,423
Kalmar $3,781

Cairo is about 66% cheaper than Kalmar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairo sits 52% below the global median, while Kalmar is 41% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 E£248

$14.70 SEK 146

-68.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 E£1,501

$71.0 SEK 704

-60.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£322

$10.27 SEK 102

-41.29%

Cappuccino

$1.72 E£92.1

$4.65 SEK 46.09

-63.01%

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

$0.36 E£19.38

$2.82 SEK 27.99

-87.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.41

$2.59 SEK 25.71

-95.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 E£80.4

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-84.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 E£124

$7.03 SEK 69.7

-67.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 E£48.92

$1.47 SEK 14.61

-37.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£38.92

$3.01 SEK 29.83

-75.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£39.64

$2.92 SEK 28.97

-74.66%

Eggs

$1.19 E£63.7

$4.59 SEK 45.43

-74.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£231

$16.24 SEK 161

-73.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 E£269

$10.97 SEK 109

-54.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 E£496

$21.76 SEK 216

-57.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 E£94.4

$2.46 SEK 24.38

-28.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 E£39.03

$2.63 SEK 26.06

-72.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 E£29.51

$3.40 SEK 33.69

-83.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.91

$4.27 SEK 42.33

-88.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 E£22.42

$1.63 SEK 16.12

-74.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£21.81

$2.30 SEK 22.82

-82.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 E£17.51

$1.84 SEK 18.19

-82.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 E£11.20

$1.66 SEK 16.43

-87.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 E£106

$7.97 SEK 79.0

-75.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 E£417

$9.19 SEK 91.1

-15.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 E£84.7

$1.96 SEK 19.44

-18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 E£112

$2.51 SEK 24.87

-16.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 E£18.83

$3.33 SEK 33.01

-89.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.69 E£464

$76.6 SEK 759

-88.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£21.02

$9.70 SEK 96.1

-95.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.57

$1.66 SEK 16.40

-86.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 E£80.5

$46.98 SEK 466

-96.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.43 E£22.88

$1.70 SEK 16.81

-74.71%

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

$32.7K E£1.7M

$29.9K SEK 296.3K

9.37%

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

$27.2K E£1.5M

$28.7K SEK 284.4K

-5.12%

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

$27.27 E£1,456

$142 SEK 1,403

-80.74%

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

$8.58 E£458

$26.84 SEK 266

-68.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.99 E£747

$31.79 SEK 315

-55.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 E£1,585

$30.76 SEK 305

-3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 E£387

$26.42 SEK 262

-72.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 E£260

$14.67 SEK 145

-66.87%

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

$121 E£6,438

$138 SEK 1,367

-12.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,560 E£190.1K

$4,914 SEK 48.7K

-27.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.28 E£2,151

$50.5 SEK 501

-20.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.53 E£2,645

$42.32 SEK 419

17.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,137

$79.8 SEK 791

44.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 E£3,206

$101 SEK 998

-40.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 E£11.9K

$914 SEK 9,056

-75.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 E£10.4K

$751 SEK 7,440

-74.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 E£29.3K

$1,294 SEK 12.8K

-57.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 E£18.5K

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

-68.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 E£42.7K

$4,041 SEK 40.0K

-80.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 E£28.0K

$2,682 SEK 26.6K

-80.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.7K

$2,878 SEK 28.5K

-93.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

3.93

312.47%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$195 30.2%

Kalmar

$751 39.4% 285% $556

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$142 21.9%

Kalmar

$377 19.8% 166% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$119 18.4%

Kalmar

$123 6.5% 3.2% $3.9

Eating Out

Cairo

$90 13.9%

Kalmar

$288 15.1% 220% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Kalmar

$200 10.5% 302% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$39 6.1%

Kalmar

$60 3.2% 52.5% $21

Getting Around

Cairo

$12 1.8%

Kalmar

$108 5.7% 832% $96

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Cairo versus $914 in Kalmar. 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 1341% higher in Kalmar, 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 $71.0 in Kalmar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $377 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇸🇪 Kalmar

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

05:24 5:24 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

35,170

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, 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).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cairo Kalmar 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Kalmar

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 Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kalmar is pricier by about 195%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Cairo and $2,861 in Kalmar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Groceries cost about 166% more in Kalmar, 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 $71.0 in Kalmar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Kalmar at $1,907. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kalmar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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 Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kalmar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.