Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Lausanne

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $3,790 in Lausanne, rent and utilities included – about $37,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
182

Cost of Living Index in Lausanne
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Lausanne Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Lausanne

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Lausanne

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Cairo vs $3,790 in Lausanne, rent included.

Cairo $643
Lausanne $3,790

A couple spends around $1,037 per month in Cairo vs $5,672 in Lausanne, rent included.

Cairo $1,037
Lausanne $5,672

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Cairo vs $7,554 in Lausanne, rent included.

Cairo $1,431
Lausanne $7,554

Cairo is about 83% cheaper than Lausanne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairo sits 52% below the global median, while Lausanne is 183% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 E£245

$29.72 CHF 24.67

-84.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.49 E£1,491

$117 CHF 96.9

-75.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£315

$17.81 CHF 14.78

-66.14%

Cappuccino

$1.81 E£94.7

$6.03 CHF 5.00

-69.98%

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

$0.35 E£18.18

$4.99 CHF 4.14

-92.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 E£7.95

$4.10 CHF 3.40

-96.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 E£76.0

$10.12 CHF 8.40

-85.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 E£117

$9.39 CHF 7.80

-76.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 E£50.7

$2.24 CHF 1.86

-56.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£37.96

$3.96 CHF 3.29

-81.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 E£40.24

$3.33 CHF 2.77

-76.88%

Eggs

$1.17 E£61.2

$7.05 CHF 5.85

-83.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 E£226

$24.14 CHF 20.04

-82.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 E£265

$27.93 CHF 23.19

-81.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 E£467

$39.52 CHF 32.81

-77.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 E£95.8

$3.47 CHF 2.88

-47.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 E£39.07

$2.14 CHF 1.78

-64.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.57 E£29.78

$2.56 CHF 2.12

-77.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 E£26.62

$4.65 CHF 3.86

-89.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.05

$1.78 CHF 1.48

-78.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.88

$1.97 CHF 1.64

-78.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 E£18.43

$1.97 CHF 1.63

-82.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.57

$1.73 CHF 1.44

-86.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 E£104

$10.68 CHF 8.86

-81.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 E£391

$15.21 CHF 12.63

-50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 E£79.4

$2.70 CHF 2.24

-43.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 E£112

$3.18 CHF 2.64

-33.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 E£17.10

$4.45 CHF 3.69

-92.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 E£453

$94.3 CHF 78.3

-90.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.27

$7.89 CHF 6.55

-95.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 E£10.65

$4.50 CHF 3.74

-95.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 E£77.8

$83.4 CHF 69.2

-98.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.94

$2.30 CHF 1.91

-80.00%

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

$32.6K E£1.7M

$43.5K CHF 36.1K

-25.06%

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

$28.4K E£1.5M

$39.6K CHF 32.8K

-28.24%

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

$27.54 E£1,441

$288 CHF 239

-90.44%

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

$8.27 E£432

$37.56 CHF 31.17

-77.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 E£735

$52.2 CHF 43.35

-73.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.27 E£1,479

$72.2 CHF 60.0

-60.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 E£350

$48.87 CHF 40.56

-86.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 E£230

$23.88 CHF 19.82

-81.57%

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

$121 E£6,356

$2,913 CHF 2,418

-95.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,619 E£189.3K

$36.7K CHF 30.5K

-90.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.16 E£2,101

$142 CHF 118

-71.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 E£2,596

$77.0 CHF 63.9

-35.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,033

$142 CHF 118

-18.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 E£3,170

$212 CHF 176

-71.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 E£11.5K

$2,280 CHF 1,892

-90.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 E£10.2K

$1,814 CHF 1,505

-89.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 E£26.9K

$4,204 CHF 3,489

-87.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 E£17.5K

$3,202 CHF 2,657

-89.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 E£42.2K

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

-95.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$513 E£26.9K

$13.7K CHF 11.4K

-96.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.5K

$6,565 CHF 5,449

-96.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

1.95

731.28%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lausanne: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$194 30.1%

Lausanne

$1.8K 48.2% 834% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$141 21.9%

Lausanne

$586 15.6% 315% $445

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$120 18.6%

Lausanne

$257 6.8% 115% $138

Eating Out

Cairo

$91 14.1%

Lausanne

$469 12.5% 415% $378

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Lausanne

$378 10% 658% $328

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$37 5.8%

Lausanne

$120 3.2% 224% $83

Getting Around

Cairo

$11 1.8%

Lausanne

$143 3.8% 1156% $131

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $220 in Cairo versus $2,280 in Lausanne. 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 3180% higher in Lausanne, 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 $117 in Lausanne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $141 vs $586 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇨🇭 Lausanne

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

10:15 10:15 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

133,521

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairo Lausanne 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Lausanne

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 Lausanne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lausanne is pricier by about 489%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Cairo and $5,684 in Lausanne. 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 315% more in Lausanne, 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 $117 in Lausanne. 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 $643, than in Lausanne at $3,790. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lausanne 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, Lausanne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.