Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Lugano

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $3,199 in Lugano, rent and utilities included – about $30,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Lugano
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Lugano Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Lugano

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Lugano

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Cairo vs $3,199 in Lugano, rent included.

Cairo $643
Lugano $3,199

A couple spends around $1,037 per month in Cairo vs $5,142 in Lugano, rent included.

Cairo $1,037
Lugano $5,142

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Cairo vs $7,084 in Lugano, rent included.

Cairo $1,431
Lugano $7,084

Cairo is about 80% cheaper than Lugano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairo sits 52% below the global median, while Lugano is 139% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 E£245

$33.83 CHF 28.08

-86.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.49 E£1,491

$177 CHF 147

-83.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£315

$20.24 CHF 16.80

-70.21%

Cappuccino

$1.81 E£94.7

$4.49 CHF 3.73

-59.69%

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

$0.35 E£18.18

$4.98 CHF 4.13

-92.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 E£7.95

$3.88 CHF 3.22

-96.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 E£76.0

$9.41 CHF 7.81

-84.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 E£117

$7.26 CHF 6.02

-69.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 E£50.7

$2.18 CHF 1.81

-55.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£37.96

$3.68 CHF 3.06

-80.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 E£40.24

$4.22 CHF 3.50

-81.75%

Eggs

$1.17 E£61.2

$7.24 CHF 6.01

-83.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 E£226

$25.05 CHF 20.79

-82.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 E£265

$29.40 CHF 24.40

-82.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 E£467

$39.60 CHF 32.87

-77.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 E£95.8

$3.29 CHF 2.73

-44.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 E£39.07

$1.62 CHF 1.35

-53.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.57 E£29.78

$2.44 CHF 2.02

-76.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 E£26.62

$5.85 CHF 4.86

-91.28%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.05

$1.79 CHF 1.48

-78.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.88

$2.19 CHF 1.82

-80.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 E£18.43

$2.42 CHF 2.01

-85.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.57

$1.11 CHF 0.92

-78.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 E£104

$10.88 CHF 9.03

-81.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 E£391

$12.42 CHF 10.31

-39.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 E£79.4

$3.13 CHF 2.60

-51.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 E£112

$4.05 CHF 3.36

-47.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 E£17.10

$3.17 CHF 2.63

-89.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 E£453

$62.2 CHF 51.7

-86.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.27

$7.02 CHF 5.83

-94.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 E£10.65

$5.70 CHF 4.73

-96.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 E£77.8

$78.7 CHF 65.3

-98.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.94

$2.19 CHF 1.82

-79.00%

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

$32.6K E£1.7M

$34.5K CHF 28.7K

-5.53%

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

$28.4K E£1.5M

$39.3K CHF 32.6K

-27.67%

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

$27.54 E£1,441

$299 CHF 248

-90.79%

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

$8.27 E£432

$21.76 CHF 18.06

-61.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 E£735

$48.69 CHF 40.41

-71.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.27 E£1,479

$89.1 CHF 73.9

-68.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 E£350

$36.33 CHF 30.15

-81.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 E£230

$21.77 CHF 18.07

-79.79%

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

$121 E£6,356

$1,206 CHF 1,001

-89.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,619 E£189.3K

$34.4K CHF 28.5K

-89.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.16 E£2,101

$109 CHF 90.7

-63.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 E£2,596

$48.60 CHF 40.34

2.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,033

$132 CHF 110

-12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 E£3,170

$162 CHF 134

-62.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 E£11.5K

$1,690 CHF 1,403

-86.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 E£10.2K

$1,256 CHF 1,043

-84.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 E£26.9K

$3,534 CHF 2,933

-85.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 E£17.5K

$2,520 CHF 2,092

-86.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 E£42.2K

$16.0K CHF 13.3K

-94.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$513 E£26.9K

$10.7K CHF 8,842

-95.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.5K

$6,585 CHF 5,466

-96.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

2.37

583.97%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Lugano: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$194 30.1%

Lugano

$1.3K 39.9% 547% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$141 21.9%

Lugano

$592 18.8% 319% $451

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$120 18.6%

Lugano

$203 6.5% 70.2% $84

Eating Out

Cairo

$91 14.1%

Lugano

$482 15.3% 430% $391

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Lugano

$369 11.7% 641% $320

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$37 5.8%

Lugano

$133 4.2% 258% $96

Getting Around

Cairo

$11 1.8%

Lugano

$110 3.5% 873% $99

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $220 in Cairo versus $1,690 in Lugano. 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 3189% higher in Lugano, 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 $177 in Lugano. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $141 vs $592 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇨🇭 Lugano

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

09:00 9:00 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

63,583

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Cairo Lugano 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Lugano

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 Lugano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lugano is pricier by about 397%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Cairo and $4,799 in Lugano. 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 319% more in Lugano, 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 $177 in Lugano. 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 Lugano at $3,199. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lugano 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, Lugano makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.