Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $354 a month against $643 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Manzini

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Cairo vs $354 in Manzini, rent included.

Cairo $643
Manzini $354

A couple spends around $1,037 per month in Cairo vs $515 in Manzini, rent included.

Cairo $1,037
Manzini $515

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Cairo vs $677 in Manzini, rent included.

Cairo $1,431
Manzini $677

Cairo costs about 82% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cairo and Manzini are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, Manzini 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 E£245

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.49 E£1,491

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£315

Cappuccino

$1.81 E£94.7

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

$0.35 E£18.18

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 E£7.95

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 E£76.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 E£117

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 E£50.7

$1.29 SZL 21.19

-24.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£37.96

$0.96 SZL 15.84

-23.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 E£40.24

$1.79 SZL 29.52

-56.98%

Eggs

$1.17 E£61.2

$1.18 SZL 19.51

-0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 E£226

$7.49 SZL 124

-42.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 E£265

$2.96 SZL 48.83

71.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 E£467

$1.85 SZL 30.51

382.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 E£95.8

$1.33 SZL 21.91

37.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 E£39.07

$0.59 SZL 9.73

27.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.57 E£29.78

$0.83 SZL 13.65

-31.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 E£26.62

$0.51 SZL 8.48

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.05

$0.58 SZL 9.60

-34.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.88

$0.47 SZL 7.73

-10.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 E£18.43

$0.45 SZL 7.36

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.57

$0.70 SZL 11.47

-65.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 E£104

$3.13 SZL 51.7

-36.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 E£391

$3.20 SZL 52.8

133.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 E£79.4

$0.63 SZL 10.39

141.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 E£112

$0.78 SZL 12.80

173.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 E£17.10

$0.60 SZL 9.89

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 E£453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.27

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 E£10.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 E£77.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.94

$1.32 SZL 21.79

-65.15%

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

$32.6K E£1.7M

$17.1K SZL 282.0K

90.69%

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

$28.4K E£1.5M

$15.7K SZL 259.3K

80.50%

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

$27.54 E£1,441

$72.4 SZL 1,193

-61.96%

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

$8.27 E£432

$12.23 SZL 202

-32.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 E£735

$29.97 SZL 494

-53.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.27 E£1,479

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 E£350

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 E£230

$3.68 SZL 60.6

19.57%

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

$121 E£6,356

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,619 E£189.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.16 E£2,101

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 E£2,596

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,033

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 E£3,170

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 E£11.5K

$170 SZL 2,801

29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 E£10.2K

$105 SZL 1,734

84.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 E£26.9K

$367 SZL 6,054

39.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 E£17.5K

$274 SZL 4,517

21.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 E£42.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$513 E£26.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.5K

$404 SZL 6,657

-50.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

62.10%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Manzini: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$194 30.1%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$141 21.9%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$120 18.6%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Cairo

$91 14.1%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$37 5.8%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Cairo

$11 1.8%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $220 in Cairo versus $170 in Manzini. 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 102% higher in Manzini, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

10:23 10:23 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

110,508

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

100 SZL = 6.07 USD

100 SZL = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, 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).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 SZL (100 SZL = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 SZL (100 SZL = 5.41 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairo Manzini 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Cairo and $530 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $643 in Cairo and $354 in Manzini. That's a gap of about 82%.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Cairo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $643 in Cairo and $354 in Manzini, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Manzini – 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 Manzini. 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.