Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Mazar-i-Sharif

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $290 a month against $614 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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

$614

/mo nomad

Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $614 per month in Cairo vs $290 in Mazar-i-Sharif, rent included.

Cairo $614
Mazar-i-Sharif $290

A couple spends around $974 per month in Cairo vs $460 in Mazar-i-Sharif, rent included.

Cairo $974
Mazar-i-Sharif $460

A family of three spends $1,333 per month in Cairo vs $629 in Mazar-i-Sharif, rent included.

Cairo $1,333
Mazar-i-Sharif $629

Cairo costs about 112% more than Mazar-i-Sharif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cairo and Mazar-i-Sharif are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 55% lower, Mazar-i-Sharif 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.61 E£249

$2.30 ؋149

100.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.32 E£1,473

$15.53 ؋1,009

75.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 E£287

$4.05 ؋263

31.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 ؋513

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 ؋510

Cappuccino

$1.64 E£88.3

$1.18 ؋76.7

38.98%

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

$0.34 E£18.57

$0.58 ؋37.66

-41.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 E£8.51

$0.30 ؋19.47

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 E£75.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 E£114

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 E£45.80

$0.64 ؋41.33

32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 E£39.83

$0.18 ؋11.89

311.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 E£35.06

$2.10 ؋137

-69.05%

Eggs

$1.15 E£62.0

$1.61 ؋104

-28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 E£207

$7.65 ؋497

-49.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 E£253

$3.39 ؋221

38.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 E£484

$6.29 ؋408

42.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 E£89.9

$0.56 ؋36.11

198.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 E£39.03

$1.13 ؋73.1

-36.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 E£29.67

$0.81 ؋52.6

-32.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 E£27.87

$0.65 ؋42.15

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 E£19.94

$0.48 ؋30.95

-22.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 E£21.25

$0.39 ؋25.08

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 E£16.14

$0.52 ؋34.06

-42.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 E£11.88

$0.32 ؋20.93

-31.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.90 ؋123

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.87 E£101

$1.57 ؋102

19.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 E£396

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 E£79.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 E£104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 E£18.53

$0.75 ؋48.54

-54.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.76 E£418

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 E£20.23

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.15 E£8.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 E£29.70

$1.55 ؋101

-64.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 E£23.71

$1.51 ؋98.2

-70.86%

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

$31.8K E£1.7M

$9,767 ؋634.6K

225.39%

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

$25.0K E£1.3M

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

$25.45 E£1,372

$80.3 ؋5,218

-68.31%

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

$7.67 E£413

$17.25 ؋1,121

-55.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.55 E£784

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.17 E£1,464

$11.61 ؋754

134.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 E£391

$3.89 ؋253

86.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 E£234

$4.69 ؋305

-7.25%

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

$123 E£6,605

$77.0 ؋5,002

59.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K E£552.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.47 E£2,127

$13.23 ؋860

198.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.07 E£2,645

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 E£6,105

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.0 E£2,912

$18.44 ؋1,198

192.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$210 E£11.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 E£10.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 E£25.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 E£16.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$808 E£43.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 E£26.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 E£9,926

$231 ؋15.0K

-20.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.93

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

Last update for Cairo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$186 30.2%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$134 21.8%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$115 18.7%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Eating Out

Cairo

$86 14%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$48 7.8%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$36 5.8%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Getting Around

Cairo

$10 1.7%

Mazar-i-Sharif

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 25% higher in Mazar-i-Sharif, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Cairo versus $16 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $134 vs $106 – making Mazar-i-Sharif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

22:48 10:48 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

300,600

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.86 USD

100 EGP = 1.65 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 53.9 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.57 EGP (100 EGP = 1.65 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 64.97 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 73.01 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairo Mazar-i-Sharif 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $922 per month in Cairo and $435 in Mazar-i-Sharif. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $614 in Cairo and $290 in Mazar-i-Sharif. That makes Mazar-i-Sharif about 53% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $123 per month in Cairo and $77 in Mazar-i-Sharif. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $614 in Cairo and $290 in Mazar-i-Sharif, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Cairo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $290 in Mazar-i-Sharif to $614 in Cairo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.