Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Mersa Matruh Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Mersa Matruh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $532 per month in Cairo vs $476 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A couple spends around $856 per month in Cairo vs $752 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,181 per month in Cairo vs $1,028 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Cairo costs about 12% more than Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Cairo and Mersa Matruh are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 60% lower, Mersa Matruh 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 E£208

$3.64 E£189

9.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.64 E£1,021

$15.86 E£825

23.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 E£253

$4.72 E£245

3.18%

Cappuccino

$1.53 E£79.6

$1.51 E£78.5

1.32%

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

$0.33 E£17.38

$0.29 E£15.04

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 E£7.36

$0.12 E£6.21

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 E£69.8

$1.22 E£63.6

9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 E£142

$3.05 E£158

-10.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 E£45.96

$0.87 E£45.21

1.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 E£31.00

$0.72 E£37.60

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 E£36.35

$0.71 E£36.67

-1.41%

Eggs

$1.46 E£76.1

$1.46 E£75.8

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.44 E£179

$3.95 E£206

-12.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 E£216

$4.46 E£232

-6.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 E£443

$9.72 E£505

-12.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 E£81.3

$1.42 E£73.6

9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 E£29.36

$0.54 E£28.03

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 E£24.78

$0.43 E£22.31

11.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.60

$0.37 E£19.14

13.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 E£24.13

$0.38 E£19.65

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 E£22.39

$0.40 E£20.88

7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 E£11.37

$0.24 E£12.55

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 E£11.89

$0.18 E£9.40

27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 E£105

$2.02 E£105

-0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 E£391

$5.73 E£298

31.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 E£66.5

$1.34 E£69.9

-4.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 E£88.3

$2.67 E£139

-36.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 E£16.32

$0.17 E£9.06

82.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.94 E£309

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£20.04

$0.53 E£27.54

-26.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 E£14.91

$0.43 E£22.13

-32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 E£49.17

$2.00 E£104

-52.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£15.96

$0.33 E£17.23

-6.06%

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

$36.4K E£1.9M

$35.4K E£1.8M

2.70%

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

$30.2K E£1.6M

$33.4K E£1.7M

-9.78%

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

$25.81 E£1,342

$11.36 E£591

127.20%

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

$8.30 E£432

$5.80 E£301

43.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.52 E£651

$9.94 E£517

25.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.66 E£815

$22.08 E£1,148

-29.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.71 E£349

Cinema Ticket

$3.60 E£187

$2.93 E£152

22.87%

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

$91.7 E£4,767

$88.8 E£4,619

3.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,007 E£104.4K

$1,820 E£94.6K

10.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.34 E£1,630

$27.94 E£1,453

12.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.96 E£2,286

$49.40 E£2,569

-11.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 E£5,446

$107 E£5,586

-2.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 E£3,109

$50.1 E£2,603

19.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 E£10.5K

$192 E£9,982

5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 E£6,728

$98.0 E£5,093

32.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 E£21.4K

$312 E£16.2K

32.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 E£13.1K

$178 E£9,236

41.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$845 E£44.0K

$706 E£36.7K

19.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$470 E£24.4K

$356 E£18.5K

32.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$188 E£9,801

$95.8 E£4,980

96.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-1.94%

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

Last update for Cairo: June 9, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $202 in Cairo versus $192 in Mersa Matruh. 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 97% higher in Cairo, 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 $20.00 in Cairo versus $16.00 in Mersa Matruh. Groceries tell a different story – $126 in Cairo vs $130 in Mersa Matruh – so Cairo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Mersa Matruh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 12%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $797 per month in Cairo and $714 in Mersa Matruh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mersa Matruh, 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 $532 in Cairo and $476 in Mersa Matruh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $91.7 per month in Cairo and $88.8 in Mersa Matruh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $532 in Cairo and $476 in Mersa Matruh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mersa Matruh – 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 Mersa Matruh. 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.