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 $666 per month in Cairo vs $473 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,045 per month in Cairo vs $777 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,425 per month in Cairo vs $1,081 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Cairo costs about 41% more than Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cairo and Mersa Matruh are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, Mersa Matruh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 E£250

$4.31 E£219

14.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.75 E£1,513

$16.68 E£849

78.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.98 E£304

$4.83 E£246

23.81%

Cappuccino

$1.80 E£91.6

$1.32 E£67.0

36.36%

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

$0.35 E£17.93

$0.35 E£17.56

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.73

$0.11 E£5.66

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 E£75.6

$1.36 E£69.4

9.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 E£119

$2.87 E£146

-18.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 E£50.5

$0.85 E£43.34

16.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 E£41.44

$0.71 E£36.12

14.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 E£36.96

$0.62 E£31.75

17.74%

Eggs

$1.21 E£61.5

$1.21 E£61.7

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£221

$3.81 E£194

13.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 E£262

$4.59 E£234

12.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.35 E£475

$9.29 E£473

0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 E£92.0

$1.57 E£79.8

15.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 E£40.29

$0.79 E£40.08

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 E£31.09

$0.58 E£29.38

5.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 E£27.23

$0.38 E£19.35

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 E£19.83

$0.25 E£12.72

56.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.34

$0.33 E£16.85

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 E£17.17

$0.27 E£13.69

25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.23

$0.22 E£11.19

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 E£107

$2.00 E£102

5.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 E£402

$6.02 E£306

31.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 E£81.9

$1.29 E£65.6

24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 E£110

$2.74 E£139

-21.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 E£17.25

$0.20 E£10.16

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.76 E£395

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.02

$0.57 E£28.80

-35.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.00

$0.42 E£21.47

-47.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 E£81.3

$1.91 E£97.3

-16.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.48

$0.44 E£22.46

4.55%

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

$34.3K E£1.7M

$33.9K E£1.7M

1.26%

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

$28.6K E£1.5M

0.02%

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

$27.11 E£1,379

$14.34 E£729

89.05%

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

$8.38 E£426

$7.11 E£362

17.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.70 E£697

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.48 E£1,296

$18.94 E£963

34.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.81 E£347

Cinema Ticket

$4.17 E£212

$2.99 E£152

39.46%

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

$111 E£5,664

$84.7 E£4,309

31.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,425 E£174.2K

$2,122 E£108.0K

61.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.85 E£2,281

$32.80 E£1,668

36.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 E£2,410

$44.31 E£2,254

6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 E£5,924

$126 E£6,394

-7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 E£3,137

$54.7 E£2,781

12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 E£11.0K

$141 E£7,169

52.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 E£10.2K

$77.5 E£3,943

159.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 E£26.6K

$263 E£13.4K

99.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 E£17.6K

$152 E£7,732

128.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$801 E£40.8K

$786 E£40.0K

1.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$515 E£26.2K

$447 E£22.7K

15.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 E£10.7K

$97.6 E£4,964

115.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

21.33

-24.00%

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

Last update for Cairo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Cairo versus $141 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 116% 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 $30.00 in Cairo versus $17.00 in Mersa Matruh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $146 vs $131 – making Mersa Matruh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 41%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $999 per month in Cairo and $710 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 $666 in Cairo and $473 in Mersa Matruh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $111 per month in Cairo and $84.7 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 $666 in Cairo and $473 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.