Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Pogradec

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $635 a month against $816 in Pogradec, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. The total is higher in Pogradec despite lower rent and utilities.

Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$635
/mo nomad
Pogradec
🇦🇱 Albania
$816
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Pogradec

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

A single person spends $635 per month in Cairo vs $816 in Pogradec, rent included.

  • Cairo $635
  • Pogradec $816

A couple spends around $1,010 per month in Cairo vs $1,350 in Pogradec, rent included.

  • Cairo $1,010
  • Pogradec $1,350

A family of three spends $1,385 per month in Cairo vs $1,884 in Pogradec, rent included.

  • Cairo $1,385
  • Pogradec $1,884

Cairo is about 22% cheaper than Pogradec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cairo and Pogradec are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 53% lower, Pogradec 40% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
Pogradec
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 E£247
$9.82 ALL 791
-52.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.66 E£1,477
$39.52 ALL 3,183
-30.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.83 E£311
$7.57 ALL 610
-22.99%
Cappuccino
$1.69 E£90.1
$1.52 ALL 123
11.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 E£18.79
$1.78 ALL 143
-80.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 E£6.86
$0.65 ALL 52.0
-80.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.47 E£78.3
$1.52 ALL 122
-3.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 E£118
$2.75 ALL 221
-19.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
Pogradec
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 E£50.5
$1.98 ALL 160
-52.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.79 E£41.96
$0.97 ALL 78.1
-18.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.70 E£37.41
$2.06 ALL 166
-66.02%
Eggs
$1.12 E£59.5
$2.20 ALL 177
-49.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.08 E£218
$8.00 ALL 644
-49.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.77 E£255
$4.41 ALL 355
8.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.81 E£470
$13.97 ALL 1,125
-36.94%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 E£89.7
$1.22 ALL 98.5
37.70%
Banana (1kg)
$0.71 E£38.07
$2.25 ALL 181
-68.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.59 E£31.31
$1.52 ALL 123
-61.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.51 E£27.06
$1.26 ALL 102
-59.52%
Potato (1kg)
$0.37 E£19.81
$0.94 ALL 75.8
-60.64%
Onion (1kg)
$0.44 E£23.47
$1.03 ALL 83.2
-57.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.34 E£18.37
$1.04 ALL 83.6
-67.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21 E£11.16
$0.78 ALL 62.8
-73.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.99 E£106
$4.25 ALL 343
-53.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.49 E£400
$7.98 ALL 643
-6.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 E£80.4
$1.22 ALL 98.0
23.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 E£111
$1.87 ALL 151
11.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
Pogradec
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 E£18.29
$0.50 ALL 40.63
-32.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.31 E£444
$18.68 ALL 1,504
-55.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 E£21.48
$3.73 ALL 300
-89.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.19 E£9.99
$1.82 ALL 147
-89.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.50 E£80.0
$18.74 ALL 1,509
-92.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.45 E£23.77
$2.25 ALL 181
-80.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K E£1.8M
$34.0K ALL 2.7M
-2.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K E£1.4M
$24.5K ALL 2.0M
6.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
Pogradec
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$27.62 E£1,475
$61.0 ALL 4,913
-54.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.83 E£418
$16.58 ALL 1,335
-52.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.39 E£769
$17.22 ALL 1,387
-16.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
Pogradec
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.62 E£1,528
$35.88 ALL 2,889
-20.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.47 E£399
$18.68 ALL 1,504
-60.01%
Cinema Ticket
$4.56 E£244
$8.43 ALL 679
-45.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
Pogradec
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$120 E£6,417
$98.2 ALL 7,910
22.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,476 E£185.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
Pogradec
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.13 E£2,090
$49.70 ALL 4,002
-21.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.04 E£2,619
$56.2 ALL 4,523
-12.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 E£5,934
$98.3 ALL 7,916
13.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.0 E£3,043
$150 ALL 12.1K
-62.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
Pogradec
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$215 E£11.5K
$185 ALL 14.9K
16.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$196 E£10.5K
$123 ALL 9,902
59.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$542 E£28.9K
$370 ALL 29.8K
46.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$338 E£18.0K
$249 ALL 20.0K
35.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$830 E£44.3K
$1,597 ALL 128.6K
-48.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$512 E£27.3K
$1,467 ALL 118.2K
-65.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
Pogradec
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$195 E£10.4K
$476 ALL 38.4K
-59.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
5
224.20%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$196
Pogradec
$123 37.2% $73
Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$137
Pogradec
$211 53.6% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$115
Pogradec
$159 38.2% $44
Eating Out
Cairo
$88
Pogradec
$142 60.9% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$50
Pogradec
$95 90.2% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$38
Pogradec
$53 39.7% $15
Getting Around
Cairo
$11
Pogradec
$34 204% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Cairo versus $185 in Pogradec. 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 144% higher in Pogradec, 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 $40.00 in Pogradec. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $137 vs $211 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Cairo
🇦🇱 Pogradec
🕒 Local time
01:17 1:17 AM
00:17 12:17 AM
1 h behind Cairo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,120,350 Capital
20,848
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cairo Pogradec 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cairo
  • Pogradec

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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pogradec cheaper than Cairo?
Yes – Pogradec is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $953 per month in Cairo and $1,225 in Pogradec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
How do food prices compare in Cairo and in Pogradec?
Groceries cost about 54% more in Pogradec, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Cairo or in Pogradec?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo and $40.00 in Pogradec. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Cairo or Pogradec?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $635 in Cairo and $816 in Pogradec, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Cairo or Pogradec more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pogradec makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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