Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Qalyub Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Qalyub

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $523 per month in Cairo vs $449 in Qalyub, rent included.

A couple spends around $843 per month in Cairo vs $720 in Qalyub, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,163 per month in Cairo vs $991 in Qalyub, rent included.

Cairo costs about 16% more than Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cairo and Qalyub are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 61% lower, Qalyub 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 E£209

$3.61 E£188

11.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.82 E£1,028

$16.06 E£833

23.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 E£254

$4.69 E£243

4.05%

Cappuccino

$1.50 E£77.7

$1.50 E£78.1

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

$0.37 E£18.97

$0.31 E£16.31

19.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.89

$0.12 E£6.36

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 E£73.5

$1.27 E£65.8

11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 E£146

$2.70 E£140

4.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 E£48.26

$0.84 E£43.64

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 E£30.52

$0.59 E£30.67

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£38.59

$0.67 E£34.60

10.45%

Eggs

$1.54 E£80.1

$1.44 E£74.5

6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.31 E£172

$3.38 E£175

-2.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 E£225

$4.26 E£221

1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 E£437

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 E£81.1

$1.46 E£75.9

6.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 E£29.09

$0.57 E£29.61

-1.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.47 E£24.26

$0.43 E£22.12

9.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.39 E£20.24

$0.36 E£18.93

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 E£24.00

$0.41 E£21.13

12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.96

$0.40 E£20.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 E£11.35

$0.24 E£12.53

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 E£11.73

$0.19 E£9.82

21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 E£105

$1.95 E£101

3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 E£408

$5.62 E£292

39.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 E£65.5

$1.22 E£63.4

3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 E£91.8

$1.76 E£91.6

0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 E£14.89

$0.18 E£9.39

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.97 E£310

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 E£19.84

$0.39 E£19.99

-2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 E£14.96

$0.29 E£15.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 E£52.8

$0.96 E£49.62

6.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£15.84

$0.30 E£15.79

3.33%

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

$36.1K E£1.9M

$35.0K E£1.8M

2.97%

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

$30.7K E£1.6M

$30.2K E£1.6M

1.66%

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

$26.21 E£1,360

$11.14 E£578

135.28%

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

$8.42 E£437

$5.59 E£290

50.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.30 E£638

$9.91 E£515

24.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.02 E£831

$22.38 E£1,161

-28.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 E£353

Cinema Ticket

$3.51 E£182

$3.01 E£156

16.61%

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

$91.9 E£4,770

$88.0 E£4,564

4.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,993 E£103.5K

$1,830 E£95.0K

8.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.43 E£1,631

$27.74 E£1,439

13.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.87 E£2,329

$44.04 E£2,286

1.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 E£5,562

$107 E£5,566

-0.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 E£2,986

$50.1 E£2,602

14.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 E£10.6K

$193 E£10.0K

5.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 E£6,771

$99.6 E£5,168

31.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 E£22.0K

$309 E£16.0K

37.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 E£13.0K

$178 E£9,264

40.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$843 E£43.7K

$776 E£40.3K

8.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 E£25.1K

$408 E£21.2K

18.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$196 E£10.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

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

Last update for Cairo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $205 in Cairo versus $193 in Qalyub. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Cairo versus $16.00 in Qalyub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $128 vs $120 – making Qalyub 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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 16%, 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 $784 per month in Cairo and $673 in Qalyub. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qalyub, 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 $523 in Cairo and $449 in Qalyub. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $91.9 per month in Cairo and $88.0 in Qalyub. 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 $523 in Cairo and $449 in Qalyub, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Qalyub – 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 Qalyub. 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.