Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Qena Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Qena

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $658 per month in Cairo vs $463 in Qena, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,056 per month in Cairo vs $760 in Qena, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,453 per month in Cairo vs $1,057 in Qena, rent included.

Cairo costs about 42% more than Qena, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 E£246

$4.09 E£208

18.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.14 E£1,483

$15.95 E£812

82.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 E£292

$5.98 E£304

-4.18%

Cappuccino

$1.79 E£90.9

$1.94 E£98.8

-7.73%

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

$0.38 E£19.38

$0.49 E£24.90

-22.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 E£7.26

$0.18 E£9.23

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 E£74.5

$2.19 E£111

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 E£118

$3.09 E£157

-25.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 E£49.66

$0.94 E£47.98

4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 E£41.73

$0.62 E£31.46

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 E£38.87

$0.64 E£32.39

18.75%

Eggs

$1.28 E£65.4

$2.01 E£102

-36.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.10 E£208

$3.00 E£153

36.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 E£250

$5.87 E£299

-16.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.12 E£464

$9.63 E£490

-5.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 E£97.7

$1.46 E£74.2

31.51%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 E£39.24

$0.49 E£25.00

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.62 E£31.31

$0.45 E£22.90

37.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 E£29.47

$0.41 E£20.72

41.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 E£21.74

$0.36 E£18.21

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£20.93

$0.38 E£19.46

7.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 E£18.40

$0.30 E£15.43

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 E£11.14

$0.17 E£8.67

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 E£108

$2.30 E£117

-7.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 E£398

$7.37 E£375

6.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 E£79.2

$1.21 E£61.7

28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 E£110

$1.85 E£94.0

16.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 E£17.24

$0.20 E£10.12

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.88 E£401

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 E£20.42

$0.37 E£19.07

8.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 E£10.49

$0.20 E£10.07

5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 E£81.7

$2.01 E£102

-19.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 E£22.23

$0.47 E£23.89

-6.38%

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

$35.0K E£1.8M

$32.7K E£1.7M

7.04%

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

$29.6K E£1.5M

$22.2K E£1.1M

33.31%

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

$26.99 E£1,373

$25.49 E£1,297

5.88%

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

$8.74 E£445

$7.95 E£404

9.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.95 E£710

$9.74 E£496

43.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 E£1,314

$16.85 E£857

53.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 E£344

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 E£205

$3.53 E£179

14.16%

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

$110 E£5,613

$101 E£5,159

8.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,434 E£174.7K

$592 E£30.1K

479.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.83 E£2,230

$20.76 E£1,056

111.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 E£2,410

$34.39 E£1,750

37.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 E£5,979

$125 E£6,370

-6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.2 E£3,213

$29.75 E£1,514

112.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$213 E£10.9K

$131 E£6,684

62.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 E£10.1K

$86.6 E£4,404

129.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 E£26.5K

$228 E£11.6K

128.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 E£17.8K

$169 E£8,603

107.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$813 E£41.4K

$731 E£37.2K

11.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$520 E£26.4K

$451 E£23.0K

15.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 E£10.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

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

Last update for Cairo: August 31, 2026

Last update for Qena: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $213 in Cairo versus $131 in Qena. 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 $29.00 in Cairo versus $16.00 in Qena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $144 vs $137 – making Qena 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 Qena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 42%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $988 per month in Cairo and $694 in Qena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qena, 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 $658 in Cairo and $463 in Qena. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $110 per month in Cairo and $101 in Qena. 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 $658 in Cairo and $463 in Qena, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Qena – 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 Qena. 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.