Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Samarkand Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Samarkand

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $666 per month in Cairo vs $632 in Samarkand, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,045 per month in Cairo vs $1,023 in Samarkand, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,425 per month in Cairo vs $1,413 in Samarkand, rent included.

Cairo costs about 5% more than Samarkand, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Cairo and Samarkand are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, Samarkand 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 E£253

$6.91 UZS 81.2K

-28.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.75 E£1,526

$19.86 UZS 233.6K

49.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.98 E£307

$4.78 UZS 56.2K

25.10%

Cappuccino

$1.80 E£92.3

$2.47 UZS 29.1K

-27.13%

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

$0.35 E£18.09

$0.69 UZS 8,116

-49.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.79

$0.19 UZS 2,217

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 E£76.3

$1.50 UZS 17.6K

-0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 E£120

$2.23 UZS 26.2K

4.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 E£51.0

$1.08 UZS 12.8K

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 E£41.80

$0.33 UZS 3,834

145.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 E£37.28

$1.63 UZS 19.2K

-55.21%

Eggs

$1.21 E£62.0

$1.39 UZS 16.3K

-12.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£222

$8.28 UZS 97.4K

-47.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 E£265

$4.38 UZS 51.5K

17.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.35 E£480

$10.63 UZS 125.0K

-12.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 E£92.8

$0.81 UZS 9,513

123.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 E£40.64

$1.83 UZS 21.5K

-56.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 E£31.36

$1.75 UZS 20.6K

-65.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 E£27.47

$1.73 UZS 20.3K

-68.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 E£20.00

$0.49 UZS 5,748

-20.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.52

$0.17 UZS 2,013

147.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 E£17.32

$0.24 UZS 2,814

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.34

$0.40 UZS 4,720

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 E£108

$1.67 UZS 19.7K

25.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 E£406

$3.32 UZS 39.0K

138.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 E£82.7

$0.99 UZS 11.7K

62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 E£111

$2.14 UZS 25.1K

0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 E£17.40

$0.26 UZS 3,066

30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.76 E£398

$3.32 UZS 39.1K

133.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.18

$0.37 UZS 4,311

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.09

$0.32 UZS 3,804

-31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 E£82.0

$3.40 UZS 39.9K

-52.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.68

$1.10 UZS 12.9K

-58.18%

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

$34.3K E£1.8M

$16.9K UZS 198.4M

103.42%

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

$28.6K E£1.5M

$24.2K UZS 284.8M

18.27%

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

$27.11 E£1,391

$43.06 UZS 506.4K

-37.04%

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

$8.38 E£430

$3.86 UZS 45.4K

117.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.70 E£703

$13.68 UZS 160.9K

0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.48 E£1,308

$39.94 UZS 469.7K

-36.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.81 E£350

$6.94 UZS 81.6K

-1.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.17 E£214

$3.22 UZS 37.8K

29.50%

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

$111 E£5,713

$331 UZS 3.9M

-66.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,425 E£175.7K

$7,569 UZS 89.0M

-54.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.85 E£2,301

$20.85 UZS 245.2K

115.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 E£2,431

$43.23 UZS 508.4K

9.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 E£5,975

$76.5 UZS 899.8K

52.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 E£3,164

$59.5 UZS 699.3K

3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 E£11.0K

$250 UZS 2.9M

-13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 E£10.3K

$166 UZS 2.0M

21.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 E£26.9K

$469 UZS 5.5M

11.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 E£17.8K

$319 UZS 3.8M

8.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$801 E£41.1K

$1,263 UZS 14.9M

-36.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$515 E£26.4K

$558 UZS 6.6M

-7.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 E£10.8K

$311 UZS 3.7M

-32.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

23.31

-30.46%

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

Last update for Cairo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Samarkand: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Cairo versus $250 in Samarkand. 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 48% higher in Samarkand, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Cairo versus $20.00 in Samarkand. Groceries tell a different story – $146 in Cairo vs $159 in Samarkand – 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 Samarkand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 5%, 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 $999 per month in Cairo and $948 in Samarkand. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samarkand, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Cairo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Cairo and $20.00 in Samarkand. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $666 in Cairo and $632 in Samarkand, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Samarkand – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Samarkand. 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.