Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Serowe

For one person, living is cheaper in Serowe: $80.7 a month against $647 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Serowe

🇧🇼 Botswana

$80.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Serowe

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

A single person spends $647 per month in Cairo vs $80.7 in Serowe, rent included.

Cairo $647
Serowe $80.7

A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Cairo vs $141 in Serowe, rent included.

Cairo $1,035
Serowe $141

A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Cairo vs $201 in Serowe, rent included.

Cairo $1,423
Serowe $201

Cairo costs about 702% more than Serowe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cairo and Serowe are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, Serowe 94% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 E£248

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 E£1,501

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£322

Cappuccino

$1.72 E£92.1

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

$0.36 E£19.38

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.41

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 E£80.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 E£124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 E£48.92

$1.37 P 18.30

-32.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£38.92

$1.10 P 14.71

-33.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£39.64

Eggs

$1.19 E£63.7

$1.71 P 22.83

-30.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£231

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 E£269

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 E£496

$4.01 P 53.6

131.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 E£94.4

$1.34 P 17.87

32.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 E£39.03

$1.08 P 14.39

-32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 E£29.51

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.91

$1.64 P 21.94

-69.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 E£22.42

$1.43 P 19.13

-70.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£21.81

$1.40 P 18.74

-70.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 E£17.51

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 E£11.20

$0.72 P 9.66

-70.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 E£106

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 E£417

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 E£84.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 E£112

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 E£18.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.69 E£464

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£21.02

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.57

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 E£80.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.43 E£22.88

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

$32.7K E£1.7M

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

$27.2K E£1.5M

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

$27.27 E£1,456

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

$8.58 E£458

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.99 E£747

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 E£1,585

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 E£387

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 E£260

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

$121 E£6,438

$110 P 1,474

9.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,560 E£190.1K

$1,776 P 23.7K

100.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.28 E£2,151

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.53 E£2,645

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,137

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 E£3,206

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 E£11.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 E£10.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 E£29.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 E£18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 E£42.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 E£28.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.7K

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Serowe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$195 30.2%

Serowe

–

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$142 21.9%

Serowe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$119 18.4%

Serowe

–

Eating Out

Cairo

$90 13.9%

Serowe

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Serowe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$39 6.1%

Serowe

–

Getting Around

Cairo

$12 1.8%

Serowe

–

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇧🇼 Serowe

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

13:25 1:25 PM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

47,447

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

100 BWP = 7.48 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 13.36 BWP (100 BWP = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairo Serowe 5,850 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Serowe

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 Serowe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 702%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Cairo and $121 in Serowe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Cairo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $121 per month in Cairo and $110 in Serowe. 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 $647 in Cairo and $80.7 in Serowe, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Serowe – 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 Serowe. 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.