Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $528 per month in Cairo vs $690 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A couple spends around $854 per month in Cairo vs $1,125 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,180 per month in Cairo vs $1,560 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Cairo is about 24% cheaper than Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 60% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 E£197

$7.70 E£390

-49.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.66 E£995

$21.63 E£1,095

-9.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 E£253

$5.55 E£281

-9.91%

Cappuccino

$1.48 E£74.8

$1.79 E£90.8

-17.32%

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

$0.34 E£17.01

$0.32 E£16.00

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 E£7.99

$0.44 E£22.47

-63.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 E£71.2

$3.01 E£152

-53.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 E£136

$4.79 E£243

-43.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 E£44.72

$0.90 E£45.77

-2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 E£30.26

$0.63 E£31.70

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 E£34.75

$0.70 E£35.64

-1.43%

Eggs

$1.48 E£75.0

$1.35 E£68.1

9.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.45 E£175

$3.39 E£172

1.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 E£215

$3.93 E£199

7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.65 E£438

$8.41 E£426

2.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 E£79.6

$1.60 E£80.8

-1.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 E£28.65

$0.47 E£23.78

21.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.50 E£25.34

$0.48 E£24.20

4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.01

$0.31 E£15.73

35.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 E£25.02

$0.37 E£18.82

32.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.48

$0.43 E£21.96

-6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 E£11.13

$0.22 E£11.11

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 E£10.35

$0.18 E£9.36

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 E£98.1

$1.63 E£82.5

19.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 E£394

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 E£62.6

$1.37 E£69.2

-9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 E£90.2

$1.87 E£94.7

-4.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 E£15.74

$0.09 E£4.69

244.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.03 E£305

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 E£21.24

$0.38 E£19.49

10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 E£15.84

$0.29 E£14.57

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 E£47.88

$1.94 E£98.3

-51.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£15.59

$0.33 E£16.69

-6.06%

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

$36.0K E£1.8M

$34.9K E£1.8M

3.22%

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

$30.3K E£1.5M

$33.1K E£1.7M

-8.49%

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

$26.02 E£1,317

$11.71 E£593

122.20%

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

$8.07 E£409

$11.21 E£567

-28.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.45 E£630

$28.06 E£1,420

-55.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.69 E£794

$15.02 E£760

4.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.01 E£355

$5.99 E£303

17.03%

Cinema Ticket

$3.57 E£181

$3.42 E£173

4.39%

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

$91.9 E£4,654

$116 E£5,848

-20.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,012 E£101.9K

$1,853 E£93.8K

8.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.77 E£1,608

$27.61 E£1,398

15.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.01 E£2,228

$48.34 E£2,447

-8.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 E£5,408

$107 E£5,428

-0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.7 E£2,970

$51.2 E£2,592

14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$206 E£10.4K

$362 E£18.3K

-43.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 E£6,747

$275 E£13.9K

-51.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 E£21.0K

$636 E£32.2K

-34.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 E£12.6K

$547 E£27.7K

-54.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$822 E£41.6K

$930 E£47.1K

-11.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$516 E£26.1K

$653 E£33.1K

-21.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$208 E£10.5K

$155 E£7,854

34.20%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $206 in Cairo versus $362 in Sharm El Sheikh. 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 34% higher in Cairo, 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 $20.00 in Cairo versus $22.00 in Sharm El Sheikh. Groceries tell a different story – $127 in Cairo vs $108 in Sharm El Sheikh – so Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sharm El Sheikh is pricier by about 31%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $791 per month in Cairo and $1,035 in Sharm El Sheikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $528 in Cairo and $690 in Sharm El Sheikh. 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 $116 in Sharm El Sheikh. 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 $528 in Cairo and $690 in Sharm El Sheikh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

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 Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sharm El Sheikh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.