Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh: $442 a month against $611 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Cairo despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$611

/mo nomad

Sharm El Sheikh

🇪🇬 Egypt

$442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Sharm El Sheikh

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 Sharm El Sheikh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $611 per month in Cairo vs $442 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Cairo $611
Sharm El Sheikh $442

A couple spends around $970 per month in Cairo vs $674 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Cairo $970
Sharm El Sheikh $674

A family of three spends $1,329 per month in Cairo vs $905 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Cairo $1,329
Sharm El Sheikh $905

Cairo costs about 38% more than Sharm El Sheikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 55% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 E£253

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.00 E£1,514

$21.07 E£1,182

28.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 E£300

$4.46 E£250

19.73%

Cappuccino

$1.72 E£96.2

$2.17 E£122

-20.74%

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

$0.34 E£19.10

$0.33 E£18.75

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 E£8.10

$0.51 E£28.62

-72.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 E£78.0

$3.46 E£194

-59.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 E£121

$4.36 E£245

-50.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 E£48.67

$0.83 E£46.28

4.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 E£42.55

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 E£35.18

$0.42 E£23.77

50.00%

Eggs

$1.09 E£61.0

$1.08 E£60.5

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.74 E£210

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 E£259

$3.46 E£194

33.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 E£472

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 E£94.6

$1.39 E£77.9

21.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 E£38.27

$0.45 E£25.43

51.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.56 E£31.19

$0.42 E£23.82

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 E£26.22

$0.26 E£14.44

80.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£21.57

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 E£21.86

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 E£18.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 E£12.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.85 E£104

$2.06 E£115

-10.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 E£406

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 E£79.5

$1.39 E£78.1

2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 E£111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 E£17.35

$0.08 E£4.39

287.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 E£402

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.35 E£19.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 E£10.89

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 E£81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.40 E£22.40

$0.43 E£24.13

-6.98%

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

$32.3K E£1.8M

$29.6K E£1.7M

9.02%

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

$24.9K E£1.4M

$20.4K E£1.1M

21.88%

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

$26.70 E£1,497

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

$7.51 E£421

$10.80 E£606

-30.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.02 E£786

$27.30 E£1,531

-48.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.01 E£1,514

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 E£401

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 E£248

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

$117 E£6,538

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,269 E£183.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.71 E£2,114

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 E£2,670

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 E£6,121

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 E£3,119

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$203 E£11.4K

$337 E£18.9K

-39.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 E£10.5K

$284 E£15.9K

-33.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 E£29.4K

$588 E£32.9K

-10.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 E£17.8K

$506 E£28.4K

-37.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$793 E£44.5K

$950 E£53.3K

-16.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$484 E£27.1K

$663 E£37.2K

-27.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 E£10.4K

$141 E£7,924

30.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

26.5

-38.83%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$188 30.7%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$131 21.5%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$113 18.4%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Eating Out

Cairo

$86 14.1%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$48 7.9%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$36 5.9%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Getting Around

Cairo

$9.7 1.6%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $203 in Cairo versus $337 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 31% higher in Cairo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Cairo versus $21 in Sharm El Sheikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $131 vs $51 – making Sharm El Sheikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇪🇬 Sharm El Sheikh

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

Same time as Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

38,478

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.78 USD

100 EGP = 1.6 EUR

100 EGP = 1.78 USD

100 EGP = 1.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cairo Sharm El Sheikh 380 km

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Cairo
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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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $917 per month in Cairo and $663 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $203 there versus $337 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Groceries cost about 156% more in Cairo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Cairo and $21 in Sharm El Sheikh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $611 in Cairo and $442 in Sharm El Sheikh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Sharm El Sheikh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $442 in Sharm El Sheikh to $611 in Cairo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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