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 $666 per month in Cairo vs $473 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,045 per month in Cairo vs $731 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,425 per month in Cairo vs $989 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Cairo costs about 41% more than Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 E£253

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.75 E£1,526

$23.90 E£1,226

24.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.98 E£307

$5.03 E£258

18.89%

Cappuccino

$1.80 E£92.3

$2.30 E£118

-21.74%

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

$0.35 E£18.09

$0.36 E£18.52

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.79

$0.62 E£31.65

-79.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 E£76.3

$4.02 E£206

-62.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 E£120

$5.05 E£259

-53.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 E£51.0

$0.90 E£46.21

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 E£41.80

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 E£37.28

$0.50 E£25.80

46.00%

Eggs

$1.21 E£62.0

$1.21 E£62.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£222

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 E£265

$3.88 E£199

32.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.35 E£480

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 E£92.8

$1.56 E£79.8

16.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 E£40.64

$0.51 E£25.94

54.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 E£31.36

$0.51 E£26.07

19.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 E£27.47

$0.30 E£15.44

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 E£20.00

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 E£17.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.10 E£108

$2.19 E£112

-4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 E£406

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 E£82.7

$1.58 E£81.1

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 E£111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 E£17.40

$0.10 E£5.02

240.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.76 E£398

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 E£82.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.68

$0.45 E£22.93

2.22%

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

$34.3K E£1.8M

$32.9K E£1.7M

4.32%

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

$28.6K E£1.5M

$22.5K E£1.2M

27.48%

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

$27.11 E£1,391

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

$8.38 E£430

$11.70 E£600

-28.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.70 E£703

$29.27 E£1,502

-53.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.48 E£1,308

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.81 E£350

Cinema Ticket

$4.17 E£214

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

$111 E£5,713

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,425 E£175.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.85 E£2,301

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 E£2,431

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 E£5,975

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 E£3,164

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 E£11.0K

$368 E£18.9K

-41.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 E£10.3K

$308 E£15.8K

-34.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 E£26.9K

$645 E£33.1K

-18.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 E£17.8K

$547 E£28.1K

-36.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$801 E£41.1K

$1,002 E£51.4K

-20.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$515 E£26.4K

$700 E£35.9K

-26.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 E£10.8K

$156 E£8,019

34.75%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Cairo versus $368 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 35% 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 $30.00 in Cairo versus $24.00 in Sharm El Sheikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $146 vs $58.0 – making Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 41%, 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 $709 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 Sharm El Sheikh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 154% more in Cairo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Cairo and $24.00 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 $666 in Cairo and $473 in Sharm El Sheikh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sharm El Sheikh – 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 Sharm El Sheikh. 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.