Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Sheikh Zayed Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Sheikh Zayed

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $523 per month in Cairo vs $490 in Sheikh Zayed, rent included.

A couple spends around $845 per month in Cairo vs $782 in Sheikh Zayed, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,167 per month in Cairo vs $1,075 in Sheikh Zayed, rent included.

Cairo costs about 7% more than Sheikh Zayed, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Cairo and Sheikh Zayed are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 61% lower, Sheikh Zayed 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 E£206

$3.58 E£183

12.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.77 E£1,010

$15.97 E£816

23.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 E£254

$3.99 E£204

24.56%

Cappuccino

$1.48 E£75.5

$1.44 E£73.5

2.78%

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

$0.36 E£18.59

$0.31 E£15.88

16.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.55

$0.10 E£5.21

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 E£69.6

$1.18 E£60.1

15.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 E£144

$3.04 E£155

-7.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 E£44.61

$0.79 E£40.50

10.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 E£30.48

$0.78 E£39.73

-23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 E£35.29

$0.65 E£33.20

6.15%

Eggs

$1.54 E£78.7

$1.38 E£70.5

11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.26 E£166

$3.88 E£198

-15.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 E£219

$4.36 E£222

-1.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.47 E£433

$9.28 E£474

-8.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 E£77.7

$1.41 E£71.9

7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 E£28.62

$0.51 E£26.14

9.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 E£24.36

$0.40 E£20.29

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.29

$0.37 E£18.67

13.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 E£23.85

$0.41 E£20.87

14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.63

$0.38 E£19.54

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 E£12.27

$0.24 E£12.26

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 E£8.78

$0.17 E£8.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 E£103

$1.64 E£83.6

23.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 E£399

$6.08 E£310

28.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 E£62.2

$1.36 E£69.2

-10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 E£89.5

$2.62 E£134

-33.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 E£15.84

$0.25 E£12.81

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.94 E£304

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 E£21.27

$0.53 E£26.97

-20.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 E£16.01

$0.45 E£23.04

-31.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 E£51.2

$1.95 E£99.6

-48.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£15.65

$0.31 E£15.63

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

$35.5K E£1.8M

0.01%

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

$30.4K E£1.6M

$32.7K E£1.7M

-6.90%

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

$25.86 E£1,321

$11.43 E£584

126.25%

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

$8.32 E£425

$5.63 E£287

47.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.53 E£640

$10.06 E£514

24.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.83 E£808

$39.14 E£1,999

-59.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.94 E£354

$10.06 E£514

-31.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.50 E£179

$2.89 E£147

21.11%

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

$92.9 E£4,742

$87.5 E£4,466

6.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,997 E£102.0K

$1,832 E£93.6K

8.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.12 E£1,589

$27.62 E£1,411

12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.95 E£2,296

$49.36 E£2,521

-8.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 E£5,470

$109 E£5,552

-1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 E£3,044

$50.8 E£2,592

17.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 E£10.6K

$193 E£9,860

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$131 E£6,694

$97.9 E£5,002

33.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 E£21.5K

$441 E£22.5K

-4.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 E£13.0K

$178 E£9,085

42.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$877 E£44.8K

$1,113 E£56.9K

-21.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$496 E£25.3K

$605 E£30.9K

-18.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 E£10.9K

$139 E£7,073

54.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

-1.94%

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

Last update for Cairo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sheikh Zayed: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $207 in Cairo versus $193 in Sheikh Zayed. 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 54% 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 $20.00 in Cairo versus $16.00 in Sheikh Zayed. Groceries tell a different story – $126 in Cairo vs $128 in Sheikh Zayed – 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 Sheikh Zayed: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $785 per month in Cairo and $735 in Sheikh Zayed. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sheikh Zayed, 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 $523 in Cairo and $490 in Sheikh Zayed. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $92.9 per month in Cairo and $87.5 in Sheikh Zayed. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $523 in Cairo and $490 in Sheikh Zayed, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sheikh Zayed – 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 Sheikh Zayed. 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.