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 $473 in Sheikh Zayed, rent included.

A couple spends around $843 per month in Cairo vs $769 in Sheikh Zayed, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,163 per month in Cairo vs $1,065 in Sheikh Zayed, rent included.

Cairo costs about 11% 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 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 E£209

$3.51 E£182

14.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.82 E£1,028

$15.93 E£827

24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 E£254

$3.99 E£207

22.31%

Cappuccino

$1.50 E£77.7

$1.50 E£78.1

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

$0.37 E£18.97

$0.31 E£16.28

19.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.89

$0.12 E£6.38

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 E£73.5

$1.22 E£63.1

16.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 E£146

$2.95 E£153

-4.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 E£48.26

$0.82 E£42.31

13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 E£30.52

$0.74 E£38.22

-20.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£38.59

$0.70 E£36.12

5.71%

Eggs

$1.54 E£80.1

$1.40 E£72.5

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.31 E£172

$3.97 E£206

-16.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 E£225

$4.33 E£225

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 E£437

$9.62 E£499

-12.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 E£81.1

$1.49 E£77.1

4.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 E£29.09

$0.47 E£24.45

19.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.47 E£24.26

$0.40 E£20.62

17.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.39 E£20.24

$0.37 E£19.18

5.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 E£24.00

$0.38 E£19.61

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.96

$0.38 E£19.88

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 E£11.35

$0.24 E£12.47

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 E£11.73

$0.14 E£7.26

64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.02 E£105

$1.70 E£88.2

18.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 E£408

$5.92 E£307

32.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 E£65.5

$1.39 E£72.3

-9.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 E£91.8

$2.60 E£135

-31.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 E£14.89

$0.25 E£13.03

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.97 E£310

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 E£19.84

$0.53 E£27.27

-28.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 E£14.96

$0.43 E£22.24

-32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 E£52.8

$2.03 E£105

-49.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£15.84

$0.31 E£15.90

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

$36.1K E£1.9M

$35.4K E£1.8M

1.88%

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

$30.7K E£1.6M

$33.6K E£1.7M

-8.77%

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

$26.21 E£1,360

$11.24 E£583

133.19%

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

$8.42 E£437

$5.64 E£293

49.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.30 E£638

$10.13 E£526

21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.02 E£831

$39.73 E£2,062

-59.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 E£353

$9.74 E£505

-30.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.51 E£182

$3.02 E£157

16.23%

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

$91.9 E£4,770

$88.3 E£4,581

4.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,993 E£103.5K

$1,875 E£97.3K

6.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.43 E£1,631

$27.13 E£1,408

15.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.87 E£2,329

$47.83 E£2,483

-6.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 E£5,562

$110 E£5,693

-2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 E£2,986

$50.7 E£2,630

13.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$205 E£10.6K

$189 E£9,795

8.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 E£6,771

$99.5 E£5,164

31.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 E£22.0K

$433 E£22.5K

-2.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 E£13.0K

$176 E£9,108

42.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$843 E£43.7K

$1,073 E£55.7K

-21.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 E£25.1K

$577 E£30.0K

-16.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$196 E£10.2K

$132 E£6,844

48.42%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sheikh Zayed: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $205 in Cairo versus $189 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 48% 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 – $128 in Cairo vs $129 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 11%, 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 $784 per month in Cairo and $709 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 $473 in Sheikh Zayed. 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 $88.3 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 $473 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.