Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Veles

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $768 in Veles, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Veles
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Veles Living Index

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Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Veles

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Veles

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 Veles actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $647 per month in Cairo vs $768 in Veles, rent included.

Cairo $647
Veles $768

A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Cairo vs $1,139 in Veles, rent included.

Cairo $1,035
Veles $1,139

A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Cairo vs $1,510 in Veles, rent included.

Cairo $1,423
Veles $1,510

Cairo is about 16% cheaper than Veles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cairo and Veles are more affordable than the global median – Cairo 52% lower, Veles 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.64 E£248

$8.65 MKD 472

-46.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 E£1,501

$18.00 MKD 982

56.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£322

$5.43 MKD 296

11.05%

Cappuccino

$1.72 E£92.1

$1.50 MKD 82.0

14.67%

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

$0.36 E£19.38

$1.32 MKD 72.0

-72.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.41

$0.80 MKD 43.42

-85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 E£80.4

$1.48 MKD 80.7

2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 E£124

$3.03 MKD 165

-23.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 E£48.92

$1.06 MKD 57.9

-13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£38.92

$0.51 MKD 27.74

43.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 E£39.64

$1.45 MKD 79.2

-48.97%

Eggs

$1.19 E£63.7

$2.48 MKD 135

-52.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 E£231

$2.96 MKD 162

46.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 E£269

$4.07 MKD 222

23.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.28 E£496

$15.11 MKD 824

-38.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 E£94.4

$1.41 MKD 77.0

25.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 E£39.03

$1.43 MKD 77.9

-48.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 E£29.51

$1.38 MKD 75.2

-60.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 E£26.91

$1.88 MKD 103

-73.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 E£22.42

$0.85 MKD 46.16

-50.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£21.81

$0.83 MKD 45.33

-50.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 E£17.51

$0.59 MKD 31.96

-44.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 E£11.20

$0.59 MKD 32.06

-64.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 E£106

$3.33 MKD 182

-40.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 E£417

$6.44 MKD 351

21.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 E£84.7

$1.06 MKD 57.8

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 E£112

$1.49 MKD 81.0

40.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 E£18.83

$0.79 MKD 43.05

-55.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.69 E£464

$23.23 MKD 1,267

-62.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£21.02

$1.11 MKD 60.3

-64.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 E£11.57

$0.61 MKD 33.44

-63.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 E£80.5

$7.43 MKD 405

-79.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.43 E£22.88

$1.46 MKD 79.8

-70.55%

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

$32.7K E£1.7M

$26.8K MKD 1.5M

22.02%

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

$27.2K E£1.5M

$24.9K MKD 1.4M

9.52%

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

$27.27 E£1,456

$108 MKD 5,901

-74.79%

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

$8.58 E£458

$17.34 MKD 946

-50.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.99 E£747

$12.02 MKD 655

16.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 E£1,585

$25.47 MKD 1,389

16.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 E£387

$17.82 MKD 972

-59.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 E£260

$3.38 MKD 184

43.79%

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

$121 E£6,438

$221 MKD 12.1K

-45.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,560 E£190.1K

$5,716 MKD 311.8K

-37.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.28 E£2,151

$21.99 MKD 1,199

83.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.53 E£2,645

$18.42 MKD 1,005

168.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,137

$72.2 MKD 3,940

59.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 E£3,206

$110 MKD 5,987

-45.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 E£11.9K

$218 MKD 11.9K

2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 E£10.4K

$170 MKD 9,300

14.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 E£29.3K

$290 MKD 15.8K

89.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 E£18.5K

$236 MKD 12.9K

46.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 E£42.7K

$1,174 MKD 64.0K

-31.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 E£28.0K

$933 MKD 50.9K

-43.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.7K

$594 MKD 32.4K

-66.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

4.23

283.22%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Veles: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$195 30.2%

Veles

$170 22.2% 12.6% $25

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$142 21.9%

Veles

$171 22.3% 20.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$119 18.4%

Veles

$100 13% 16% $19

Eating Out

Cairo

$90 13.9%

Veles

$125 16.4% 39.4% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Veles

$138 17.9% 176% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$39 6.1%

Veles

$32 4.2% 18.2% $7.2

Getting Around

Cairo

$12 1.8%

Veles

$31 4% 164% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Cairo versus $218 in Veles. 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 198% higher in Veles, 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 $28.00 in Cairo versus $18.00 in Veles. Groceries tell a different story – $142 in Cairo vs $171 in Veles – so Cairo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇲🇰 Veles

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

06:57 6:57 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

43,716

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cairo Veles 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Veles

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 Veles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Veles is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Cairo and $1,151 in Veles. 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.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Veles, 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 $28.00 in Cairo and $18.00 in Veles. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $647 in Cairo and $768 in Veles, 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, Veles makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.