Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Waregem

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $2,003 in Waregem, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$647
/mo nomad
Waregem
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,003
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Waregem

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

A single person spends $647 per month in Cairo vs $2,003 in Waregem, rent included.

  • Cairo $647
  • Waregem $2,003

A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Cairo vs $3,057 in Waregem, rent included.

  • Cairo $1,035
  • Waregem $3,057

A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Cairo vs $4,112 in Waregem, rent included.

  • Cairo $1,423
  • Waregem $4,112

Cairo is about 68% cheaper than Waregem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cairo sits 52% below the global median, while Waregem is 48% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
Waregem
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.64 E£245
$22.48 €20.06
-79.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.12 E£1,483
$138 €123
-79.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.03 E£318
$12.62 €11.26
-52.22%
Cappuccino
$1.72 E£91.0
$5.41 €4.83
-68.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 E£19.14
$4.01 €3.58
-91.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.12 E£6.33
$3.93 €3.50
-96.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.51 E£79.4
$6.03 €5.38
-74.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 E£122
$5.25 €4.68
-55.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
Waregem
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 E£48.32
$1.20 €1.07
-23.33%
White Bread (500g)
$0.73 E£38.44
$2.44 €2.17
-70.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.74 E£39.15
$2.18 €1.94
-66.06%
Eggs
$1.19 E£62.9
$3.65 €3.25
-67.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.33 E£229
$16.97 €15.15
-74.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.03 E£265
$11.76 €10.50
-57.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.28 E£489
$18.65 €16.64
-50.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.77 E£93.2
$2.78 €2.48
-36.33%
Banana (1kg)
$0.73 E£38.55
$2.32 €2.07
-68.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.55 E£29.15
$2.62 €2.34
-79.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.50 E£26.58
$2.93 €2.62
-82.94%
Potato (1kg)
$0.42 E£22.14
$1.98 €1.76
-78.79%
Onion (1kg)
$0.41 E£21.54
$1.94 €1.73
-78.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.33 E£17.30
$1.38 €1.23
-76.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21 E£11.06
$0.98 €0.88
-78.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.98 E£104
$12.14 €10.83
-83.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.81 E£412
$6.87 €6.13
13.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 E£83.6
$1.95 €1.74
-18.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 E£110
$1.85 €1.65
12.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
Waregem
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 E£18.60
$3.30 €2.94
-89.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.69 E£458
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 E£20.76
$4.80 €4.28
-91.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 E£11.43
$2.81 €2.51
-92.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 E£79.5
$21.88 €19.53
-93.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.43 E£22.59
$1.99 €1.78
-78.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K E£1.7M
$30.1K €26.9K
8.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K E£1.4M
$35.7K €31.9K
-23.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
Waregem
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$27.27 E£1,438
$204 €182
-86.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.58 E£453
$37.80 €33.74
-77.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.99 E£738
$73.8 €65.9
-81.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
Waregem
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.69 E£1,566
$38.65 €34.50
-23.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.25 E£383
$22.45 €20.04
-67.71%
Cinema Ticket
$4.86 E£256
$15.30 €13.66
-68.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
Waregem
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$121 E£6,359
$944 €842
-87.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,560 E£187.7K
$21.0K €18.7K
-83.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
Waregem
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.28 E£2,125
$86.9 €77.6
-53.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.53 E£2,612
$45.16 €40.30
9.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 E£6,061
$115 €102
0.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.0 E£3,167
$123 €110
-51.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
Waregem
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$222 E£11.7K
$845 €754
-73.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$195 E£10.3K
$732 €653
-73.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$550 E£29.0K
$1,097 €979
-49.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 E£18.3K
$968 €864
-64.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$800 E£42.2K
$3,847 €3,433
-79.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$525 E£27.7K
$2,905 €2,593
-81.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
Waregem
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$200 E£10.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
3.46
368.50%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Waregem: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$195
Waregem
$732 275% $537
Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$142
Waregem
$333 135% $191
Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$119
Waregem
$166 39.6% $47
Eating Out
Cairo
$90
Waregem
$355 294% $265
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$50
Waregem
$316 533% $266
Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$39
Waregem
$69 75.7% $30
Getting Around
Cairo
$12
Waregem
$32 * 177% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Cairo versus $845 in Waregem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo versus $138 in Waregem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $333 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Cairo
🇧🇪 Waregem
🕒 Local time
12:05 12:05 PM
11:05 11:05 AM
1 h behind Cairo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,120,350 Capital
39,488
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 52.74 EGP (100 EGP = 1.9 USD). 1 EUR = 59.09 EGP (100 EGP = 1.69 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cairo Waregem 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cairo
  • Waregem

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 Waregem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Waregem cheaper than Cairo?
Yes – Waregem is pricier by about 210%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Cairo and $3,004 in Waregem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Cairo and in Waregem?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $647 in Cairo and $2,003 in Waregem. That's a gap of about 210%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $121 per month in Cairo and $944 in Waregem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cairo or in Waregem?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Waregem at $2,003. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waregem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cairo or Waregem more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Cairo or Waregem?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Waregem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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