Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Zell am see

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $2,307 in Zell am see, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$647
/mo nomad
Zell am see
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,307
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Zell am see

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 Zell am see actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $647 per month in Cairo vs $2,307 in Zell am see, rent included.

  • Cairo $647
  • Zell am see $2,307

A couple spends around $1,035 per month in Cairo vs $3,305 in Zell am see, rent included.

  • Cairo $1,035
  • Zell am see $3,305

A family of three spends $1,423 per month in Cairo vs $4,304 in Zell am see, rent included.

  • Cairo $1,423
  • Zell am see $4,304

Cairo is about 72% cheaper than Zell am see, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairo sits 52% below the global median, while Zell am see is 71% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cairo
Zell am see
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.64 E£248
$16.93 €15.06
-72.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.12 E£1,501
$84.3 €75.0
-66.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.03 E£322
$10.06 €8.94
-40.06%
Cappuccino
$1.72 E£92.1
$4.35 €3.87
-60.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 E£19.38
$3.53 €3.14
-89.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.12 E£6.41
$2.84 €2.53
-95.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.51 E£80.4
$5.45 €4.85
-72.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 E£124
$5.33 €4.74
-56.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cairo
Zell am see
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 E£48.92
$1.67 €1.48
-44.91%
White Bread (500g)
$0.73 E£38.92
$2.38 €2.12
-69.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.74 E£39.64
$2.39 €2.13
-69.04%
Eggs
$1.19 E£63.7
$4.68 €4.16
-74.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.33 E£231
$22.25 €19.79
-80.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.03 E£269
$12.68 €11.28
-60.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.28 E£496
$21.27 €18.92
-56.37%
Apples (1kg)
$1.77 E£94.4
$2.90 €2.58
-38.97%
Banana (1kg)
$0.73 E£39.03
$2.52 €2.24
-71.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.55 E£29.51
$3.29 €2.93
-83.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.50 E£26.91
$4.12 €3.66
-87.86%
Potato (1kg)
$0.42 E£22.42
$2.48 €2.20
-83.06%
Onion (1kg)
$0.41 E£21.81
$3.19 €2.84
-87.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.33 E£17.51
$2.14 €1.90
-84.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21 E£11.20
$1.28 €1.14
-83.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.98 E£106
$7.65 €6.81
-74.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.81 E£417
$8.71 €7.74
-10.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 E£84.7
$1.31 €1.16
21.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 E£112
$2.20 €1.96
-5.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Cairo
Zell am see
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 E£18.83
$2.84 €2.53
-87.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.69 E£464
$47.40 €42.16
-81.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 E£21.02
$2.92 €2.59
-86.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 E£11.57
$0.86 €0.76
-74.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 E£80.5
$30.62 €27.24
-95.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.43 E£22.88
$1.75 €1.56
-75.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K E£1.7M
$30.5K €27.1K
7.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K E£1.5M
$30.1K €26.8K
-9.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
Zell am see
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$27.27 E£1,456
$341 €304
-92.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.58 E£458
$15.66 €13.93
-45.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.99 E£747
$38.35 €34.11
-63.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
Zell am see
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.69 E£1,585
$42.40 €37.72
-29.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.25 E£387
$22.63 €20.13
-67.96%
Cinema Ticket
$4.86 E£260
$15.52 €13.81
-68.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cairo
Zell am see
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$121 E£6,438
$454 €404
-73.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,560 E£190.1K
$15.7K €14.0K
-77.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
Zell am see
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.28 E£2,151
$82.2 €73.1
-50.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.53 E£2,645
$58.6 €52.1
-15.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 E£6,137
$109 €97.3
5.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.0 E£3,206
$128 €114
-53.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cairo
Zell am see
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$222 E£11.9K
$928 €825
-76.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$195 E£10.4K
$928 €826
-78.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$550 E£29.3K
$1,645 €1,464
-66.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 E£18.5K
$1,293 €1,150
-73.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$800 E£42.7K
$7,702 €6,851
-89.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$525 E£28.0K
$6,040 €5,372
-91.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cairo
Zell am see
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$200 E£10.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
3.5
363.14%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zell am see: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cairo
$195
Zell am see
$928 376% $733
Groceries & Markets
Cairo
$142
Zell am see
$392 177% $250
Clothing & Footwear
Cairo
$119
Zell am see
$170 42.7% $51
Eating Out
Cairo
$90
Zell am see
$281 212% $191
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cairo
$50
Zell am see
$395 694% $346
Sport & Entertainment
Cairo
$39
Zell am see
$73 86.4% $34
Getting Around
Cairo
$12
Zell am see
$66 470% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Cairo versus $928 in Zell am see. 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 $84.0 in Zell am see. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $142 vs $392 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Cairo
🇦🇹 Zell am see
🕒 Local time
07:16 7:16 AM
06:16 6:16 AM
1 h behind Cairo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,120,350 Capital
10,131
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cairo Zell am see 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cairo
  • Zell am see

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 Zell am see: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zell am see cheaper than Cairo?
Yes – Zell am see is pricier by about 257%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $970 per month in Cairo and $3,460 in Zell am see. 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.
How do food prices compare in Cairo and in Zell am see?
Groceries cost about 177% more in Zell am see, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Cairo or in Zell am see?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Cairo and $84.0 in Zell am see. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cairo or in Zell am see?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Zell am see at $2,307. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zell am see it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cairo or Zell am see 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 Zell am see?
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, Zell am see makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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