Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairo and Zurich

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $4,519 in Zurich, rent and utilities included – about $46,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
Learn more

Cairo Living Index
218

Cost of Living Index in Zurich
Learn more

Zurich Living Index

Jump to prices

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Zurich

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cairo and in Zurich

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Cairo vs $4,519 in Zurich, rent included.

Cairo $643
Zurich $4,519

A couple spends around $1,037 per month in Cairo vs $6,911 in Zurich, rent included.

Cairo $1,037
Zurich $6,911

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Cairo vs $9,303 in Zurich, rent included.

Cairo $1,431
Zurich $9,303

Cairo is about 86% cheaper than Zurich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cairo sits 52% below the global median, while Zurich is 237% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 E£245

$34.88 CHF 28.95

-86.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.49 E£1,491

$146 CHF 121

-80.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 E£315

$18.34 CHF 15.22

-67.12%

Cappuccino

$1.81 E£94.7

$6.94 CHF 5.76

-73.92%

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

$0.35 E£18.18

$5.94 CHF 4.93

-94.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 E£7.95

$5.27 CHF 4.38

-97.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 E£76.0

$9.91 CHF 8.22

-85.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 E£117

$8.48 CHF 7.04

-73.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 E£50.7

$2.10 CHF 1.74

-53.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 E£37.96

$3.82 CHF 3.17

-80.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 E£40.24

$3.74 CHF 3.11

-79.41%

Eggs

$1.17 E£61.2

$8.49 CHF 7.04

-86.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.32 E£226

$26.67 CHF 22.14

-83.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.07 E£265

$28.17 CHF 23.38

-82.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 E£467

$60.8 CHF 50.4

-85.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 E£95.8

$4.20 CHF 3.48

-56.43%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 E£39.07

$2.68 CHF 2.22

-72.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.57 E£29.78

$3.39 CHF 2.81

-83.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 E£26.62

$4.46 CHF 3.70

-88.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£20.05

$2.57 CHF 2.13

-85.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.88

$2.22 CHF 1.85

-81.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 E£18.43

$2.51 CHF 2.09

-86.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 E£12.57

$1.25 CHF 1.04

-80.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 E£104

$10.91 CHF 9.06

-81.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 E£391

$13.90 CHF 11.54

-46.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 E£79.4

$2.77 CHF 2.30

-45.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 E£112

$3.07 CHF 2.55

-30.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 E£17.10

$5.59 CHF 4.64

-94.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 E£453

$105 CHF 87.4

-91.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 E£19.27

$7.94 CHF 6.59

-95.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 E£10.65

$4.64 CHF 3.85

-95.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 E£77.8

$89.7 CHF 74.4

-98.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 E£23.94

$2.33 CHF 1.93

-80.26%

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

$32.6K E£1.7M

$39.9K CHF 33.1K

-18.19%

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

$28.4K E£1.5M

$39.1K CHF 32.5K

-27.39%

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

$27.54 E£1,441

$275 CHF 228

-89.98%

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

$8.27 E£432

$36.64 CHF 30.41

-77.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.05 E£735

$55.5 CHF 46.07

-74.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.27 E£1,479

$90.7 CHF 75.3

-68.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.70 E£350

$62.1 CHF 51.6

-89.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 E£230

$24.25 CHF 20.13

-81.86%

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

$121 E£6,356

$3,617 CHF 3,002

-96.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,619 E£189.3K

$42.7K CHF 35.5K

-91.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.16 E£2,101

$140 CHF 117

-71.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 E£2,596

$58.9 CHF 48.92

-15.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 E£6,033

$166 CHF 138

-30.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 E£3,170

$251 CHF 208

-75.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 E£11.5K

$2,960 CHF 2,457

-92.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 E£10.2K

$2,296 CHF 1,906

-91.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 E£26.9K

$6,003 CHF 4,982

-91.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 E£17.5K

$4,217 CHF 3,500

-92.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 E£42.2K

$27.7K CHF 23.0K

-97.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$513 E£26.9K

$16.1K CHF 13.3K

-96.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 E£10.5K

$8,005 CHF 6,644

-97.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

2.07

683.09%

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

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Last update for Zurich: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairo

$194 30.1%

Zurich

$2.3K 51.8% 1082% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Cairo

$141 21.9%

Zurich

$669 15.1% 374% $528

Clothing & Footwear

Cairo

$120 18.6%

Zurich

$277 6.3% 132% $158

Eating Out

Cairo

$91 14.1%

Zurich

$529 11.9% 480% $438

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairo

$50 7.7%

Zurich

$367 8.3% 636% $317

Sport & Entertainment

Cairo

$37 5.8%

Zurich

$139 3.1% 276% $102

Getting Around

Cairo

$11 1.8%

Zurich

$159 3.6% 1300% $148

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $220 in Cairo versus $2,960 in Zurich. 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 3899% higher in Zurich, 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 $146 in Zurich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $141 vs $669 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Cairo

🇨🇭 Zurich

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

10:19 10:19 AM

1 h behind Cairo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,120,350 Capital

443,037

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.931 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cairo Zurich 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairo
Zurich

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 Zurich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zurich is pricier by about 602%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $965 per month in Cairo and $6,779 in Zurich. 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 374% more in Zurich, 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 $146 in Zurich. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Zurich at $4,519. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zurich it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, Zurich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.