Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $1,427 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Cartagena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,427

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in Cairo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cartagena and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,427 per month in Cartagena vs $647 in Cairo, rent included.

Cartagena $1,427
Cairo $647

A couple spends around $2,095 per month in Cartagena vs $1,035 in Cairo, rent included.

Cartagena $2,095
Cairo $1,035

A family of three spends $2,762 per month in Cartagena vs $1,423 in Cairo, rent included.

Cartagena $2,762
Cairo $1,423

Cartagena costs about 121% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cartagena sits 6% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 €12.31

$4.64 E£248

198.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.0 €48.90

$28.12 E£1,501

95.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 €6.76

$6.03 E£322

26.04%

Cappuccino

$2.56 €2.27

$1.72 E£92.1

48.84%

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

$2.45 €2.18

$0.36 E£19.38

580.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.12 E£6.41

1433.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €3.05

$1.51 E£80.4

127.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.54

$2.32 E£124

71.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.07

$0.92 E£48.92

31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 €1.05

$0.73 E£38.92

61.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 €2.26

$0.74 E£39.64

244.59%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.52

$1.19 E£63.7

232.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.48

$4.33 E£231

198.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 €6.18

$5.03 E£269

37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.67 €16.60

$9.28 E£496

101.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.77 E£94.4

35.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$0.73 E£39.03

245.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 €1.43

$0.55 E£29.51

192.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$0.50 E£26.91

518.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.42 E£22.42

197.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.10

$0.41 E£21.81

202.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$0.33 E£17.51

375.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.62

$0.21 E£11.20

228.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 €5.02

$1.98 E£106

184.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 €5.55

$7.81 E£417

-20.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.59 E£84.7

-21.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.00

$2.09 E£112

-45.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.35 E£18.83

308.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.14 €9.91

$8.69 E£464

28.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 €4.90

$0.39 E£21.02

1310.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €2.00

$0.22 E£11.57

922.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.49 €24.45

$1.51 E£80.5

1720.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.58

$0.43 E£22.88

311.63%

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

$35.1K €31.2K

$32.7K E£1.7M

7.37%

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

$30.2K €26.8K

$27.2K E£1.5M

10.75%

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

$210 €187

$27.27 E£1,456

670.19%

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

$19.74 €17.56

$8.58 E£458

130.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.70 €25.53

$13.99 E£747

105.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.14 €36.59

$29.69 E£1,585

38.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.80 €11.39

$7.25 E£387

76.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 €6.85

$4.86 E£260

58.44%

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

$416 €370

$121 E£6,438

245.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 €2,425

$3,560 E£190.1K

-23.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.17 €41.96

$40.28 E£2,151

17.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.38 €31.47

$49.53 E£2,645

-28.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 €54.3

$115 E£6,137

-46.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €89.7

$60.0 E£3,206

68.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 €525

$222 E£11.9K

165.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 €438

$195 E£10.4K

152.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 €743

$550 E£29.3K

52.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 €630

$346 E£18.5K

104.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,770 €1,574

$800 E£42.7K

121.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,433 €1,275

$525 E£28.0K

173.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,720 €1,530

$200 E£10.7K

760.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

16.21

-74.95%

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

Last update for Cartagena: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

$492 34.5%

Cairo

$195 30.2% 60.4% $297

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

$270 18.9%

Cairo

$142 21.9% 47.5% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

$258 18.1%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 80.7% $209

Eating Out

Cartagena

$206 14.5%

Cairo

$90 13.9% 56.4% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

$110 7.7%

Cairo

$119 18.4% 8.3% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

$57 4%

Cairo

$39 6.1% 30.3% $17

Getting Around

Cartagena

$34 2.4%

Cairo

$12 1.8% 65.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $591 in Cartagena versus $222 in Cairo. 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 761% higher in Cartagena, 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 $55.0 in Cartagena versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $142 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Cartagena

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

1 h ahead of Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,050

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

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

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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cartagena Cairo 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
Cairo

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

Cartagena vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cartagena is pricier by about 121%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,141 per month in Cartagena and $970 in Cairo. 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 90% more in Cartagena, 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 $55.0 in Cartagena and $28.00 in Cairo. 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 $647, than in Cartagena at $1,427. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartagena 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, Cartagena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.