Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dresden and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $1,919 in Dresden, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Dresden
Learn more

Dresden Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
Learn more

Cairo Living Index

Jump to prices

Dresden

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,919

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dresden 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 Dresden and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,919 per month in Dresden vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

Dresden $1,919
Cairo $643

A couple spends around $2,968 per month in Dresden vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

Dresden $2,968
Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $4,017 per month in Dresden vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

Dresden $4,017
Cairo $1,431

Dresden costs about 198% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dresden sits 43% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.63 €14.84

$4.69 E£245

254.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.1

$28.49 E£1,491

199.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €10.03

$6.03 E£315

86.40%

Cappuccino

$4.42 €3.95

$1.81 E£94.7

144.20%

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

$3.66 €3.26

$0.35 E£18.18

945.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.68

$0.15 E£7.95

1906.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 €5.26

$1.45 E£76.0

306.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 €6.01

$2.24 E£117

200.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$0.97 E£50.7

36.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.89

$0.73 E£37.96

190.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

$0.77 E£40.24

287.01%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.40

$1.17 E£61.2

225.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.59 €14.81

$4.32 E£226

284.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 €10.24

$5.07 E£265

126.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.32 €19.91

$8.92 E£467

150.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.73

$1.83 E£95.8

67.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$0.75 E£39.07

176.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$0.57 E£29.78

245.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.59

$0.51 E£26.62

688.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$0.38 E£20.05

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.27

$0.42 E£21.88

238.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.28

$0.35 E£18.43

308.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.24 E£12.57

350.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 €8.57

$1.99 E£104

382.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.55 €4.95

$7.48 E£391

-25.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.97

$1.52 E£79.4

-28.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.13 E£112

-32.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.39

$0.33 E£17.10

1051.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 €65.1

$8.66 E£453

742.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.03

$0.37 E£19.27

1118.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 €2.45

$0.20 E£10.65

1275.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.52 €29.91

$1.49 E£77.8

2149.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.06

$0.46 E£23.94

402.17%

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

$32.8K €29.3K

$32.6K E£1.7M

0.64%

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

$39.0K €34.8K

$28.4K E£1.5M

37.50%

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

$381 €340

$27.54 E£1,441

1284.89%

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

$20.31 €18.13

$8.27 E£432

145.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.14 €38.49

$14.05 E£735

207.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.62 €30.00

$28.27 E£1,479

18.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.64 €22.88

$6.70 E£350

282.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.32 €11.89

$4.40 E£230

202.73%

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

$877 €782

$121 E£6,356

621.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.4K

$3,619 E£189.3K

316.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €77.7

$40.16 E£2,101

116.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.06 €36.64

$49.61 E£2,596

-17.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €96.5

$115 E£6,033

-6.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

$60.6 E£3,170

96.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 €670

$220 E£11.5K

241.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 €458

$194 E£10.2K

164.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 €1,359

$514 E£26.9K

196.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 €858

$334 E£17.5K

188.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 €4,466

$806 E£42.2K

520.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,658 €2,372

$513 E£26.9K

417.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,049 €2,721

$200 E£10.5K

1423.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

16.21

-75.57%

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

Last update for Dresden: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dresden

$514 26.9%

Cairo

$194 30.1% 62.2% $319

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dresden

$445 23.3%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 88.8% $395

Groceries & Markets

Dresden

$337 17.6%

Cairo

$141 21.9% 58% $195

Eating Out

Dresden

$289 15.1%

Cairo

$91 14.1% 68.5% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Dresden

$160 8.4%

Cairo

$120 18.6% 25.3% $40

Getting Around

Dresden

$106 5.6%

Cairo

$11 1.8% 89.3% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Dresden

$60 3.2%

Cairo

$37 5.8% 38.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $751 in Dresden versus $220 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 1423% higher in Dresden, 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 $85.0 in Dresden versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Dresden

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

08:22 8:22 AM

1 h ahead of Dresden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

556,780

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dresden Cairo 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Dresden
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

Dresden vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dresden is pricier by about 198%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,879 per month in Dresden and $965 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 138% more in Dresden, 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 $85.0 in Dresden 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 $643, than in Dresden at $1,919. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dresden 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, Dresden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.