Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Kafr El Sheikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Kafr El Sheikh: $408 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $29,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,896
/mo nomad
Kafr El Sheikh
🇪🇬 Egypt
$408
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Kafr El Sheikh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $408 in Kafr El Sheikh.

  • Dubai $2,896
  • Kafr El Sheikh $408

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $664 in Kafr El Sheikh.

  • Dubai $4,384
  • Kafr El Sheikh $664

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $919 in Kafr El Sheikh.

  • Dubai $5,872
  • Kafr El Sheikh $919

Living in Dubai is roughly 610% more expensive than in Kafr El Sheikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Kafr El Sheikh is 70% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubai
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.67 AED 46.55
$4.12 E£220
207.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.7 AED 300
$13.71 E£732
496.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.34 AED 34.30
$4.41 E£235
111.79%
Cappuccino
$5.89 AED 21.62
$1.16 E£62.1
407.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 AED 6.20
$0.35 E£18.56
382.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 AED 2.86
$0.12 E£6.54
550.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.66 AED 50.2
$1.45 E£77.5
842.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.49 AED 49.54
$1.25 E£66.7
979.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubai
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 AED 6.78
$0.83 E£44.26
121.69%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 AED 5.50
$0.37 E£19.89
305.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 AED 9.45
$0.62 E£33.14
314.52%
Eggs
$3.32 AED 12.18
$1.22 E£65.1
172.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.60 AED 46.28
$2.45 E£131
414.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.66 AED 35.46
$3.80 E£203
154.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.78 AED 46.93
$7.64 E£408
67.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 AED 9.54
$1.52 E£81.1
71.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 AED 6.99
$0.55 E£29.46
245.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 AED 7.02
$0.42 E£22.55
354.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 AED 5.02
$0.32 E£16.98
328.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 AED 4.14
$0.40 E£21.57
182.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 AED 3.71
$0.39 E£21.08
158.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 AED 5.30
$0.29 E£15.55
396.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 AED 2.48
$0.23 E£12.25
191.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.88 AED 21.59
$1.91 E£102
207.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.15 AED 59.3
$5.17 E£276
212.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.72 AED 10.00
$1.01 E£53.9
169.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 AED 11.32
$1.64 E£87.8
87.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubai
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 AED 5.87
$0.18 E£9.77
788.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.0 AED 279
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 AED 11.91
$0.29 E£15.68
1017.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 AED 2.61
$0.27 E£14.26
162.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.96 AED 29.22
$1.20 E£63.9
563.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 AED 3.62
$0.45 E£24.25
117.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K AED 100.6K
$31.6K E£1.7M
-13.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K AED 80.9K
$25.2K E£1.3M
-12.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$249 AED 913
$13.49 E£720
1742.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.4 AED 200
$7.24 E£387
651.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$91.5 AED 336
$10.18 E£544
798.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$103 AED 380
$8.93 E£477
1057.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$42.32 AED 155
$3.71 E£198
1040.70%
Cinema Ticket
$16.29 AED 59.8
$3.69 E£197
341.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubai
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$844 AED 3,098
$86.8 E£4,637
871.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K AED 67.1K
$2,340 E£125.0K
680.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.0 AED 246
$9.78 E£522
584.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.9 AED 213
$47.39 E£2,530
22.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 AED 375
$156 E£8,333
-34.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.7 AED 363
$18.87 E£1,007
423.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubai
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,393 AED 8,788
$129 E£6,908
1749.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 AED 5,630
$74.8 E£3,994
1949.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,594 AED 16.9K
$255 E£13.6K
1698.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,939 AED 10.8K
$146 E£7,796
1913.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,046 AED 25.9K
$774 E£41.3K
810.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,222 AED 15.5K
$304 E£16.2K
1290.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubai
Kafr El Sheikh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,461 AED 12.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.54
22.5
-79.82%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kafr El Sheikh: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubai
$1.5K
Kafr El Sheikh
$75 95.1% $1.5K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
$394
Kafr El Sheikh
$31 92.2% $364
Eating Out
Dubai
$305
Kafr El Sheikh
$72 76.5% $233
Groceries & Markets
Dubai
$292
Kafr El Sheikh
$107 63.2% $184
Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
$147
Kafr El Sheikh
$104 28.7% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
$136
Kafr El Sheikh
$16 88% $120
Getting Around
Dubai
$89
Kafr El Sheikh
$2.4 * 97.4% $87

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $129 in Kafr El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $14.00 in Kafr El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $107 per month, with Kafr El Sheikh cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇪 Dubai
🇪🇬 Kafr El Sheikh
🕒 Local time
17:13 5:13 PM
16:13 4:13 PM
1 h behind Dubai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,790,000
194,569
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubai Kafr El Sheikh 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubai
  • Kafr El Sheikh

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
Dubai vs Kafr El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kafr El Sheikh cheaper than Dubai?
Kafr El Sheikh is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 610% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $612 in Kafr El Sheikh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Dubai and Kafr El Sheikh?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $129 in Kafr El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Dubai and in Kafr El Sheikh?
Supermarket bills run roughly 171% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Dubai and in Kafr El Sheikh?
All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $408 in Kafr El Sheikh – a 610% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Dubai or in Kafr El Sheikh?
At $408 in Kafr El Sheikh versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kafr El Sheikh but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Kafr El Sheikh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Dubai or Kafr El Sheikh more family-friendly?
For families, Kafr El Sheikh is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Dubai or Kafr El Sheikh?
Safety-wise, Dubai and Kafr El Sheikh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Kafr El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 610% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Dubai vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?