Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Faiyum and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in El Faiyum: $434 a month against $635 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in El Faiyum
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El Faiyum Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
Learn more

Cairo Living Index

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El Faiyum

🇪🇬 Egypt

$434

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $434 per month in El Faiyum vs $635 in Cairo, rent included.

El Faiyum $434
Cairo $635

A couple spends around $693 per month in El Faiyum vs $1,010 in Cairo, rent included.

El Faiyum $693
Cairo $1,010

A family of three spends $952 per month in El Faiyum vs $1,385 in Cairo, rent included.

El Faiyum $952
Cairo $1,385

El Faiyum is about 32% cheaper than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both El Faiyum and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – El Faiyum 68% lower, Cairo 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.29 E£122

$4.63 E£247

-50.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.74 E£680

$27.66 E£1,477

-53.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.30 E£176

$5.83 E£311

-43.40%

Cappuccino

$1.19 E£63.3

$1.69 E£90.1

-29.59%

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

$0.29 E£15.59

$0.35 E£18.79

-17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.10 E£5.10

$0.13 E£6.86

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.89 E£47.70

$1.47 E£78.3

-39.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 E£120

$2.21 E£118

1.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 E£39.61

$0.94 E£50.5

-21.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 E£35.72

$0.79 E£41.96

-15.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.62 E£32.99

$0.70 E£37.41

-11.43%

Eggs

$1.16 E£62.1

$1.12 E£59.5

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.03 E£162

$4.08 E£218

-25.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.23 E£226

$4.77 E£255

-11.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 E£360

$8.81 E£470

-23.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 E£78.1

$1.68 E£89.7

-13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.61 E£32.60

$0.71 E£38.07

-14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.54 E£28.93

$0.59 E£31.31

-8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.32 E£16.87

$0.51 E£27.06

-37.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 E£14.00

$0.37 E£19.81

-29.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 E£15.74

$0.44 E£23.47

-34.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.25 E£13.22

$0.34 E£18.37

-26.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 E£12.18

$0.21 E£11.16

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 E£92.4

$1.99 E£106

-13.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.54 E£296

$7.49 E£400

-26.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 E£64.6

$1.51 E£80.4

-19.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 E£105

$2.08 E£111

-5.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.05 E£2.84

$0.34 E£18.29

-85.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.41 E£289

$8.31 E£444

-34.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£20.71

$0.40 E£21.48

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 E£15.69

$0.19 E£9.99

52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 E£63.3

$1.50 E£80.0

-20.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 E£21.65

$0.45 E£23.77

-8.89%

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

$33.3K E£1.8M

$33.1K E£1.8M

0.43%

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

$25.2K E£1.3M

$26.1K E£1.4M

-3.59%

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

$13.75 E£734

$27.62 E£1,475

-50.22%

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

$6.55 E£350

$7.83 E£418

-16.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.01 E£695

$14.39 E£769

-9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.39 E£1,462

$28.62 E£1,528

-4.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.47 E£399

Cinema Ticket

$2.17 E£116

$4.56 E£244

-52.41%

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

$23.56 E£1,258

$120 E£6,417

-80.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$821 E£43.8K

$3,476 E£185.6K

-76.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.17 E£1,718

$39.13 E£2,090

-17.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.92 E£2,345

$49.04 E£2,619

-10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 E£6,719

$111 E£5,934

13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.1 E£2,888

$57.0 E£3,043

-5.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$163 E£8,682

$215 E£11.5K

-24.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$80.5 E£4,299

$196 E£10.5K

-58.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 E£13.8K

$542 E£28.9K

-52.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 E£8,097

$338 E£18.0K

-55.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$427 E£22.8K

$830 E£44.3K

-48.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$221 E£11.8K

$512 E£27.3K

-56.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$70.5 E£3,762

$195 E£10.4K

-63.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

-62.99%

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

Last update for El Faiyum: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Clothing & Footwear

El Faiyum

$115 26.6%

Cairo

$115 18.2% 0.1% $0.1

Groceries & Markets

El Faiyum

$113 26%

Cairo

$137 21.6% 21.8% $25

Accommodation & Living

El Faiyum

$81 18.6%

Cairo

$196 30.8% 143% $115

Eating Out

El Faiyum

$53 12.2%

Cairo

$88 13.9% 66.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Faiyum

$33 7.7%

Cairo

$50 7.8% 49.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

El Faiyum

$32 7.3%

Cairo

$38 5.9% 19% $6

Getting Around

El Faiyum

$7.5 1.7%

Cairo

$11 1.7% 47.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $163 in El Faiyum versus $215 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 177% higher in Cairo, 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 $13.00 in El Faiyum versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $113 vs $137 – making El Faiyum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 El Faiyum

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

Same time as El Faiyum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

306,393

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

El Faiyum vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $651 per month in El Faiyum and $953 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Faiyum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Cairo, 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 $13.00 in El Faiyum and $28.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $434 in El Faiyum and $635 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward El Faiyum – 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 El Faiyum. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.