Cost of Living Comparison Between Eritrea and Egypt Cost of Living Comparison Between Eritrea and Egypt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $689 in Eritrea versus $450 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,083 in Eritrea versus $732 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,477 in Eritrea versus $1,013 in Egypt.

Living in Eritrea is roughly 53% more expensive than in Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Eritrea 50% lower, Egypt 67% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.04 ERN 316
$4.04 E£207
420.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 ERN 520
$19.42 E£996
78.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.48 ERN 82.3
$4.94 E£253
10.93%
Cappuccino
$0.73 ERN 10.94
$1.53 E£78.3
-52.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 ERN 14.58
$0.34 E£17.65
185.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 ERN 14.85
$0.13 E£6.59
661.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.96 ERN 14.37
$1.46 E£74.9
-34.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.99 E£153
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 ERN 23.43
$0.85 E£43.84
83.53%
White Bread (500g)
-
$0.70 E£36.14
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 ERN 35.02
$0.65 E£33.31
258.46%
Eggs
$4.47 ERN 67.1
$1.32 E£67.7
238.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.98 ERN 44.72
$3.45 E£177
-13.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$26.38 ERN 396
$4.26 E£219
519.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.09 ERN 152
$8.99 E£461
12.24%
Apples (1kg)
$12.07 ERN 181
$1.57 E£80.3
668.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 ERN 19.75
$0.68 E£34.83
92.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 ERN 30.63
$0.50 E£25.65
308.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 ERN 17.16
$0.41 E£21.19
178.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 ERN 26.74
$0.38 E£19.33
368.42%
Onion (1kg)
$0.90 ERN 13.55
$0.38 E£19.70
136.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$0.29 E£14.63
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.15 ERN 32.35
$0.20 E£10.25
975.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$2.00 E£103
-
Wine (Bottle)
$12.23 ERN 184
$7.05 E£362
73.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 ERN 15.25
$1.45 E£74.4
-29.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 ERN 15.26
$2.11 E£108
-51.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.12 ERN 1.78
$0.30 E£15.50
-60.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.10 ERN 122
$8.14 E£418
-0.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.38 E£19.25
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.58 ERN 8.72
$0.28 E£14.24
107.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.08 ERN 151
$1.81 E£93.0
456.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.57 ERN 38.65
$0.43 E£21.86
497.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$66.9K ERN 1.0M
$33.4K E£1.7M
100.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$69.4K ERN 1.0M
$28.4K E£1.5M
143.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$25.13 ERN 377
$22.40 E£1,149
12.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$67.5 ERN 1,014
$7.19 E£369
839.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$199 ERN 2,983
$13.44 E£689
1377.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.35 ERN 411
$17.79 E£913
53.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.86 ERN 73.0
$6.66 E£342
-27.03%
Cinema Ticket
$1.22 ERN 18.32
$2.90 E£149
-57.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$25.50 ERN 383
$94.0 E£4,821
-72.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,585 ERN 38.8K
$2,482 E£127.3K
4.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$138 ERN 2,067
$27.14 E£1,393
407.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$122 ERN 1,835
$44.76 E£2,296
172.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$200 ERN 3,001
$110 E£5,664
80.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 ERN 2,256
$50.5 E£2,589
197.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$255 ERN 3,828
$155 E£7,942
64.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$200 ERN 3,003
$94.6 E£4,854
111.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$453 ERN 6,808
$309 E£15.8K
46.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$424 ERN 6,364
$196 E£10.0K
116.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,256 ERN 18.9K
$747 E£38.3K
68.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,293 ERN 34.4K
$455 E£23.3K
404.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ERN 7,383
$151 E£7,764
224.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
18.5
16.46
12.39%

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

Last update for Eritrea: September 5, 2026

Last update for Egypt: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $123 in Eritrea, $146 in Egypt. Capital cities: $247 in Asmara vs $215 in Cairo.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 19% higher in Egypt.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in Eritrea.

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
Eritrea vs Egypt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Egypt and Eritrea?
At $527 per month in Egypt and $689 in Eritrea, there's a 31% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Egypt: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Eritrea is consistently higher than in Egypt across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Egypt or in Eritrea?
In Egypt, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Eritrea it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Egypt or to Eritrea?
It depends on what you're after: Egypt wins on affordability; Eritrea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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