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: $736 in Eritrea versus $455 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,089 in Eritrea versus $730 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,442 in Eritrea versus $1,004 in Egypt.

Living in Eritrea is roughly 62% more expensive than in Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Eritrea 45% lower, Egypt 66% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.34 ERN 185
$3.89 E£199
217.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.43 ERN 442
$19.99 E£1,021
47.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.46 ERN 82.1
$4.89 E£250
11.66%
Cappuccino
$0.74 ERN 11.18
$1.42 E£72.3
-47.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 ERN 27.02
$0.33 E£16.74
445.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 ERN 20.38
$0.14 E£6.93
871.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.03 ERN 15.48
$1.37 E£69.8
-24.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 ERN 29.61
$2.99 E£153
-34.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ERN 24.69
$0.85 E£43.39
92.94%
White Bread (500g)
$0.52 ERN 7.80
$0.63 E£32.04
-17.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 ERN 29.52
$0.66 E£33.79
196.97%
Eggs
$4.58 ERN 68.9
$1.45 E£74.2
215.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.95 ERN 44.38
$3.15 E£161
-6.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$26.54 ERN 399
$4.33 E£221
512.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.81 ERN 147
$8.42 E£430
16.51%
Apples (1kg)
$12.18 ERN 183
$1.45 E£73.9
740.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 ERN 19.45
$0.57 E£29.09
126.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 ERN 28.59
$0.48 E£24.40
295.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.20 ERN 18.00
$0.41 E£20.75
192.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 ERN 26.68
$0.48 E£24.55
270.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.06 ERN 15.88
$0.44 E£22.71
140.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.66 ERN 9.89
$0.24 E£12.25
175.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.11 ERN 31.64
$0.19 E£9.76
1010.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.05 ERN 30.87
$1.99 E£101
3.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.77 ERN 177
$6.79 E£347
73.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 ERN 15.31
$1.30 E£66.4
-21.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 ERN 17.79
$1.87 E£95.3
-36.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.11 ERN 1.71
$0.29 E£14.99
-62.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.95 ERN 120
$6.17 E£315
28.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.64 ERN 9.68
$0.39 E£19.73
64.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ERN 9.05
$0.31 E£15.91
93.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.24 ERN 124
$1.25 E£63.9
559.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 ERN 31.96
$0.31 E£15.74
587.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$67.4K ERN 1.0M
$34.3K E£1.8M
96.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$70.6K ERN 1.1M
$30.9K E£1.6M
128.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$27.99 ERN 421
$21.05 E£1,074
32.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.8 ERN 1,034
$7.02 E£358
880.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$198 ERN 2,978
$11.61 E£593
1606.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.52 ERN 399
$14.78 E£755
79.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.42 ERN 112
$6.97 E£356
6.46%
Cinema Ticket
$1.12 ERN 16.89
$2.89 E£147
-61.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$25.09 ERN 377
$86.0 E£4,391
-70.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,659 ERN 24.9K
$1,931 E£98.6K
-14.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.1 ERN 1,219
$26.03 E£1,329
211.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$76.4 ERN 1,149
$43.67 E£2,229
75.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$199 ERN 2,990
$107 E£5,476
85.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.6 ERN 1,406
$51.4 E£2,622
82.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$469 ERN 7,049
$163 E£8,297
188.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$403 ERN 6,063
$102 E£5,194
296.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$731 ERN 11.0K
$319 E£16.3K
128.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$640 ERN 9,621
$189 E£9,637
239.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,243 ERN 18.7K
$773 E£39.4K
60.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,254 ERN 33.9K
$449 E£22.9K
401.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$504 ERN 7,573
$155 E£7,898
225.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12
16.38
-26.74%

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

Last update for Eritrea: July 13, 2026

Last update for Egypt: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $238 in Eritrea, $183 in Egypt. Capital cities: $476 in Asmara vs $207 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $997 in Eritrea, $142 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in Eritrea.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in Eritrea.

Salaries are 602% higher in Eritrea, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 $511 per month in Egypt and $736 in Eritrea, there's a 44% 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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