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: $742 in Eritrea versus $453 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,088 in Eritrea versus $729 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,433 in Eritrea versus $1,005 in Egypt.

Living in Eritrea is roughly 64% more expensive than 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
$12.48 ERN 188
$4.03 E£209
209.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.12 ERN 453
$19.90 E£1,030
51.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.41 ERN 81.3
$5.08 E£263
6.50%
Cappuccino
$0.79 ERN 11.93
$1.45 E£74.9
-45.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 ERN 27.07
$0.35 E£18.25
414.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 ERN 19.68
$0.14 E£7.19
835.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.01 ERN 15.19
$1.42 E£73.3
-28.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 ERN 30.58
$2.90 E£150
-30.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 ERN 24.60
$0.91 E£47.04
80.22%
White Bread (500g)
$0.51 ERN 7.69
$0.62 E£32.24
-17.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.99 ERN 29.95
$0.67 E£34.53
197.01%
Eggs
$4.44 ERN 66.7
$1.51 E£78.0
194.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.92 ERN 43.90
$3.13 E£162
-6.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$26.91 ERN 404
$4.34 E£225
520.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.81 ERN 147
$8.74 E£453
12.24%
Apples (1kg)
$12.28 ERN 185
$1.53 E£79.0
702.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.25 ERN 18.77
$0.56 E£29.23
123.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 ERN 29.23
$0.44 E£22.78
340.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.21 ERN 18.14
$0.40 E£20.97
202.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 ERN 27.19
$0.44 E£22.78
311.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.04 ERN 15.65
$0.44 E£22.99
136.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.64 ERN 9.58
$0.24 E£12.43
166.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 ERN 31.94
$0.21 E£11.05
914.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.05 ERN 30.84
$1.92 E£99.2
6.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.76 ERN 177
$6.82 E£353
72.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 ERN 15.26
$1.27 E£66.0
-19.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 ERN 17.15
$1.85 E£96.0
-38.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.14 ERN 2.04
$0.27 E£13.78
-48.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.10 ERN 122
$5.94 E£307
36.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.69 ERN 10.35
$0.38 E£19.69
81.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.60 ERN 9.05
$0.29 E£14.82
106.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.23 ERN 124
$1.30 E£67.1
533.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 ERN 32.27
$0.31 E£15.92
593.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$67.7K ERN 1.0M
$34.3K E£1.8M
97.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$71.4K ERN 1.1M
$31.6K E£1.6M
125.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$27.37 ERN 411
$21.84 E£1,131
25.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.8 ERN 1,034
$7.09 E£367
870.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$201 ERN 3,022
$11.91 E£616
1588.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.62 ERN 400
$14.50 E£751
83.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.31 ERN 110
$6.81 E£353
7.34%
Cinema Ticket
$1.08 ERN 16.26
$2.93 E£152
-63.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$24.57 ERN 369
$87.8 E£4,543
-72.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,699 ERN 25.5K
$1,934 E£100.1K
-12.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.9 ERN 1,215
$26.08 E£1,350
210.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$74.8 ERN 1,124
$43.77 E£2,266
70.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$199 ERN 2,996
$109 E£5,624
83.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.2 ERN 1,416
$51.8 E£2,683
81.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$474 ERN 7,120
$163 E£8,429
190.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$408 ERN 6,125
$101 E£5,234
303.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$715 ERN 10.7K
$320 E£16.6K
122.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$647 ERN 9,722
$188 E£9,724
244.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,245 ERN 18.7K
$741 E£38.4K
67.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,230 ERN 33.5K
$453 E£23.5K
392.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Eritrea
Egypt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$490 ERN 7,365
$148 E£7,637
232.16%
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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Egypt: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $233 in Eritrea, $183 in Egypt. Capital cities: $467 in Asmara vs $205 in Cairo.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in Eritrea.

Public transport is 100% 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 $500 per month in Egypt and $742 in Eritrea, there's a 48% 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?
Egypt is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 Eritrea?
In Egypt, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Eritrea, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Egypt or 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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