Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eswatini and Egypt

For one person, living is cheaper in Egypt: $471 a month against $730 in Eswatini, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

🇸🇿 Eswatini
$730
/mo nomad
🇪🇬 Egypt
$471
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eswatini and in Egypt

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in Eswatini versus $471 in Egypt.

  • Eswatini $730
  • Egypt $471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Eswatini versus $768 in Egypt.

  • Eswatini $1,247
  • Egypt $768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,763 in Eswatini versus $1,064 in Egypt.

  • Eswatini $1,763
  • Egypt $1,064

Living in Eswatini is roughly 55% more expensive than in Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Eswatini 46% lower, Egypt 65% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Eswatini
Egypt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.69 SZL 93.6
$3.64 E£194
56.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.19 SZL 530
$18.52 E£989
73.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.88 SZL 96.7
$4.56 E£243
28.95%
Cappuccino
$2.03 SZL 33.38
$1.47 E£78.7
38.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96 SZL 15.82
$0.34 E£18.21
182.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 SZL 8.32
$0.13 E£7.14
292.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.86 SZL 30.63
$1.45 E£77.5
28.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 SZL 32.19
$2.83 E£151
-30.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Eswatini
Egypt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 SZL 20.73
$0.83 E£44.48
51.81%
White Bread (500g)
$0.97 SZL 16.05
$0.70 E£37.54
38.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 SZL 27.18
$0.67 E£35.62
146.27%
Eggs
$1.62 SZL 26.63
$1.26 E£67.4
28.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.55 SZL 223
$3.32 E£178
308.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.66 SZL 110
$4.17 E£223
59.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.98 SZL 82.0
$8.35 E£446
-40.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.37 SZL 39.04
$1.54 E£82.3
53.90%
Banana (1kg)
$0.67 SZL 10.98
$0.69 E£36.99
-2.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.49 SZL 24.52
$0.47 E£24.90
217.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.38 SZL 22.67
$0.41 E£21.84
236.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.54 SZL 25.30
$0.37 E£19.86
316.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 SZL 25.88
$0.37 E£19.74
324.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.72 SZL 11.88
$0.28 E£14.86
157.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 SZL 13.55
$0.21 E£11.13
290.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.98 SZL 49.00
$1.80 E£96.0
65.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.30 SZL 87.3
$6.33 E£338
-16.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 SZL 14.56
$1.28 E£68.6
-31.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 SZL 22.69
$1.94 E£104
-28.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Eswatini
Egypt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.75 SZL 12.39
$0.27 E£14.22
177.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.40 SZL 402
$8.15 E£435
199.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.86 SZL 30.61
$0.39 E£20.74
376.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 SZL 25.56
$0.29 E£15.57
434.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.44 SZL 56.7
$1.80 E£96.2
91.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 SZL 20.69
$0.42 E£22.29
200.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$14.4K SZL 237.8K
$31.4K E£1.7M
-54.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.8K SZL 276.7K
$25.9K E£1.4M
-34.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eswatini
Egypt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.8 SZL 1,363
$21.25 E£1,135
289.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.56 SZL 569
$7.10 E£379
386.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.58 SZL 454
$13.16 E£703
109.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Eswatini
Egypt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.11 SZL 347
$17.95 E£958
17.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$2.80 SZL 46.15
$6.44 E£344
-56.52%
Cinema Ticket
$3.74 SZL 61.6
$3.23 E£173
15.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Eswatini
Egypt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$99.0 E£5,285
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,360 SZL 104.7K
$2,501 E£133.6K
154.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Eswatini
Egypt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.82 SZL 573
$26.17 E£1,397
33.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.45 SZL 320
$43.61 E£2,329
-55.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.4 SZL 1,176
$106 E£5,676
-32.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$54.9 SZL 904
$49.22 E£2,629
11.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Eswatini
Egypt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$205 SZL 3,371
$144 E£7,709
41.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$140 SZL 2,311
$94.6 E£5,051
48.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$605 SZL 9,949
$291 E£15.5K
107.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$451 SZL 7,425
$187 E£9,992
141.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$343 SZL 5,642
$728 E£38.9K
-52.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$257 SZL 4,237
$448 E£23.9K
-42.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Eswatini
Egypt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$690 SZL 11.4K
$142 E£7,576
386.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.12
17.11
-46.70%

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

Last update for Eswatini: October 19, 2026

Last update for Egypt: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Eswatini
$191
Egypt
$123 35.7% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eswatini
$145
Egypt
$42 71.4% $103
Accommodation & Living
Eswatini
$140
Egypt
$95 32.6% $46
Eating Out
Eswatini
$107
Egypt
$75 29.4% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Eswatini
$81
Egypt
$101 24.7% $20
Getting Around
Eswatini
$37
Egypt
$11 70.1% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Eswatini
$29
Egypt
$24 14.6% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $113 in Eswatini, $137 in Egypt. Capital cities: $273 in Mbabane vs $215 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $638 in Eswatini, $136 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 21% higher in Egypt.

Dining out costs 42% more in Egypt.

Public transport is 67% more expensive in Eswatini.

Salaries are 369% higher in Eswatini, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Eswatini.

Good to know
🇸🇿 Eswatini
🇪🇬 Egypt
🕒 Local time
21:31 9:31 PM
22:31 10:31 PM
1 h ahead of Eswatini
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,230,506
114,535,772
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to SZL – Eswatini Lilangeni Converter

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 16.46 SZL (100 SZL = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 SZL (100 SZL = 5.4 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 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
  • Eswatini Egypt 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Eswatini
  • Egypt

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
Eswatini vs Egypt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Egypt and Eswatini?
At $471 per month in Egypt and $730 in Eswatini, there's a 55% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Egypt is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Egypt or in Eswatini?
In Egypt, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Eswatini 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 Eswatini?
It depends on what you're after: Egypt wins on affordability; Eswatini may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Eswatini vs other spots: cost of living compared

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