Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $3,171 in Haarlem, rent and utilities included – about $30,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Haarlem
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$3,171
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,171 per month in Haarlem vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Haarlem $3,171
  • Cairo $643

A couple spends around $4,482 per month in Haarlem vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Haarlem $4,482
  • Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $5,792 per month in Haarlem vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Haarlem $5,792
  • Cairo $1,431

Haarlem costs about 393% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Haarlem sits 137% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Haarlem
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.72 €25.63
$4.69 E£245
512.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.5 €88.8
$28.49 E£1,491
249.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.62 €12.15
$6.03 E£315
125.87%
Cappuccino
$4.31 €3.85
$1.81 E£94.7
138.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.05 €3.61
$0.35 E£18.18
1057.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 €2.93
$0.15 E£7.95
2086.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.07 €7.20
$1.45 E£76.0
456.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.77 €5.15
$2.24 E£117
157.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Haarlem
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 €1.31
$0.97 E£50.7
51.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.76 €2.47
$0.73 E£37.96
278.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.63 €2.35
$0.77 E£40.24
241.56%
Eggs
$4.92 €4.39
$1.17 E£61.2
320.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.60 €12.14
$4.32 E£226
214.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.01 €11.61
$5.07 E£265
156.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.70 €19.37
$8.92 E£467
143.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.89 €2.58
$1.83 E£95.8
57.92%
Banana (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$0.75 E£39.07
237.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 €1.63
$0.57 E£29.78
221.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.15 €4.59
$0.51 E£26.62
909.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$0.38 E£20.05
381.58%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$0.42 E£21.88
430.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 €1.10
$0.35 E£18.43
251.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 €0.89
$0.24 E£12.57
316.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.77 €12.29
$1.99 E£104
591.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.77 €6.93
$7.48 E£391
3.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.52 E£79.4
2.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 €2.21
$2.13 E£112
16.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Haarlem
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.89 €2.57
$0.33 E£17.10
775.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$80.8 €72.1
$8.66 E£453
833.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.47 €5.78
$0.37 E£19.27
1648.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.54 €2.27
$0.20 E£10.65
1170.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.21 €23.39
$1.49 E£77.8
1659.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.46 €2.19
$0.46 E£23.94
434.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.9K €36.5K
$32.6K E£1.7M
25.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K €35.1K
$28.4K E£1.5M
38.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Haarlem
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$251 €224
$27.54 E£1,441
813.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.91 €21.34
$8.27 E£432
189.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.8 €53.3
$14.05 E£735
325.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Haarlem
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.4 €51.2
$28.27 E£1,479
102.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.49 €25.42
$6.70 E£350
325.22%
Cinema Ticket
$16.36 €14.60
$4.40 E£230
271.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Haarlem
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,638 €2,354
$121 E£6,356
2070.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,600 €5,890
$3,619 E£189.3K
82.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Haarlem
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 €75.9
$40.16 E£2,101
111.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.2 €55.5
$49.61 E£2,596
25.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.1 €86.7
$115 E£6,033
-15.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$147 €131
$60.6 E£3,170
142.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Haarlem
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,980 €1,767
$220 E£11.5K
800.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,675 €1,495
$194 E£10.2K
762.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,884 €2,573
$514 E£26.9K
460.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,356 €2,103
$334 E£17.5K
606.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,735 €6,902
$806 E£42.2K
859.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,735 €5,118
$513 E£26.9K
1017.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Haarlem
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,202 €3,749
$200 E£10.5K
1998.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
16.21
-76.56%

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

Last update for Haarlem: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Haarlem
$1.7K
Cairo
$194 88.4% $1.5K
Eating Out
Haarlem
$404
Cairo
$91 77.4% $312
Groceries & Markets
Haarlem
$361
Cairo
$141 60.9% $220
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Haarlem
$335
Cairo
$50 85.1% $285
Clothing & Footwear
Haarlem
$176
Cairo
$120 32.1% $57
Getting Around
Haarlem
$112
Cairo
$11 89.8% $100
Sport & Entertainment
Haarlem
$90
Cairo
$37 58.8% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,980 in Haarlem versus $220 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 1999% higher in Haarlem, 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 $99.0 in Haarlem versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Haarlem
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
05:48 5:48 AM
06:48 6:48 AM
1 h ahead of Haarlem
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
165,396
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Haarlem Cairo 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Haarlem
  • Cairo

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
Haarlem vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Haarlem?
Yes – Haarlem is pricier by about 393%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,757 per month in Haarlem and $965 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Haarlem and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 156% more in Haarlem, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Haarlem or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Haarlem and $28.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Haarlem or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Haarlem at $3,171. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Haarlem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Haarlem or Cairo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Haarlem or Cairo?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haarlem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Haarlem vs other spots: cost of living compared

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