Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herat and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $392 a month against $614 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Cairo despite lower rent and utilities.

Herat, Afghanistan
Cairo, Egypt
Herat
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
$392
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $392 per month in Herat vs $614 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Herat $392
  • Cairo $614

A couple spends around $471 per month in Herat vs $974 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Herat $471
  • Cairo $974

A family of three spends $550 per month in Herat vs $1,333 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Herat $550
  • Cairo $1,333

Herat is about 36% cheaper than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Herat and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Herat 71% lower, Cairo 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Herat
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$4.61 E£249
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.50 ؋617
$27.32 E£1,473
-65.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.76 ؋244
$5.33 E£287
-29.46%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.53 ؋99.2
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.80 ؋507
-
-
Cappuccino
$0.76 ؋49.32
$1.64 E£88.3
-53.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 ؋28.98
$0.34 E£18.57
32.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.16 E£8.51
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.39 E£75.1
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.11 E£114
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Herat
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.65 ؋41.99
$0.85 E£45.80
-23.53%
White Bread (500g)
-
$0.74 E£39.83
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$0.65 E£35.06
-
Eggs
$1.82 ؋118
$1.15 E£62.0
58.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$3.84 E£207
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$4.69 E£253
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.11 ؋397
$8.98 E£484
-31.96%
Apples (1kg)
$0.63 ؋40.95
$1.67 E£89.9
-62.28%
Banana (1kg)
$0.74 ؋47.91
$0.72 E£39.03
2.78%
Oranges (1kg)
-
$0.55 E£29.67
-
Tomato (1kg)
$0.63 ؋41.25
$0.52 E£27.87
21.15%
Potato (1kg)
$0.30 ؋19.38
$0.37 E£19.94
-18.92%
Onion (1kg)
$0.32 ؋21.09
$0.39 E£21.25
-17.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$0.30 E£16.14
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 ؋19.17
$0.22 E£11.88
36.36%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ؋31.02
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.12 ؋203
$1.87 E£101
66.84%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$7.34 E£396
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.47 E£79.1
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.93 E£104
-
🚌 Getting Around
Herat
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.34 E£18.53
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$7.76 E£418
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.38 E£20.23
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.15 E£8.27
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.55 E£29.70
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$0.44 E£23.71
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$31.8K E£1.7M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$25.0K E£1.3M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Herat
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$306 ؋19.9K
$25.45 E£1,372
1103.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$7.67 E£413
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$14.55 E£784
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Herat
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.29 ؋993
$27.17 E£1,464
-43.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$7.25 E£391
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$4.35 E£234
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Herat
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$123 E£6,605
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$10.3K E£552.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Herat
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$39.47 E£2,127
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$49.07 E£2,645
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$113 E£6,105
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$54.0 E£2,912
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Herat
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$210 E£11.3K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$186 E£10.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$465 E£25.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$306 E£16.5K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$808 E£43.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$491 E£26.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Herat
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$184 E£9,926
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20
15.93
25.55%

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

Last update for Herat: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cairo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Herat
–
Cairo
$186
Groceries & Markets
Herat
–
Cairo
$134
Clothing & Footwear
Herat
–
Cairo
$115
Eating Out
Herat
–
Cairo
$86
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Herat
–
Cairo
$48
Sport & Entertainment
Herat
–
Cairo
$36
Getting Around
Herat
–
Cairo
$10

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Herat versus $27 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $48 vs $134 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇫 Herat
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
22:50 10:50 PM
20:20 8:20 PM
2 h 30 min behind Herat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
349,000
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 64.97 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 73.01 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 53.9 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.57 EGP (100 EGP = 1.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Herat Cairo 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Herat
  • 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
Herat vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Herat cheaper than Cairo?
Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $588 per month in Herat and $922 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do food prices compare in Herat and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 180% more in Cairo, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Herat or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Herat and $27 in Cairo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Herat or Cairo?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $392 in Herat and $614 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Herat or in Cairo?
It depends on your priorities. Cairo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $392 in Herat to $614 in Cairo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Herat vs other spots: cost of living compared

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