Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilmenau and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $2,071 in Ilmenau, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Ilmenau
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Ilmenau Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Ilmenau

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,071

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$647

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,071 per month in Ilmenau vs $647 in Cairo, rent included.

Ilmenau $2,071
Cairo $647

A couple spends around $2,525 per month in Ilmenau vs $1,035 in Cairo, rent included.

Ilmenau $2,525
Cairo $1,035

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Ilmenau vs $1,423 in Cairo, rent included.

Ilmenau $2,980
Cairo $1,423

Ilmenau costs about 220% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ilmenau sits 53% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 €9.75

$4.64 E£248

136.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$28.12 E£1,501

136.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.02

$6.03 E£322

86.90%

Cappuccino

$3.41 €3.04

$1.72 E£92.1

98.26%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 €3.79

$0.36 E£19.38

1083.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 €7.09

$0.12 E£6.41

6541.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 €3.92

$1.51 E£80.4

192.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.44

$2.32 E£124

115.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$0.92 E£48.92

22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.73 E£38.92

193.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 €2.88

$0.74 E£39.64

337.84%

Eggs

$3.23 €2.87

$1.19 E£63.7

171.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 €12.75

$4.33 E£231

230.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 €9.11

$5.03 E£269

103.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.79

$9.28 E£496

91.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$1.77 E£94.4

62.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 €1.24

$0.73 E£39.03

91.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.11

$0.55 E£29.51

536.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.40

$0.50 E£26.91

664.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$0.42 E£22.42

402.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$0.41 E£21.81

231.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.45

$0.33 E£17.51

393.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$0.21 E£11.20

319.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 €8.20

$1.98 E£106

365.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 €5.53

$7.81 E£417

-20.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.59 E£84.7

-30.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.09 E£112

-29.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 E£18.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 €58.1

$8.69 E£464

651.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.65

$0.39 E£21.02

1241.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.21 €3.75

$0.22 E£11.57

1813.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.78 €38.94

$1.51 E£80.5

2799.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.43 E£22.88

397.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.3K €28.7K

$32.7K E£1.7M

-1.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.8K €33.6K

$27.2K E£1.5M

38.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$675 €600

$27.27 E£1,456

2374.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.38 €24.36

$8.58 E£458

219.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.08 €30.32

$13.99 E£747

143.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 €42.81

$29.69 E£1,585

62.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.25 E£387

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 €11.74

$4.86 E£260

171.60%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$454 €404

$121 E£6,438

276.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,560 E£190.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €82.8

$40.28 E£2,151

130.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.50 €28.02

$49.53 E£2,645

-36.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €107

$115 E£6,137

5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$60.0 E£3,206

88.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 €419

$222 E£11.9K

111.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 €404

$195 E£10.4K

133.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 €737

$550 E£29.3K

50.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 E£18.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$800 E£42.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 E£28.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,254 €2,894

$200 E£10.7K

1529.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

16.21

-75.63%

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

Last update for Ilmenau: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilmenau

$736 35.6%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 93.2% $686

Accommodation & Living

Ilmenau

$455 22%

Cairo

$195 30.2% 57.1% $260

Groceries & Markets

Ilmenau

$309 14.9%

Cairo

$142 21.9% 54.1% $167

Eating Out

Ilmenau

$243 11.8%

Cairo

$90 13.9% 63% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Ilmenau

$161 7.8%

Cairo

$119 18.4% 26.1% $42

Getting Around

Ilmenau

$92 * 4.4%

Cairo

$12 1.8% 87.4% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Ilmenau

$75 3.6%

Cairo

$39 6.1% 47.1% $35

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $471 in Ilmenau versus $222 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 1529% higher in Ilmenau, 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 $67.0 in Ilmenau versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $309 vs $142 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ilmenau

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

1 h ahead of Ilmenau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,000

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ilmenau Cairo 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilmenau
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

Ilmenau vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ilmenau is pricier by about 220%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,106 per month in Ilmenau and $970 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Groceries cost about 118% more in Ilmenau, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Ilmenau and $28.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Ilmenau at $2,071. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ilmenau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ilmenau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.