Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ismailia and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Ismailia: $330 a month against $452 in Alexandria, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

16

Cost of Living Index in Ismailia
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Ismailia Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Ismailia

🇪🇬 Egypt

$330

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇪🇬 Egypt

$452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ismailia and in Alexandria

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

A single person spends $330 per month in Ismailia vs $452 in Alexandria, rent included.

Ismailia $330
Alexandria $452

A couple spends around $561 per month in Ismailia vs $750 in Alexandria, rent included.

Ismailia $561
Alexandria $750

A family of three spends $792 per month in Ismailia vs $1,048 in Alexandria, rent included.

Ismailia $792
Alexandria $1,048

Ismailia is about 27% cheaper than Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ismailia and Alexandria are more affordable than the global median – Ismailia 76% lower, Alexandria 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.30 E£176

$4.22 E£225

-21.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.58 E£778

$18.66 E£996

-21.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.76 E£201

$4.74 E£253

-20.68%

Cappuccino

$1.04 E£55.5

$1.26 E£67.3

-17.46%

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

$0.30 E£15.91

$0.30 E£15.96

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.85

$0.12 E£6.31

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 E£70.6

$1.33 E£70.9

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 E£96.0

$2.74 E£146

-34.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 E£42.30

$0.84 E£44.97

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 E£19.07

$0.71 E£37.73

-49.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 E£32.12

$0.58 E£30.74

3.45%

Eggs

$1.15 E£61.5

$1.10 E£59.0

4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.49 E£186

$3.66 E£195

-4.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 E£213

$4.19 E£224

-5.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.95 E£371

$9.17 E£490

-24.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 E£77.3

$1.46 E£77.7

-0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 E£29.05

$0.78 E£41.63

-30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.41 E£22.01

$0.51 E£27.48

-19.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.31 E£16.79

$0.34 E£18.27

-8.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 E£13.89

$0.24 E£12.77

8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 E£17.12

$0.30 E£15.98

6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 E£12.31

$0.27 E£14.47

-14.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 E£10.67

$0.22 E£11.93

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 E£99.5

$1.86 E£99.6

Wine (Bottle)

$5.48 E£293

$5.62 E£300

-2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 E£55.4

$1.16 E£61.9

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 E£101

$2.15 E£115

-12.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 E£12.26

$0.22 E£11.66

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.77 E£201

$10.95 E£585

-65.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£20.60

$0.57 E£30.48

-31.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 E£25.72

$0.49 E£26.19

-2.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 E£60.2

$1.11 E£59.1

1.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.42 E£22.18

$0.45 E£24.16

-6.67%

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

$27.6K E£1.5M

$32.8K E£1.8M

-15.66%

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

$14.6K E£780.2K

$25.2K E£1.3M

-41.97%

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

$13.94 E£744

$14.02 E£749

-0.57%

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

$6.66 E£355

$6.60 E£353

0.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.33 E£391

$12.75 E£681

-42.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.65 E£515

$12.39 E£662

-22.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.42 E£984

$7.31 E£390

151.98%

Cinema Ticket

$1.82 E£97.4

$2.73 E£146

-33.33%

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

$65.6 E£3,502

$85.2 E£4,549

-23.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,171 E£62.5K

$2,035 E£108.6K

-42.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.92 E£690

$32.61 E£1,741

-60.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.19 E£491

$45.28 E£2,418

-79.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 E£6,764

$125 E£6,687

1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.53 E£1,470

$54.9 E£2,933

-49.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$78.3 E£4,181

$131 E£7,020

-40.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$31.44 E£1,679

$69.3 E£3,702

-54.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$120 E£6,414

$279 E£14.9K

-56.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.2 E£4,017

$142 E£7,603

-47.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$458 E£24.5K

$679 E£36.2K

-32.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$131 E£6,984

$431 E£23.0K

-69.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$101 E£5,387

$137 E£7,313

-26.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.33

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

Last update for Ismailia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ismailia

$108 32.8%

Alexandria

$124 27.4% 14.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Ismailia

$79 24.1%

Alexandria

$116 25.7% 46.3% $37

Eating Out

Ismailia

$62 18.8%

Alexandria

$77 17% 24% $15

Accommodation & Living

Ismailia

$31 9.5%

Alexandria

$69 15.3% 121% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ismailia

$28 8.5%

Alexandria

$33 7.4% 19.5% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ismailia

$13 4%

Alexandria

$18 4% 34.3% $4.6

Getting Around

Ismailia

$7.5 2.3%

Alexandria

$15 3.3% 98.4% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $78.3 in Ismailia versus $131 in Alexandria. 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 36% higher in Alexandria, 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 $15.00 in Ismailia versus $19.00 in Alexandria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $108 vs $124 – making Ismailia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Ismailia

🇪🇬 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

Same time as Ismailia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

352,000

4,546,231

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ismailia Alexandria 240 km

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Ismailia
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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

Ismailia vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria costs about 37% more than Ismailia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $494 per month in Ismailia and $678 in Alexandria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ismailia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $65.6 per month in Ismailia and $85.2 in Alexandria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Alexandria, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $330 in Ismailia and $452 in Alexandria, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ismailia – 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 Ismailia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alexandria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.