Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khartoum and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Khartoum: $505 a month against $643 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Cairo despite lower rent and utilities.

Khartoum
🇸🇩 Sudan
$505
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $505 per month in Khartoum vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Khartoum $505
  • Cairo $643

A couple spends around $681 per month in Khartoum vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Khartoum $681
  • Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $856 per month in Khartoum vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Khartoum $856
  • Cairo $1,431

Khartoum is about 21% cheaper than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Khartoum and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Khartoum 62% lower, Cairo 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Khartoum
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.34 SDG 1,401
$4.69 E£245
-50.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.08 SDG 8,425
$28.49 E£1,491
-50.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.64 SDG 1,579
$6.03 E£315
-56.22%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.40 SDG 1,434
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 SDG 1,289
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.73 SDG 1,633
$1.81 E£94.7
50.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 SDG 314
$0.35 E£18.18
48.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 SDG 212
$0.15 E£7.95
133.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.45 E£76.0
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.24 E£117
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Khartoum
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 SDG 826
$0.97 E£50.7
42.27%
White Bread (500g)
$1.39 SDG 829
$0.73 E£37.96
90.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 SDG 853
$0.77 E£40.24
84.42%
Eggs
$3.64 SDG 2,179
$1.17 E£61.2
211.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$4.32 E£226
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.32 SDG 2,584
$5.07 E£265
-14.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$8.92 E£467
-
Apples (1kg)
$4.27 SDG 2,555
$1.83 E£95.8
133.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.02 SDG 611
$0.75 E£39.07
36.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.57 SDG 941
$0.57 E£29.78
175.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 SDG 964
$0.51 E£26.62
215.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 SDG 625
$0.38 E£20.05
173.68%
Onion (1kg)
$0.74 SDG 444
$0.42 E£21.88
76.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 SDG 340
$0.35 E£18.43
62.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 SDG 336
$0.24 E£12.57
133.33%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$3.97 SDG 2,374
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 SDG 463
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 SDG 1,010
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.86 SDG 1,114
$1.99 E£104
-6.53%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$7.48 E£391
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.52 E£79.4
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.13 E£112
-
🚌 Getting Around
Khartoum
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 SDG 404
$0.33 E£17.10
103.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.66 E£453
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.80 SDG 2,274
$0.37 E£19.27
927.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.20 E£10.65
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.88 SDG 2,923
$1.49 E£77.8
227.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 SDG 693
$0.46 E£23.94
152.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$4,970 SDG 3.0M
$32.6K E£1.7M
-84.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$10.1K SDG 6.0M
$28.4K E£1.5M
-64.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khartoum
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.1 SDG 42.6K
$27.54 E£1,441
158.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.87 SDG 5,906
$8.27 E£432
19.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.81 SDG 19.6K
$14.05 E£735
133.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Khartoum
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$8.18 SDG 4,897
$28.27 E£1,479
-71.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.70 E£350
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.89 SDG 2,329
$4.40 E£230
-11.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Khartoum
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$111 SDG 66.7K
$121 E£6,356
-8.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,732 SDG 1.6M
$3,619 E£189.3K
-24.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Khartoum
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$40.16 E£2,101
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$8.72 SDG 5,218
$49.61 E£2,596
-82.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$115 E£6,033
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$60.6 E£3,170
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Khartoum
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$538 SDG 322.2K
$220 E£11.5K
144.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$170 SDG 101.9K
$194 E£10.2K
-12.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,243 SDG 743.7K
$514 E£26.9K
141.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$164 SDG 98.4K
$334 E£17.5K
-50.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,029 SDG 615.8K
$806 E£42.2K
27.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,019 SDG 609.7K
$513 E£26.9K
98.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Khartoum
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$241 SDG 144.2K
$200 E£10.5K
20.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
30
16.21
85.07%

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

Last update for Khartoum: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Khartoum
$170
Cairo
$194 14.1% $24
Groceries & Markets
Khartoum
$125 *
Cairo
$141 13.1% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khartoum
$114
Cairo
$50 56.2% $64
Eating Out
Khartoum
$63
Cairo
$91 44.8% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Khartoum
$16
Cairo
$37 132% $21
Getting Around
Khartoum
$6.5 *
Cairo
$11 74.6% $4.9
Clothing & Footwear
Khartoum
$3.9 *
Cairo
$120 2950% $116

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $538 in Khartoum 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 20% higher in Khartoum, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14.00 in Khartoum versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $125 vs $141 – making Khartoum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇩 Khartoum
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
08:18 8:18 AM
09:18 9:18 AM
1 h ahead of Khartoum
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,682,431 Capital
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to SDG – Sudanese Pound Converter

Sudanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 599 SDG (1,000 SDG = 1.67 USD). 1 EUR = 671 SDG (1,000 SDG = 1.49 EUR).

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
  • Khartoum Cairo 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Khartoum
  • 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
Khartoum vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Khartoum?
Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 27%, 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 $758 per month in Khartoum 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 Khartoum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Khartoum and in Cairo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $505 in Khartoum and $643 in Cairo. That's a gap of about 27%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $111 per month in Khartoum and $121 in Cairo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Khartoum or Cairo?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $505 in Khartoum and $643 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Khartoum or Cairo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Khartoum – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Khartoum. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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