For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $1,985 in Lille, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lille and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,985 per month in Lille vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.
Lille $1,985
Cairo $643
A couple spends around $2,982 per month in Lille vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.
Lille $2,982
Cairo $1,037
A family of three spends $3,980 per month in Lille vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.
Lille $3,980
Cairo $1,431
😐
Lille costs about 209% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Lille sits 48% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lille
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.88€15.96
$4.69E£245
281.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.7€64.8
$28.49E£1,491
155.00%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.66€12.19
$6.03E£315
126.53%
Cappuccino
$3.72€3.32
$1.81E£94.7
105.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.95
$0.35E£18.18
845.71%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.55
$0.15E£7.95
1060.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.96€7.10
$1.45E£76.0
448.97%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.69€5.08
$2.24E£117
154.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lille
Cairo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.26€1.12
$0.97E£50.7
29.90%
White Bread(500g)
$1.89€1.68
$0.73E£37.96
158.90%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.98€2.66
$0.77E£40.24
287.01%
Eggs
$4.27€3.81
$1.17E£61.2
264.96%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$21.87€19.52
$4.32E£226
406.25%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.91€11.52
$5.07E£265
154.64%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$23.35€20.84
$8.92E£467
161.77%
Apples(1kg)
$3.49€3.12
$1.83E£95.8
90.71%
Banana(1kg)
$2.14€1.91
$0.75E£39.07
185.33%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.32€2.07
$0.57E£29.78
307.02%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.07€2.74
$0.51E£26.62
501.96%
Potato(1kg)
$1.87€1.67
$0.38E£20.05
392.11%
Onion(1kg)
$2.00€1.78
$0.42E£21.88
376.19%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.75€1.56
$0.35E£18.43
400.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62€0.55
$0.24E£12.57
158.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$14.10€12.58
$1.99E£104
608.54%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.29€7.40
$7.48E£391
10.83%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.49€2.22
$1.52E£79.4
63.82%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.17€3.73
$2.13E£112
95.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Lille
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.22€1.98
$0.33E£17.10
572.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$68.2€60.9
$8.66E£453
687.76%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.30€2.05
$0.37E£19.27
521.62%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.08€1.86
$0.20E£10.65
940.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.03€21.44
$1.49E£77.8
1512.75%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.15€1.92
$0.46E£23.94
367.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K€30.6K
$32.6KE£1.7M
5.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.8K€31.1K
$28.4KE£1.5M
22.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lille
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$206€184
$27.54E£1,441
648.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.21€13.57
$8.27E£432
83.92%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.05€27.71
$14.05E£735
121.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lille
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.60€29.10
$28.27E£1,479
15.32%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.01€8.93
$6.70E£350
49.40%
Cinema Ticket
$13.82€12.33
$4.40E£230
214.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lille
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$634€566
$121E£6,356
422.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,224€7,339
$3,619E£189.3K
127.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lille
Cairo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.9€79.4
$40.16E£2,101
121.44%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.06€36.64
$49.61E£2,596
-17.23%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$104€92.4
$115E£6,033
-10.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103€91.6
$60.6E£3,170
69.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lille
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$938€837
$220E£11.5K
326.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$723€645
$194E£10.2K
272.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,553€1,386
$514E£26.9K
202.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,135€1,013
$334E£17.5K
240.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,421€3,945
$806E£42.2K
448.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,093€2,760
$513E£26.9K
502.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lille
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,901€2,589
$200E£10.5K
1349.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.92
16.21
-75.82%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lille: October 3, 2026
Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lille
$723 37%
Cairo
$194 30.1% ↓ 73.1%$528
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lille
$377 19.3%
Cairo
$141 21.9% ↓ 62.5%$236
🍽Eating Out
Lille
$300 15.4%
Cairo
$91 14.1% ↓ 69.6%$209
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lille
$252 12.9%
Cairo
$50 7.7% ↓ 80.2%$203
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lille
$151 7.7%
Cairo
$120 18.6% ↓ 21%$32
🚌Getting Around
Lille
$90 4.6%
Cairo
$11 1.8% ↓ 87.4%$78
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lille
$60 3.1%
Cairo
$37 5.8% ↓ 38.5%$23
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lille
$1.1K 29.1%
Cairo
$334 23.7% ↓ 70.6%$801
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lille
$889 22.8%
Cairo
$323 22.9% ↓ 63.7%$566
🍽Eating Out
Lille
$960 24.6%
Cairo
$324 23% ↓ 66.2%$635
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lille
$268 6.9%
Cairo
$58 4.1% ↓ 78.3%$209
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lille
$336 8.6%
Cairo
$266 18.9% ↓ 21%$70
🚌Getting Around
Lille
$184 4.7%
Cairo
$23 1.7% ↓ 87.3%$161
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lille
$130 3.3%
Cairo
$81 5.7% ↓ 38.1%$50
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $938 in Lille 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 1349% higher in Lille, 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 $73.0 in Lille versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
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
Lille vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Lille?
Yes – Lille is pricier by about 209%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,978 per month in Lille 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 Lille and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 167% more in Lille, 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 Lille or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Lille 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 Lille or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Lille at $1,985. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lille it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lille 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, Lille 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, Lille makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.