Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $2,311 in Madrid, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Madrid
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Madrid Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Madrid

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,311

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,311 per month in Madrid vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

Madrid $2,311
Cairo $643

A couple spends around $3,324 per month in Madrid vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

Madrid $3,324
Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $4,337 per month in Madrid vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

Madrid $4,337
Cairo $1,431

Madrid costs about 259% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Madrid sits 72% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 €16.14

$4.69 E£245

286.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 €60.4

$28.49 E£1,491

137.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 €9.95

$6.03 E£316

85.07%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.76

$1.81 E£94.8

71.27%

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

$3.25 €2.90

$0.35 E£18.18

828.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €2.01

$0.15 E£7.95

1400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.45

$1.45 E£76.0

166.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 €4.44

$2.24 E£117

122.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.27

$0.97 E£50.7

47.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.43

$0.73 E£37.97

119.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$0.77 E£40.25

118.18%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.78

$1.17 E£61.2

262.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.07 €15.22

$4.32 E£226

295.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 €8.10

$5.07 E£265

79.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.61 €15.70

$8.92 E£467

97.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.83 E£95.8

37.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.95

$0.75 E£39.08

190.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$0.57 E£29.78

354.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.26

$0.51 E£26.63

396.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$0.38 E£20.06

481.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$0.42 E£21.89

419.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$0.35 E£18.43

348.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.24 E£12.57

337.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.93

$1.99 E£104

234.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.94

$7.48 E£391

4.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.52 E£79.4

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.13 E£112

6.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.52

$0.33 E£17.10

418.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.14 €33.11

$8.66 E£453

328.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 €3.33

$0.37 E£19.27

910.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.20 E£10.65

645.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.16 €26.89

$1.49 E£77.8

1924.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.64

$0.46 E£23.95

300.00%

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

$34.8K €31.1K

$32.6K E£1.7M

6.77%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$28.4K E£1.5M

17.47%

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

$185 €165

$27.54 E£1,441

573.17%

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

$18.51 €16.50

$8.27 E£433

123.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 €31.01

$14.05 E£735

147.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.99 €44.57

$28.27 E£1,480

76.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 €16.14

$6.70 E£350

170.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 €10.03

$4.40 E£230

155.45%

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

$666 €594

$121 E£6,357

448.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K €16.1K

$3,619 E£189.4K

399.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €76.3

$40.16 E£2,102

112.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.61 €38.88

$49.61 E£2,596

-12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €96.8

$115 E£6,034

-5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €99.6

$60.6 E£3,170

84.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,359

$220 E£11.5K

592.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,063

$194 E£10.2K

514.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 €2,414

$514 E£26.9K

426.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 €1,604

$334 E£17.5K

439.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,164 €8,171

$806 E£42.2K

1036.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,169 €3,717

$513 E£26.9K

712.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 €2,209

$200 E£10.5K

1137.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.08

16.21

-81.00%

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

Last update for Madrid: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madrid

$1.2K 52.1%

Cairo

$194 30.1% 83.7% $998

Groceries & Markets

Madrid

$308 13.4%

Cairo

$141 21.9% 54.1% $167

Eating Out

Madrid

$267 11.7%

Cairo

$91 14.1% 65.9% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madrid

$239 10.4%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 79.1% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Madrid

$157 6.9%

Cairo

$120 18.6% 24% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Madrid

$72 3.2%

Cairo

$37 5.8% 48.9% $35

Getting Around

Madrid

$55 2.4%

Cairo

$11 1.8% 79.4% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,524 in Madrid 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 1138% higher in Madrid, 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 $68.0 in Madrid versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $308 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Madrid

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

07:51 7:51 AM

1 h ahead of Madrid

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,332,035 Capital

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.33 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.69 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Madrid Cairo 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Madrid
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

Madrid vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Madrid is pricier by about 259%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,466 per month in Madrid and $965 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 Madrid, 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 $68.0 in Madrid 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 $643, than in Madrid at $2,311. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madrid 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, Madrid makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.