For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $1,778 in Msida, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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 Msida and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,778 per month in Msida vs $647 in Cairo, rent included.
Msida $1,778
Cairo $647
A couple spends around $2,648 per month in Msida vs $1,035 in Cairo, rent included.
Msida $2,648
Cairo $1,035
A family of three spends $3,519 per month in Msida vs $1,423 in Cairo, rent included.
Msida $3,519
Cairo $1,423
😐
Msida costs about 175% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Msida sits 32% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Msida
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.27€10.03
$4.64E£248
142.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.46€43.99
$28.12E£1,501
75.89%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.92€9.72
$6.03E£322
81.09%
Cappuccino
$2.19€1.95
$1.72E£92.1
27.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17€1.93
$0.36E£19.38
502.78%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09€0.97
$0.12E£6.41
808.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.64€4.13
$1.51E£80.4
207.28%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29€2.92
$2.32E£124
41.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Msida
Cairo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.13€1.00
$0.92E£48.92
22.83%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36€1.21
$0.73E£38.92
86.30%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.20€3.74
$0.74E£39.64
467.57%
Eggs
$2.66€2.36
$1.19E£63.7
123.53%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.11€7.21
$4.33E£231
87.30%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.22€9.09
$5.03E£269
103.18%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.25€16.23
$9.28E£496
96.66%
Apples(1kg)
$4.10€3.65
$1.77E£94.4
131.64%
Banana(1kg)
$2.80€2.49
$0.73E£39.03
283.56%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.60€3.20
$0.55E£29.51
554.55%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.38€3.01
$0.50E£26.91
576.00%
Potato(1kg)
$2.52€2.24
$0.42E£22.42
500.00%
Onion(1kg)
$2.00€1.78
$0.41E£21.81
387.80%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.28€2.03
$0.33E£17.51
590.91%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.36€1.21
$0.21E£11.20
547.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.63€5.90
$1.98E£106
234.85%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.16€7.26
$7.81E£417
4.48%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.55
$1.59E£84.7
9.43%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42€2.16
$2.09E£112
15.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Msida
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.20€1.95
$0.35E£18.83
528.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$8.69E£464
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.67€5.04
$0.39E£21.02
1353.85%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.19€1.95
$0.22E£11.57
895.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.74€23.79
$1.51E£80.5
1670.86%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.48€1.31
$0.43E£22.88
244.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.2K€33.1K
$32.7KE£1.7M
13.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K€34.8K
$27.2KE£1.5M
43.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Msida
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$83.7€74.4
$27.27E£1,456
206.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.23€22.44
$8.58E£458
194.06%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.58€24.53
$13.99E£747
97.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Msida
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$56.2€50.0
$29.69E£1,585
89.39%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$7.25E£387
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.01€8.91
$4.86E£260
105.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Msida
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$371€330
$121E£6,438
207.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.9K€9,724
$3,560E£190.1K
207.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Msida
Cairo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.9€76.4
$40.28E£2,151
113.26%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.53€36.06
$49.53E£2,645
-18.17%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$97.8€87.0
$115E£6,137
-14.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.3€68.7
$60.0E£3,206
28.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Msida
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,033€919
$222E£11.9K
365.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$895€796
$195E£10.4K
358.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,758€1,564
$550E£29.3K
219.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,479€1,315
$346E£18.5K
327.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$800E£42.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$525E£28.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Msida
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,714€2,414
$200E£10.7K
1258.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
2.9
16.21
-82.11%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Msida: October 12, 2026
Last update for Cairo: October 11, 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
Msida
$895 50.3%
Cairo
$195 30.2% ↓ 78.2%$700
🛒Groceries & Markets
Msida
$318 17.9%
Cairo
$142 21.9% ↓ 55.4%$176
🍽Eating Out
Msida
$192 10.8%
Cairo
$90 13.9% ↓ 53.1%$102
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Msida
$136 7.7%
Cairo
$50 7.7% ↓ 63.5%$87
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Msida
$136 7.6%
Cairo
$119 18.4% ↓ 12.2%$17
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Msida
$76 4.3%
Cairo
$39 6.1% ↓ 48.3%$37
🚌Getting Around
Msida
$25 * 1.4%
Cairo
$12 1.8% ↓ 54.4%$14
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Msida
$1.5K 42%
Cairo
$346 24.3% ↓ 76.6%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Msida
$742 21.1%
Cairo
$324 22.8% ↓ 56.4%$418
🍽Eating Out
Msida
$627 17.8%
Cairo
$320 22.5% ↓ 49%$307
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Msida
$162 4.6%
Cairo
$58 4.1% ↓ 63.9%$103
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Msida
$301 8.6%
Cairo
$265 18.6% ↓ 12.2%$37
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Msida
$153 * 4.3%
Cairo
$86 6.1% ↓ 43.6%$66
🚌Getting Around
Msida
$55 * 1.6%
Cairo
$24 1.7% ↓ 56.8%$31
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $1,033 in Msida 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 1259% higher in Msida, 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 $49.00 in Msida versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $142 – 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
Msida vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Msida?
Yes – Msida is pricier by about 175%, 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 $2,668 per month in Msida and $970 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.
What are total monthly expenses in Msida and in Cairo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,778 in Msida and $647 in Cairo. That's a gap of about 175%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $371 per month in Msida and $121 in Cairo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Msida or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Msida at $1,778. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Msida it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Msida 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, Msida 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, Msida makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.