For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $1,744 in Olbia, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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 Olbia and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,744 per month in Olbia vs $647 in Cairo, rent included.
Olbia $1,744
Cairo $647
A couple spends around $2,589 per month in Olbia vs $1,035 in Cairo, rent included.
Olbia $2,589
Cairo $1,035
A family of three spends $3,435 per month in Olbia vs $1,423 in Cairo, rent included.
Olbia $3,435
Cairo $1,423
😐
Olbia costs about 170% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Olbia sits 29% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Olbia
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.46€19.98
$4.64E£248
384.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.1€75.7
$28.12E£1,501
202.49%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.92€8.82
$6.03E£322
64.51%
Cappuccino
$1.95€1.73
$1.72E£92.1
13.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13€2.78
$0.36E£19.38
769.44%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49€1.32
$0.12E£6.41
1141.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.32€2.95
$1.51E£80.4
119.87%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43€3.05
$2.32E£124
47.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Olbia
Cairo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.53€1.36
$0.92E£48.92
66.30%
White Bread(500g)
$2.08€1.85
$0.73E£38.92
184.93%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.62€2.33
$0.74E£39.64
254.05%
Eggs
$3.65€3.25
$1.19E£63.7
206.72%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$16.50€14.68
$4.33E£231
281.06%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$11.44€10.17
$5.03E£269
127.44%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.59€15.64
$9.28E£496
89.55%
Apples(1kg)
$2.18€1.94
$1.77E£94.4
23.16%
Banana(1kg)
$1.80€1.60
$0.73E£39.03
146.58%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.30€2.04
$0.55E£29.51
318.18%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.85€2.54
$0.50E£26.91
470.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.43€1.27
$0.42E£22.42
240.48%
Onion(1kg)
$1.35€1.20
$0.41E£21.81
229.27%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.54€1.37
$0.33E£17.51
366.67%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39€0.35
$0.21E£11.20
85.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.74€6.00
$1.98E£106
240.40%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.33€7.41
$7.81E£417
6.66%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.65€1.47
$1.59E£84.7
3.77%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64€1.46
$2.09E£112
-21.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Olbia
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.36€1.21
$0.35E£18.83
288.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$16.47€14.65
$8.69E£464
89.53%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$9.69€8.62
$0.39E£21.02
2384.62%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.49€1.33
$0.22E£11.57
577.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$31.53€28.05
$1.51E£80.5
1988.08%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.99€1.77
$0.43E£22.88
362.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K€31.7K
$32.7KE£1.7M
9.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.3K€31.4K
$27.2KE£1.5M
29.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olbia
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$155€138
$27.27E£1,456
468.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.70€7.74
$8.58E£458
1.40%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.90€23.04
$13.99E£747
85.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Olbia
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$36.71€32.66
$29.69E£1,585
23.64%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.54€24.50
$7.25E£387
279.86%
Cinema Ticket
$11.13€9.90
$4.86E£260
129.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Olbia
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$322€286
$121E£6,438
166.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,121€7,223
$3,560E£190.1K
128.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Olbia
Cairo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.0€84.5
$40.28E£2,151
135.85%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.41€37.72
$49.53E£2,645
-14.38%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$90.8€80.8
$115E£6,137
-21.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118€105
$60.0E£3,206
96.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Olbia
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$903€804
$222E£11.9K
306.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$714€635
$195E£10.4K
266.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,367€1,216
$550E£29.3K
148.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$936€833
$346E£18.5K
170.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,267€2,906
$800E£42.7K
308.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,628€2,337
$525E£28.0K
400.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Olbia
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,922€1,710
$200E£10.7K
862.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.27
16.21
-79.83%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Olbia: October 11, 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
Olbia
$714 41%
Cairo
$195 30.2% ↓ 72.7%$519
🛒Groceries & Markets
Olbia
$312 17.9%
Cairo
$142 21.9% ↓ 54.5%$170
🍽Eating Out
Olbia
$275 15.8%
Cairo
$90 13.9% ↓ 67.2%$185
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olbia
$190 10.9%
Cairo
$50 7.7% ↓ 73.7%$140
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Olbia
$156 8.9%
Cairo
$119 18.4% ↓ 23.5%$37
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Olbia
$59 3.4%
Cairo
$39 6.1% ↓ 33.2%$20
🚌Getting Around
Olbia
$39 2.2%
Cairo
$12 1.8% ↓ 70.3%$27
🏠Accommodation & Living
Olbia
$936 27.3%
Cairo
$346 24.3% ↓ 63%$590
🛒Groceries & Markets
Olbia
$734 21.4%
Cairo
$324 22.8% ↓ 55.9%$410
🍽Eating Out
Olbia
$994 28.9%
Cairo
$320 22.5% ↓ 67.8%$674
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olbia
$198 5.8%
Cairo
$58 4.1% ↓ 70.5%$140
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Olbia
$346 10.1%
Cairo
$265 18.6% ↓ 23.5%$82
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Olbia
$145 4.2%
Cairo
$86 6.1% ↓ 40.8%$59
🚌Getting Around
Olbia
$81 2.4%
Cairo
$24 1.7% ↓ 70.5%$57
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Olbia 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 862% higher in Olbia, 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 $85.0 in Olbia versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 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
Olbia vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Olbia?
Yes – Olbia is pricier by about 170%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,616 per month in Olbia 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.
How do food prices compare in Olbia and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 120% more in Olbia, 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 Olbia or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Olbia 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 Olbia or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Olbia at $1,744. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olbia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Olbia 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, Olbia 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, Olbia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.