Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olten and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $635 a month against $3,049 in Olten, rent and utilities included – about $29,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Olten
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,049
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$635
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,049 per month in Olten vs $635 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Olten $3,049
  • Cairo $635

A couple spends around $4,812 per month in Olten vs $1,010 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Olten $4,812
  • Cairo $1,010

A family of three spends $6,576 per month in Olten vs $1,385 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Olten $6,576
  • Cairo $1,385

Olten costs about 380% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Olten sits 125% above the global median, while Cairo is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$33.18 CHF 27.33
$4.63 E£247
616.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122 CHF 100
$27.66 E£1,477
340.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$17.69 CHF 14.57
$5.83 E£311
203.43%
Cappuccino
$6.29 CHF 5.18
$1.69 E£90.1
272.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.51 CHF 4.54
$0.35 E£18.79
1474.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.21 CHF 4.29
$0.13 E£6.86
3907.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.22 CHF 7.59
$1.47 E£78.3
527.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.52 CHF 6.19
$2.21 E£118
240.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.11 CHF 1.73
$0.94 E£50.5
124.47%
White Bread (500g)
$3.87 CHF 3.19
$0.79 E£41.96
389.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.81 CHF 3.14
$0.70 E£37.41
444.29%
Eggs
$8.37 CHF 6.90
$1.12 E£59.5
647.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.10 CHF 21.50
$4.08 E£218
539.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$26.77 CHF 22.05
$4.77 E£255
461.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$46.34 CHF 38.16
$8.81 E£470
425.99%
Apples (1kg)
$4.02 CHF 3.31
$1.68 E£89.7
139.29%
Banana (1kg)
$2.69 CHF 2.22
$0.71 E£38.07
278.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 CHF 2.45
$0.59 E£31.31
403.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.69 CHF 3.86
$0.51 E£27.06
819.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.49 CHF 2.05
$0.37 E£19.81
572.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.14 CHF 1.76
$0.44 E£23.47
386.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.55 CHF 2.10
$0.34 E£18.37
650.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 CHF 1.06
$0.21 E£11.16
514.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.85 CHF 8.93
$1.99 E£106
445.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.12 CHF 11.63
$7.49 E£400
88.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 CHF 2.30
$1.51 E£80.4
84.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 CHF 2.68
$2.08 E£111
56.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Olten
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.30 CHF 4.37
$0.34 E£18.29
1458.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 CHF 88.3
$8.31 E£444
1190.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.39 CHF 6.91
$0.40 E£21.48
1997.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.53 CHF 3.73
$0.19 E£9.99
2284.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$90.2 CHF 74.3
$1.50 E£80.0
5913.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.16 CHF 1.78
$0.45 E£23.77
380.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.5K CHF 32.6K
$33.1K E£1.8M
19.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K CHF 32.4K
$26.1K E£1.4M
50.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$275 CHF 227
$27.62 E£1,475
896.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.97 CHF 27.15
$7.83 E£418
321.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.51 CHF 39.13
$14.39 E£769
230.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.2 CHF 66.1
$28.62 E£1,528
180.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$7.47 E£399
-
Cinema Ticket
$21.01 CHF 17.30
$4.56 E£244
360.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,608 CHF 2,971
$120 E£6,417
2902.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$41.7K CHF 34.3K
$3,476 E£185.6K
1099.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$143 CHF 118
$39.13 E£2,090
265.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 CHF 48.81
$49.04 E£2,619
20.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$167 CHF 137
$111 E£5,934
49.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$210 CHF 173
$57.0 E£3,043
269.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Olten
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,210 CHF 997
$215 E£11.5K
462.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,035 CHF 852
$196 E£10.5K
428.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,968 CHF 1,621
$542 E£28.9K
263.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,948 CHF 1,605
$338 E£18.0K
476.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$830 E£44.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$512 E£27.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,837 CHF 4,808
$195 E£10.4K
2894.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.07
16.21
-87.23%

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

Last update for Olten: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Olten
$1K
Cairo
$196 81.1% $839
Groceries & Markets
Olten
$617
Cairo
$137 77.8% $480
Eating Out
Olten
$498
Cairo
$88 82.2% $410
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olten
$356
Cairo
$50 86% $306
Clothing & Footwear
Olten
$261
Cairo
$115 55.8% $145
Getting Around
Olten
$160
Cairo
$11 93.1% $149
Sport & Entertainment
Olten
$122
Cairo
$38 69.1% $85

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,210 in Olten versus $215 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 2895% higher in Olten, 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 $122 in Olten versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $617 vs $137 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Olten
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
18:49 6:49 PM
19:49 7:49 PM
1 h ahead of Olten
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,280
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Olten Cairo 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Olten
  • 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
Olten vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Olten?
Yes – Olten is pricier by about 380%, 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 $4,573 per month in Olten and $953 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 Olten and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 350% more in Olten, 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 Olten or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Olten 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 Olten or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $635, than in Olten at $3,049. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Olten 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, Olten 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, Olten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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