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.
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
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$33.18CHF 27.33
$4.63E£247
616.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$122CHF 100
$27.66E£1,477
340.53%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$17.69CHF 14.57
$5.83E£311
203.43%
Cappuccino
$6.29CHF 5.18
$1.69E£90.1
272.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.51CHF 4.54
$0.35E£18.79
1474.29%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.21CHF 4.29
$0.13E£6.86
3907.69%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$9.22CHF 7.59
$1.47E£78.3
527.21%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.52CHF 6.19
$2.21E£118
240.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.11CHF 1.73
$0.94E£50.5
124.47%
White Bread(500g)
$3.87CHF 3.19
$0.79E£41.96
389.87%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.81CHF 3.14
$0.70E£37.41
444.29%
Eggs
$8.37CHF 6.90
$1.12E£59.5
647.32%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$26.10CHF 21.50
$4.08E£218
539.71%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$26.77CHF 22.05
$4.77E£255
461.22%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$46.34CHF 38.16
$8.81E£470
425.99%
Apples(1kg)
$4.02CHF 3.31
$1.68E£89.7
139.29%
Banana(1kg)
$2.69CHF 2.22
$0.71E£38.07
278.87%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.97CHF 2.45
$0.59E£31.31
403.39%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.69CHF 3.86
$0.51E£27.06
819.61%
Potato(1kg)
$2.49CHF 2.05
$0.37E£19.81
572.97%
Onion(1kg)
$2.14CHF 1.76
$0.44E£23.47
386.36%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.55CHF 2.10
$0.34E£18.37
650.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29CHF 1.06
$0.21E£11.16
514.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$10.85CHF 8.93
$1.99E£106
445.23%
Wine(Bottle)
$14.12CHF 11.63
$7.49E£400
88.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79CHF 2.30
$1.51E£80.4
84.77%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25CHF 2.68
$2.08E£111
56.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Olten
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$5.30CHF 4.37
$0.34E£18.29
1458.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$107CHF 88.3
$8.31E£444
1190.61%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$8.39CHF 6.91
$0.40E£21.48
1997.50%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$4.53CHF 3.73
$0.19E£9.99
2284.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$90.2CHF 74.3
$1.50E£80.0
5913.33%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.16CHF 1.78
$0.45E£23.77
380.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.5KCHF 32.6K
$33.1KE£1.8M
19.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3KCHF 32.4K
$26.1KE£1.4M
50.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$275CHF 227
$27.62E£1,475
896.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.97CHF 27.15
$7.83E£418
321.07%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.51CHF 39.13
$14.39E£769
230.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$80.2CHF 66.1
$28.62E£1,528
180.33%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$7.47E£399
-
Cinema Ticket
$21.01CHF 17.30
$4.56E£244
360.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$3,608CHF 2,971
$120E£6,417
2902.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$41.7KCHF 34.3K
$3,476E£185.6K
1099.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$143CHF 118
$39.13E£2,090
265.37%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3CHF 48.81
$49.04E£2,619
20.84%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$167CHF 137
$111E£5,934
49.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$210CHF 173
$57.0E£3,043
269.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Olten
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,210CHF 997
$215E£11.5K
462.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,035CHF 852
$196E£10.5K
428.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,968CHF 1,621
$542E£28.9K
263.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,948CHF 1,605
$338E£18.0K
476.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$830E£44.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$512E£27.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Olten
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$5,837CHF 4,808
$195E£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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Olten
$1K 34%
Cairo
$196 30.8% ↓ 81.1%$839
🛒Groceries & Markets
Olten
$617 20.3%
Cairo
$137 21.6% ↓ 77.8%$480
🍽Eating Out
Olten
$498 16.3%
Cairo
$88 13.9% ↓ 82.2%$410
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olten
$356 11.7%
Cairo
$50 7.8% ↓ 86%$306
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Olten
$261 8.6%
Cairo
$115 18.2% ↓ 55.8%$145
🚌Getting Around
Olten
$160 5.2%
Cairo
$11 1.7% ↓ 93.1%$149
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Olten
$122 4%
Cairo
$38 5.9% ↓ 69.1%$85
🏠Accommodation & Living
Olten
$1.9K 29.6%
Cairo
$338 24.4% ↓ 82.7%$1.6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Olten
$1.5K 22.4%
Cairo
$313 22.6% ↓ 78.7%$1.2K
🍽Eating Out
Olten
$1.6K 24.5%
Cairo
$315 22.7% ↓ 80.5%$1.3K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Olten
$389 5.9%
Cairo
$58 4.2% ↓ 85.2%$331
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Olten
$579 8.8%
Cairo
$256 18.5% ↓ 55.8%$323
🚌Getting Around
Olten
$330 5%
Cairo
$23 1.6% ↓ 93.1%$307
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Olten
$244 * 3.7%
Cairo
$83 6% ↓ 66.1%$162
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
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.
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.