For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $2,652 in Paris, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 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 Paris and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,652 per month in Paris vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.
Paris $2,652
Cairo $643
A couple spends around $4,021 per month in Paris vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.
Paris $4,021
Cairo $1,037
A family of three spends $5,391 per month in Paris vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.
Paris $5,391
Cairo $1,431
😐
Paris costs about 312% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Paris sits 98% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Paris
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.11€16.16
$4.69E£245
286.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.9€70.4
$28.49E£1,491
176.97%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.34€11.90
$6.03E£315
121.23%
Cappuccino
$4.93€4.40
$1.81E£94.7
172.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.67€4.17
$0.35E£18.18
1234.29%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70€2.41
$0.15E£7.95
1700.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.75€6.92
$1.45E£76.0
434.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84€6.10
$2.24E£117
205.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Paris
Cairo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.57€1.40
$0.97E£50.7
61.86%
White Bread(500g)
$2.44€2.17
$0.73E£37.96
234.25%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.81€2.50
$0.77E£40.24
264.94%
Eggs
$4.36€3.89
$1.17E£61.2
272.65%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$22.35€19.94
$4.32E£226
417.36%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$14.06€12.55
$5.07E£265
177.32%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$22.20€19.81
$8.92E£467
148.88%
Apples(1kg)
$3.23€2.88
$1.83E£95.8
76.50%
Banana(1kg)
$2.26€2.02
$0.75E£39.07
201.33%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.83€2.53
$0.57E£29.78
396.49%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.30€3.84
$0.51E£26.62
743.14%
Potato(1kg)
$1.95€1.74
$0.38E£20.05
413.16%
Onion(1kg)
$2.47€2.20
$0.42E£21.88
488.10%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.86€1.66
$0.35E£18.43
431.43%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94€0.84
$0.24E£12.57
291.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$14.31€12.77
$1.99E£104
619.10%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.75€7.81
$7.48E£391
16.98%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.68€2.39
$1.52E£79.4
76.32%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64€3.25
$2.13E£112
70.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Paris
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.89€2.58
$0.33E£17.10
775.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$103€92.2
$8.66E£453
1093.30%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$9.03€8.05
$0.37E£19.27
2340.54%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.48€1.32
$0.20E£10.65
640.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$46.09€41.13
$1.49E£77.8
2993.29%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.21€1.98
$0.46E£23.94
380.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K€30.4K
$32.6KE£1.7M
4.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.1K€31.4K
$28.4KE£1.5M
23.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paris
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$244€218
$27.54E£1,441
785.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.04€14.32
$8.27E£432
93.95%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.34€27.08
$14.05E£735
115.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Paris
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$38.99€34.79
$28.27E£1,479
37.92%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.70€16.69
$6.70E£350
179.10%
Cinema Ticket
$14.62€13.04
$4.40E£230
232.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Paris
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,825€1,628
$121E£6,356
1401.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$26.5K€23.7K
$3,619E£189.3K
632.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Paris
Cairo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$110€98.5
$40.16E£2,101
174.75%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.9€46.32
$49.61E£2,596
4.62%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$119€107
$115E£6,033
3.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$157€140
$60.6E£3,170
158.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Paris
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,554€1,387
$220E£11.5K
606.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,199€1,070
$194E£10.2K
517.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$3,390€3,025
$514E£26.9K
559.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,208€1,970
$334E£17.5K
561.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$14.6K€13.0K
$806E£42.2K
1713.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$9,801€8,747
$513E£26.9K
1809.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Paris
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,522€3,143
$200E£10.5K
1659.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.4
16.21
-79.03%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Paris: October 5, 2026
Last update for Cairo: October 3, 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
Paris
$1.2K 45.9%
Cairo
$194 30.1% ↓ 83.8%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Paris
$403 15.4%
Cairo
$141 21.9% ↓ 64.9%$262
🍽Eating Out
Paris
$326 12.5%
Cairo
$91 14.1% ↓ 72.1%$235
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paris
$290 11.1%
Cairo
$50 7.7% ↓ 82.8%$240
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Paris
$197 7.5%
Cairo
$120 18.6% ↓ 39.4%$78
🚌Getting Around
Paris
$131 5%
Cairo
$11 1.8% ↓ 91.4%$120
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Paris
$68 2.6%
Cairo
$37 5.8% ↓ 45.7%$31
🏠Accommodation & Living
Paris
$2.2K 41.2%
Cairo
$334 23.7% ↓ 84.9%$1.9K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Paris
$947 17.7%
Cairo
$323 22.9% ↓ 65.9%$624
🍽Eating Out
Paris
$1K 19.4%
Cairo
$324 23% ↓ 68.8%$715
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paris
$306 5.7%
Cairo
$58 4.1% ↓ 81%$248
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Paris
$438 8.2%
Cairo
$266 18.9% ↓ 39.4%$173
🚌Getting Around
Paris
$268 5%
Cairo
$23 1.7% ↓ 91.3%$245
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Paris
$155 2.9%
Cairo
$81 5.7% ↓ 47.9%$74
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $1,554 in Paris 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 1659% higher in Paris, 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 $79.0 in Paris versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $141 – 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
Paris vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Paris?
Yes – Paris is pricier by about 312%, 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 $3,977 per month in Paris and $965 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 Paris and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 185% more in Paris, 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 Paris or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Paris 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 Paris or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Paris at $2,652. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paris it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Paris 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, Paris 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, Paris makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.