Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $1,233 in Port Elizabeth, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,233

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,233 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,233
Cairo $643

A couple spends around $1,847 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,847
Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $2,461 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $2,461
Cairo $1,431

Port Elizabeth costs about 92% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Port Elizabeth and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Port Elizabeth 8% lower, Cairo 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 R 175

$4.69 E£245

126.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 R 707

$28.49 E£1,491

50.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 R 99.3

$6.03 E£315

-0.17%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R 35.03

$1.81 E£94.7

17.13%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 17.24

$0.35 E£18.18

197.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R 11.93

$0.15 E£7.95

380.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 R 45.50

$1.45 E£76.0

90.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R 50.5

$2.24 E£117

36.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 R 18.74

$0.97 E£50.7

17.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.10

$0.73 E£37.96

42.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.78

$0.77 E£40.24

87.01%

Eggs

$2.81 R 46.33

$1.17 E£61.2

140.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 142

$4.32 E£226

98.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 R 90.2

$5.07 E£265

7.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.28 R 137

$8.92 E£467

-7.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.80

$1.83 E£95.8

15.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.46

$0.75 E£39.07

105.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.56

$0.57 E£29.78

182.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.43

$0.51 E£26.62

249.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.56

$0.38 E£20.05

355.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.46

$0.42 E£21.88

238.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 21.27

$0.35 E£18.43

268.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.70

$0.24 E£12.57

320.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 51.6

$1.99 E£104

57.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.6

$7.48 E£391

-35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 R 20.63

$1.52 E£79.4

-17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 30.06

$2.13 E£112

-14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R 17.96

$0.33 E£17.10

230.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.08 R 595

$8.66 E£453

316.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 R 35.03

$0.37 E£19.27

472.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.20

$0.20 E£10.65

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R 139

$1.49 E£77.8

467.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 R 23.86

$0.46 E£23.94

215.22%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.4K R 584.3K

$32.6K E£1.7M

8.54%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.0K R 561.2K

$28.4K E£1.5M

19.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$123 R 2,024

$27.54 E£1,441

345.46%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.08 R 579

$8.27 E£432

324.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.22 R 746

$14.05 E£735

221.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.88 R 526

$28.27 E£1,479

12.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.73 R 375

$6.70 E£350

239.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 R 175

$4.40 E£230

141.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$176 R 2,902

$121 E£6,356

44.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,192 R 102.2K

$3,619 E£189.3K

71.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 R 1,164

$40.16 E£2,101

75.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.27 R 631

$49.61 E£2,596

-22.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,807

$115 E£6,033

-5.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 R 1,593

$60.6 E£3,170

59.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 R 10.1K

$220 E£11.5K

178.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,891

$194 E£10.2K

115.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 R 13.3K

$514 E£26.9K

56.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 R 11.4K

$334 E£17.5K

106.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$750 R 12.4K

$806 E£42.2K

-7.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$531 R 8,754

$513 E£26.9K

3.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,612 R 26.6K

$200 E£10.5K

705.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

16.21

-26.34%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$418 34.4%

Cairo

$194 30.1% 53.5% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$203 16.7%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 75.4% $153

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2%

Cairo

$141 21.9% 28.2% $55

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$155 12.8%

Cairo

$91 14.1% 41.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7%

Cairo

$120 18.6% 15.6% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$53 4.4%

Cairo

$37 5.8% 30.2% $16

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$45 3.7%

Cairo

$11 1.8% 74.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $612 in Port Elizabeth 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 705% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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 $43.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

1 h ahead of Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.63 EGP (100 EGP = 1.71 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

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Port Elizabeth Cairo 7,140 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
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

Port Elizabeth vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Elizabeth is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,849 per month in Port Elizabeth and $965 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Port Elizabeth, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Port Elizabeth and $28.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,233. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Elizabeth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Elizabeth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.