Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qalyub and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Qalyub: $451 a month against $635 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Qalyub, Egypt
Cairo, Egypt
Qalyub
🇪🇬 Egypt
$451
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$635
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $451 per month in Qalyub vs $635 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Qalyub $451
  • Cairo $635

A couple spends around $740 per month in Qalyub vs $1,010 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Qalyub $740
  • Cairo $1,010

A family of three spends $1,028 per month in Qalyub vs $1,385 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Qalyub $1,028
  • Cairo $1,385

Qalyub is about 29% cheaper than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Qalyub and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Qalyub 67% lower, Cairo 53% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Qalyub
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.33 E£239
$4.63 E£256
-6.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.25 E£1,063
$27.66 E£1,528
-30.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.73 E£262
$5.83 E£322
-18.87%
Cappuccino
$1.32 E£72.8
$1.69 E£93.2
-21.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 E£16.27
$0.35 E£19.44
-17.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 E£7.31
$0.13 E£7.10
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.32 E£72.7
$1.47 E£81.0
-10.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 E£127
$2.21 E£122
3.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Qalyub
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 E£45.28
$0.94 E£52.2
-12.77%
White Bread (500g)
$0.70 E£38.92
$0.79 E£43.41
-11.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.59 E£32.61
$0.70 E£38.71
-15.71%
Eggs
$1.13 E£62.2
$1.12 E£61.6
0.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.80 E£210
$4.08 E£225
-6.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.35 E£240
$4.77 E£263
-8.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.12 E£504
$8.81 E£487
3.52%
Apples (1kg)
$1.54 E£85.2
$1.68 E£92.8
-8.33%
Banana (1kg)
$0.78 E£43.26
$0.71 E£39.39
9.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.57 E£31.25
$0.59 E£32.40
-3.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.33 E£18.10
$0.51 E£27.99
-35.29%
Potato (1kg)
$0.24 E£13.25
$0.37 E£20.50
-35.14%
Onion (1kg)
$0.32 E£17.89
$0.44 E£24.28
-27.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.25 E£13.70
$0.34 E£19.01
-26.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.20 E£10.90
$0.21 E£11.55
-4.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.93 E£107
$1.99 E£110
-3.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.77 E£319
$7.49 E£414
-22.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 E£65.9
$1.51 E£83.2
-21.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 E£122
$2.08 E£115
6.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Qalyub
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 E£11.02
$0.34 E£18.92
-41.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.31 E£459
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 E£22.02
$0.40 E£22.23
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 E£11.10
$0.19 E£10.34
5.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 E£66.2
$1.50 E£82.8
-20.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.42 E£23.46
$0.45 E£24.59
-6.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K E£1.8M
$33.1K E£1.8M
-2.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K E£1.5M
$26.1K E£1.4M
2.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qalyub
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$14.31 E£791
$27.62 E£1,526
-48.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.72 E£371
$7.83 E£433
-14.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.08 E£723
$14.39 E£795
-9.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Qalyub
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$16.40 E£906
$28.62 E£1,581
-42.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$0.91 E£50.5
$7.47 E£413
-87.82%
Cinema Ticket
$2.77 E£153
$4.56 E£252
-39.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Qalyub
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$86.6 E£4,786
$120 E£6,639
-27.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,104 E£116.2K
$3,476 E£192.1K
-39.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Qalyub
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.54 E£1,853
$39.13 E£2,162
-14.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.09 E£2,491
$49.04 E£2,710
-8.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 E£6,439
$111 E£6,140
4.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.0 E£3,094
$57.0 E£3,148
-1.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Qalyub
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$132 E£7,289
$215 E£11.9K
-38.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$76.8 E£4,241
$196 E£10.8K
-60.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$251 E£13.9K
$542 E£29.9K
-53.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$144 E£7,959
$338 E£18.7K
-57.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$752 E£41.5K
$830 E£45.9K
-9.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$357 E£19.7K
$512 E£28.3K
-30.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Qalyub
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$195 E£10.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
16.21
-

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

Last update for Qalyub: October 18, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Qalyub
$126
Cairo
$137 9.3% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Qalyub
$113
Cairo
$115 2% $2.3
Eating Out
Qalyub
$78
Cairo
$88 14.1% $11
Accommodation & Living
Qalyub
$77
Cairo
$196 155% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qalyub
$34
Cairo
$50 46.2% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Qalyub
$22
Cairo
$38 71.9% $16
Getting Around
Qalyub
$2.2 *
Cairo
$11 401% $8.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $132 in Qalyub 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Qalyub versus $28 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $126 vs $137 – making Qalyub the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Qalyub
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
02:50 2:50 AM
02:50 2:50 AM
Same time as Qalyub
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
109,000
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 55.25 EGP (100 EGP = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.9 EGP (100 EGP = 1.62 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Qalyub Cairo 15 km
From you
  • Qalyub
  • 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
Qalyub vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Qalyub cheaper than Cairo?
Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $677 per month in Qalyub 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 Qalyub, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $132 there versus $215 in Cairo.
What are total monthly expenses in Qalyub and in Cairo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $451 in Qalyub and $635 in Cairo. That’s a gap of about 41%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $87 per month in Qalyub and $120 in Cairo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Qalyub or Cairo?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $451 in Qalyub and $635 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Qalyub or Cairo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Qalyub – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Qalyub vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?