Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qena and Alexandria

For one person, living costs are similar in Qena and in Alexandria: $459 and $452 a month, rent and utilities included.

Qena
🇪🇬 Egypt
$459
/mo nomad
Alexandria
🇪🇬 Egypt
$452
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Qena and in Alexandria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Qena and in Alexandria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $459 per month in Qena vs $452 in Alexandria, rent included.

  • Qena $459
  • Alexandria $452

A couple spends around $738 per month in Qena vs $750 in Alexandria, rent included.

  • Qena $738
  • Alexandria $750

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Qena vs $1,048 in Alexandria, rent included.

  • Qena $1,018
  • Alexandria $1,048

Qena costs about 1% more than Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Qena and Alexandria are more affordable than the global median – Qena 66% lower, Alexandria 67% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Qena
Alexandria
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.85 E£205
$4.22 E£225
-8.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.46 E£826
$18.66 E£996
-17.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.62 E£300
$4.74 E£253
18.57%
Cappuccino
$2.04 E£109
$1.26 E£67.3
61.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 E£25.57
$0.30 E£15.96
60.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.17 E£9.12
$0.12 E£6.31
41.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.91 E£102
$1.33 E£70.9
43.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 E£163
$2.74 E£146
11.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Qena
Alexandria
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 E£50.1
$0.84 E£44.97
11.90%
White Bread (500g)
$0.77 E£40.94
$0.71 E£37.73
8.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.58 E£31.01
$0.58 E£30.74
-
Eggs
$1.94 E£103
$1.10 E£59.0
76.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.29 E£175
$3.66 E£195
-10.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.63 E£301
$4.19 E£224
34.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.47 E£506
$9.17 E£490
3.27%
Apples (1kg)
$1.46 E£78.1
$1.46 E£77.7
-
Banana (1kg)
$0.48 E£25.55
$0.78 E£41.63
-38.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.40 E£21.54
$0.51 E£27.48
-21.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.39 E£20.82
$0.34 E£18.27
14.71%
Potato (1kg)
$0.35 E£18.47
$0.24 E£12.77
45.83%
Onion (1kg)
$0.36 E£19.46
$0.30 E£15.98
20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.27 E£14.31
$0.27 E£14.47
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.19 E£10.31
$0.22 E£11.93
-13.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.24 E£120
$1.86 E£99.6
20.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.19 E£384
$5.62 E£300
27.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 E£66.7
$1.16 E£61.9
7.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 E£91.9
$2.15 E£115
-20.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Qena
Alexandria
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 E£9.83
$0.22 E£11.66
-18.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$10.95 E£585
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.37 E£19.71
$0.57 E£30.48
-35.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 E£11.03
$0.49 E£26.19
-57.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 E£63.8
$1.11 E£59.1
8.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.42 E£22.55
$0.45 E£24.16
-6.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.6K E£1.7M
$32.8K E£1.8M
-3.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K E£1.2M
$25.2K E£1.3M
-13.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qena
Alexandria
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$24.89 E£1,329
$14.02 E£749
77.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.88 E£421
$6.60 E£353
19.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.41 E£503
$12.75 E£681
-26.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Qena
Alexandria
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.98 E£853
$12.39 E£662
28.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$7.31 E£390
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.46 E£185
$2.73 E£146
26.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Qena
Alexandria
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$98.5 E£5,261
$85.2 E£4,549
15.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$590 E£31.5K
$2,035 E£108.6K
-71.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Qena
Alexandria
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.53 E£1,096
$32.61 E£1,741
-37.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.77 E£1,803
$45.28 E£2,418
-25.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$117 E£6,240
$125 E£6,687
-6.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$29.01 E£1,549
$54.9 E£2,933
-47.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Qena
Alexandria
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$131 E£7,012
$131 E£7,020
-0.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$74.6 E£3,984
$69.3 E£3,702
7.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$258 E£13.8K
$279 E£14.9K
-7.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$146 E£7,795
$142 E£7,603
2.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$761 E£40.6K
$679 E£36.2K
12.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$356 E£19.0K
$431 E£23.0K
-17.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Qena
Alexandria
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$137 E£7,313
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.21
21.33
-24.00%

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

Last update for Qena: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Qena
$137
Alexandria
$124 9.3% $13
Eating Out
Qena
$90
Alexandria
$77 14.9% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Qena
$90
Alexandria
$116 28.9% $26
Accommodation & Living
Qena
$75
Alexandria
$69 7.1% $5.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Qena
$42
Alexandria
$33 20.9% $8.8
Sport & Entertainment
Qena
$23
Alexandria
$18 22% $5
Getting Around
Qena
$2.1 *
Alexandria
$15 594% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $131 in Qena versus $131 in Alexandria. 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 $15.00 in Qena versus $19.00 in Alexandria. Groceries tell a different story – $137 in Qena vs $124 in Alexandria – so Alexandria wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Qena
🇪🇬 Alexandria
🕒 Local time
14:39 2:39 PM
14:39 2:39 PM
Same time as Qena
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
235,362
4,546,231
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

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
  • Qena Alexandria 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Qena
  • Alexandria

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
Qena vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Qena or Alexandria?
Qena costs about 1% more than Alexandria, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Qena and in Alexandria?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $688 per month in Qena and $678 in Alexandria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Qena or Alexandria?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alexandria, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Qena and in Alexandria?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Qena and $19.00 in Alexandria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Qena or in Alexandria?
Groceries cost about 10% more in Qena, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $800/month in Qena or in Alexandria?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $459 in Qena and $452 in Alexandria, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Alexandria – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Qena or to Alexandria?
If budget matters most, go with Alexandria. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Qena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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