Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $1,982 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,982

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,982 per month in Rome vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

Rome $1,982
Cairo $643

A couple spends around $3,148 per month in Rome vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

Rome $3,148
Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $4,314 per month in Rome vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

Rome $4,314
Cairo $1,431

Rome costs about 208% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rome sits 48% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.88 €15.06

$4.69 E£245

259.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.3

$28.49 E£1,491

137.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.85

$6.03 E£315

83.08%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.83

$1.81 E£94.7

13.26%

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

$3.05 €2.73

$0.35 E£18.18

771.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.36

$0.15 E£7.95

913.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.11

$1.45 E£76.0

295.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 €6.12

$2.24 E£117

206.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.52

$0.97 E£50.7

76.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €2.01

$0.73 E£37.96

208.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 €2.77

$0.77 E£40.24

302.60%

Eggs

$4.81 €4.29

$1.17 E£61.2

311.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.46

$4.32 E£226

249.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.53 €11.19

$5.07 E£265

147.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.82 €17.69

$8.92 E£467

122.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.38

$1.83 E£95.8

45.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.75 E£39.07

209.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$0.57 E£29.78

329.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.51 E£26.62

354.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.28

$0.38 E£20.05

276.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.42 E£21.88

264.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.35 E£18.43

285.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 €0.47

$0.24 E£12.57

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.40 €6.60

$1.99 E£104

271.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.45 €4.86

$7.48 E£391

-27.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.52 E£79.4

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.13 E£112

23.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.33 E£17.10

424.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.99 €35.69

$8.66 E£453

361.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.91 €6.17

$0.37 E£19.27

1767.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 €1.46

$0.20 E£10.65

715.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.18 €30.51

$1.49 E£77.8

2193.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.91

$0.46 E£23.94

365.22%

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

$35.1K €31.4K

$32.6K E£1.7M

7.68%

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

$34.4K €30.7K

$28.4K E£1.5M

21.18%

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

$209 €186

$27.54 E£1,441

657.30%

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

$11.57 €10.32

$8.27 E£432

39.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.88 €28.45

$14.05 E£735

126.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 €58.7

$28.27 E£1,479

132.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.73 €21.17

$6.70 E£350

254.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 €9.99

$4.40 E£230

154.55%

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

$483 €431

$121 E£6,356

297.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €15.1K

$3,619 E£189.3K

368.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 €63.0

$40.16 E£2,101

75.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.68 €31.84

$49.61 E£2,596

-28.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 €73.4

$115 E£6,033

-28.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €110

$60.6 E£3,170

103.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,075

$220 E£11.5K

447.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 €796

$194 E£10.2K

359.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 €2,255

$514 E£26.9K

391.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 €1,506

$334 E£17.5K

405.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,407 €7,502

$806 E£42.2K

942.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,096 €2,763

$513 E£26.9K

503.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,980 €1,767

$200 E£10.5K

889.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

16.21

-78.29%

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

Last update for Rome: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$892 44.2%

Cairo

$194 30.1% 78.2% $698

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$331 16.4%

Cairo

$141 21.9% 57.3% $189

Eating Out

Rome

$253 12.6%

Cairo

$91 14.1% 64.1% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$252 12.5%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 80.2% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$140 7%

Cairo

$120 18.6% 14.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Cairo

$37 5.8% 57.9% $51

Getting Around

Rome

$62 3.1%

Cairo

$11 1.8% 81.7% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,205 in Rome 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 889% higher in Rome, 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 $68.0 in Rome versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

07:50 7:50 AM

1 h ahead of Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rome Cairo 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rome
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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

Rome vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 208%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,974 per month in Rome 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 134% more in Rome, 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 $68.0 in Rome 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 Rome at $1,982. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome 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.

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.

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