For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $1,709 in Rouen, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Rouen and in Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,709 per month in Rouen vs $647 in Cairo, rent included.
Rouen $1,709
Cairo $647
A couple spends around $2,608 per month in Rouen vs $1,035 in Cairo, rent included.
Rouen $2,608
Cairo $1,035
A family of three spends $3,507 per month in Rouen vs $1,423 in Cairo, rent included.
Rouen $3,507
Cairo $1,423
😐
Rouen costs about 164% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Rouen sits 27% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Rouen
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.76€14.94
$4.64E£248
261.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0€58.9
$28.12E£1,501
134.71%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.29€10.07
$6.03E£322
87.23%
Cappuccino
$3.26€2.91
$1.72E£92.1
89.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61€3.22
$0.36E£19.38
902.78%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12€2.78
$0.12E£6.40
2500.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.17€6.39
$1.51E£80.4
374.83%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.59€5.88
$2.32E£124
184.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rouen
Cairo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.47€1.31
$0.92E£48.90
59.78%
White Bread(500g)
$1.12€1.00
$0.73E£38.91
53.42%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.12€1.89
$0.74E£39.63
186.49%
Eggs
$3.65€3.26
$1.19E£63.7
206.72%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$17.91€15.97
$4.33E£231
313.63%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.33€8.32
$5.03E£269
85.49%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$26.54€23.67
$9.28E£495
185.99%
Apples(1kg)
$2.51€2.24
$1.77E£94.3
41.81%
Banana(1kg)
$2.96€2.64
$0.73E£39.01
305.48%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.43€2.17
$0.55E£29.50
341.82%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.20€2.86
$0.50E£26.90
540.00%
Potato(1kg)
$2.02€1.80
$0.42E£22.41
380.95%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48€1.32
$0.41E£21.81
260.98%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.27€1.13
$0.33E£17.51
284.85%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44€0.39
$0.21E£11.20
109.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$14.30€12.75
$1.98E£106
622.22%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.81€6.07
$7.81E£417
-12.80%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.56€2.28
$1.59E£84.6
61.01%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16€2.82
$2.09E£112
51.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Rouen
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.05€1.83
$0.35E£18.83
485.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$48.42€43.17
$8.69E£464
457.19%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$8.70€7.76
$0.39E£21.02
2130.77%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.25€1.12
$0.22E£11.56
468.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$33.20€29.60
$1.51E£80.4
2098.68%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.07€1.84
$0.43E£22.87
381.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K€31.1K
$32.7KE£1.7M
6.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.7K€31.8K
$27.2KE£1.5M
31.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$210€187
$27.27E£1,456
669.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.13€20.62
$8.58E£458
169.58%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.52€35.23
$13.99E£747
182.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$42.66€38.04
$29.69E£1,585
43.68%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.77€14.95
$7.25E£387
131.31%
Cinema Ticket
$14.56€12.98
$4.86E£259
199.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rouen
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$883€788
$121E£6,436
632.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$9,874€8,804
$3,560E£190.0K
177.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
Cairo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.3€75.1
$40.28E£2,150
109.16%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$49.53E£2,644
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$94.7€84.4
$115E£6,134
-17.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106€94.4
$60.0E£3,205
76.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rouen
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$674€601
$222E£11.9K
203.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$545€486
$195E£10.4K
179.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,233€1,100
$550E£29.3K
124.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$924€824
$346E£18.5K
166.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,871€3,451
$800E£42.7K
384.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,327€2,075
$525E£28.0K
343.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rouen
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,530€2,255
$200E£10.7K
1166.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.81
16.21
-76.50%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Rouen: October 12, 2026
Last update for Cairo: October 11, 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
Rouen
$545 31.9%
Cairo
$195 30.2% ↓ 64.2%$350
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rouen
$337 19.7%
Cairo
$142 21.9% ↓ 57.9%$195
🍽Eating Out
Rouen
$283 16.6%
Cairo
$90 13.9% ↓ 68.2%$193
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
$272 15.9%
Cairo
$50 7.7% ↓ 81.7%$223
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
$128 * 7.5%
Cairo
$119 18.4% ↓ 7%$9
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
$72 4.2%
Cairo
$39 6.1% ↓ 45.1%$32
🚌Getting Around
Rouen
$72 4.2%
Cairo
$12 1.8% ↓ 83.8%$60
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Rouen
$924 26.4%
Cairo
$346 24.3% ↓ 62.5%$578
🛒Groceries & Markets
Rouen
$804 22.9%
Cairo
$324 22.8% ↓ 59.7%$480
🍽Eating Out
Rouen
$890 25.4%
Cairo
$320 22.5% ↓ 64.1%$570
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rouen
$296 8.4%
Cairo
$58 4.1% ↓ 80.2%$237
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Rouen
$285 * 8.1%
Cairo
$265 18.6% ↓ 7%$20
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Rouen
$160 4.6%
Cairo
$86 6.1% ↓ 46.3%$74
🚌Getting Around
Rouen
$147 4.2%
Cairo
$24 1.7% ↓ 83.8%$123
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $674 in Rouen versus $222 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 1166% higher in Rouen, 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 $66.0 in Rouen versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $142 – 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
Rouen vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Rouen?
Yes – Rouen is pricier by about 164%, 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 $2,564 per month in Rouen and $970 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 Rouen and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 138% more in Rouen, 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 Rouen or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Rouen 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 Rouen or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Rouen at $1,709. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rouen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Rouen 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, Rouen 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, Rouen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.