Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Secunda and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $1,056 in Secunda, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Secunda
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,056
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$647
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,056 per month in Secunda vs $647 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Secunda $1,056
  • Cairo $647

A couple spends around $1,618 per month in Secunda vs $1,035 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Secunda $1,618
  • Cairo $1,035

A family of three spends $2,180 per month in Secunda vs $1,423 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Secunda $2,180
  • Cairo $1,423

Secunda costs about 63% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Secunda and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Secunda 22% lower, Cairo 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Secunda
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.88 R 96.8
$4.64 E£248
26.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.10 R 496
$28.12 E£1,501
7.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.51 R 90.8
$6.03 E£322
-8.62%
Cappuccino
$2.19 R 36.07
$1.72 E£92.1
27.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 R 14.39
$0.36 E£19.38
141.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 R 8.09
$0.12 E£6.41
308.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.05 R 17.30
$1.51 E£80.4
-30.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 R 21.95
$2.32 E£124
-42.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Secunda
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 R 18.80
$0.92 E£48.92
23.91%
White Bread (500g)
$0.93 R 15.39
$0.73 E£38.92
27.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 R 30.01
$0.74 E£39.64
145.95%
Eggs
$2.52 R 41.60
$1.19 E£63.7
111.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.19 R 135
$4.33 E£231
89.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.98 R 82.1
$5.03 E£269
-0.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.24 R 119
$9.28 E£496
-21.98%
Apples (1kg)
$1.78 R 29.25
$1.77 E£94.4
0.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 R 26.30
$0.73 E£39.03
119.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 R 29.33
$0.55 E£29.51
223.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 R 25.43
$0.50 E£26.91
208.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.07 R 17.70
$0.42 E£22.42
154.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.22 R 20.12
$0.41 E£21.81
197.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 R 19.98
$0.33 E£17.51
266.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 R 21.82
$0.21 E£11.20
528.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.27 R 53.8
$1.98 E£106
65.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.96 R 81.7
$7.81 E£417
-36.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.50 R 24.78
$1.59 E£84.7
-5.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 R 32.66
$2.09 E£112
-5.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Secunda
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 R 24.51
$0.35 E£18.83
325.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.69 E£464
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.29 R 4.71
$0.39 E£21.02
-25.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.80 R 13.12
$0.22 E£11.57
263.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.38 R 237
$1.51 E£80.5
852.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.55 R 25.49
$0.43 E£22.88
260.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K R 582.9K
$32.7K E£1.7M
8.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.5K R 551.6K
$27.2K E£1.5M
22.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Secunda
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$153 R 2,518
$27.27 E£1,456
460.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.64 R 604
$8.58 E£458
327.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.15 R 612
$13.99 E£747
165.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Secunda
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.57 R 537
$29.69 E£1,585
9.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.79 R 178
$7.25 E£387
48.83%
Cinema Ticket
$7.09 R 117
$4.86 E£260
45.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Secunda
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$89.3 R 1,472
$121 E£6,438
-25.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,575 R 91.8K
$3,560 E£190.1K
56.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Secunda
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.1 R 858
$40.28 E£2,151
29.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.44 R 518
$49.53 E£2,645
-36.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 R 1,507
$115 E£6,137
-20.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$82.6 R 1,360
$60.0 E£3,206
37.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Secunda
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$394 R 6,486
$222 E£11.9K
77.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$363 R 5,984
$195 E£10.4K
86.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$743 R 12.2K
$550 E£29.3K
35.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$735 R 12.1K
$346 E£18.5K
112.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$861 R 14.2K
$800 E£42.7K
7.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$648 R 10.7K
$525 E£28.0K
23.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Secunda
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,418 R 23.4K
$200 E£10.7K
610.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.34
16.21
-30.04%

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

Last update for Secunda: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Secunda
$363
Cairo
$195 46.3% $168
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Secunda
$227
Cairo
$50 78% $177
Groceries & Markets
Secunda
$190
Cairo
$142 25.6% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Secunda
$116
Cairo
$119 2.8% $3.3
Eating Out
Secunda
$103
Cairo
$90 12.8% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Secunda
$47
Cairo
$39 15.7% $7.3
Getting Around
Secunda
$10 *
Cairo
$12 13.3% $1.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $394 in Secunda 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 610% higher in Secunda, 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 $30.00 in Secunda versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $142 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Secunda
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
10:15 10:15 AM
11:15 11:15 AM
1 h ahead of Secunda
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
40,198
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 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
  • Secunda Cairo 6,290 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Secunda
  • 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
Secunda vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Secunda?
Yes – Secunda is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,585 per month in Secunda 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.
What are total monthly expenses in Secunda and in Cairo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,056 in Secunda and $647 in Cairo. That's a gap of about 63%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $89.3 per month in Secunda and $121 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 Secunda or Cairo?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,056 in Secunda and $647 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Secunda 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 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, Secunda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Secunda vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

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