Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharm El Sheikh and Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharm El Sheikh and Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $699 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $532 in Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $856 in Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,504 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $1,181 in Cairo, rent included.

Sharm El Sheikh costs about 32% more than Cairo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sharm El Sheikh and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Sharm El Sheikh 48% lower, Cairo 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 E£410

$4.00 E£204

100.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.68 E£1,107

$19.64 E£1,003

10.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 E£275

$4.87 E£249

10.47%

Cappuccino

$1.82 E£92.8

$1.53 E£78.2

18.95%

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

$0.32 E£16.13

$0.33 E£17.07

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 E£22.67

$0.14 E£7.23

214.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 E£154

$1.34 E£68.5

126.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 E£247

$2.73 E£139

76.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 E£47.17

$0.88 E£45.14

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 E£31.56

$0.60 E£30.45

3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 E£33.10

$0.70 E£35.70

-7.14%

Eggs

$1.32 E£67.3

$1.46 E£74.7

-9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.31 E£169

$3.44 E£176

-3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 E£200

$4.15 E£212

-5.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 E£428

$8.52 E£435

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 E£82.8

$1.56 E£79.8

3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 E£23.99

$0.56 E£28.83

-16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.51 E£26.14

$0.48 E£24.34

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.31 E£16.08

$0.42 E£21.21

-26.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£19.18

$0.46 E£23.69

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.55

$0.43 E£21.99

-6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 E£11.17

$0.22 E£11.16

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 E£9.71

$0.23 E£11.68

-17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.69 E£86.3

$2.01 E£103

-15.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.51 E£384

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 E£66.9

$1.28 E£65.3

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 E£92.3

$1.70 E£86.7

6.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 E£4.91

$0.31 E£16.02

-67.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.94 E£304

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 E£21.25

$0.39 E£19.68

7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 E£15.99

$0.29 E£14.64

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 E£98.8

$0.95 E£48.29

103.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 E£16.58

$0.31 E£15.68

3.23%

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

$35.7K E£1.8M

$36.4K E£1.9M

-1.71%

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

$32.5K E£1.7M

$30.2K E£1.5M

7.87%

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

$11.78 E£602

$25.81 E£1,318

-54.36%

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

$11.17 E£571

$8.30 E£424

34.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 E£1,459

$12.52 E£639

128.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.15 E£774

$15.66 E£800

-3.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.12 E£313

$6.71 E£343

-8.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.48 E£178

$3.60 E£184

-3.33%

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

$115 E£5,855

$91.7 E£4,682

25.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,865 E£95.3K

$2,007 E£102.5K

-7.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.99 E£1,429

$31.34 E£1,600

-10.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.24 E£2,515

$43.96 E£2,245

12.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 E£5,581

$105 E£5,349

4.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 E£2,587

$59.8 E£3,053

-15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 E£18.9K

$202 E£10.3K

82.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 E£14.0K

$129 E£6,608

112.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 E£32.5K

$412 E£21.1K

54.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 E£28.4K

$251 E£12.8K

121.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$974 E£49.8K

$845 E£43.2K

15.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$696 E£35.5K

$470 E£24.0K

48.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$152 E£7,777

$188 E£9,626

-19.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

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

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: June 9, 2026

Last update for Cairo: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $370 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $202 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 24% higher in Cairo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $20.00 in Cairo. Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Sharm El Sheikh vs $126 in Cairo – so Sharm El Sheikh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Sharm El Sheikh vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sharm El Sheikh is pricier by about 32%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,049 per month in Sharm El Sheikh and $797 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $699 in Sharm El Sheikh and $532 in Cairo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $115 per month in Sharm El Sheikh and $91.7 in Cairo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $699 in Sharm El Sheikh and $532 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, Sharm El Sheikh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.