Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharm El Sheikh and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh: $442 a month against $611 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Cairo despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Cairo
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Cairo Living Index

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Sharm El Sheikh

🇪🇬 Egypt

$442

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $442 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $611 in Cairo, rent included.

Sharm El Sheikh $442
Cairo $611

A couple spends around $674 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $970 in Cairo, rent included.

Sharm El Sheikh $674
Cairo $970

A family of three spends $905 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $1,329 in Cairo, rent included.

Sharm El Sheikh $905
Cairo $1,329

Sharm El Sheikh is about 28% cheaper than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sharm El Sheikh and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Sharm El Sheikh 68% lower, Cairo 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 E£253

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.07 E£1,182

$27.00 E£1,514

-21.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 E£250

$5.34 E£300

-16.48%

Cappuccino

$2.17 E£122

$1.72 E£96.2

26.16%

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

$0.33 E£18.75

$0.34 E£19.10

-2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 E£28.62

$0.14 E£8.10

264.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 E£194

$1.39 E£78.0

148.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 E£245

$2.15 E£121

102.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 E£46.28

$0.87 E£48.67

-4.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 E£42.55

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.42 E£23.77

$0.63 E£35.18

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.08 E£60.5

$1.09 E£61.0

-0.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.74 E£210

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 E£194

$4.61 E£259

-24.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.42 E£472

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 E£77.9

$1.69 E£94.6

-17.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.45 E£25.43

$0.68 E£38.27

-33.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.42 E£23.82

$0.56 E£31.19

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.26 E£14.44

$0.47 E£26.22

-44.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£21.57

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 E£21.86

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 E£18.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 E£12.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 E£115

$1.85 E£104

11.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 E£406

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 E£78.1

$1.42 E£79.5

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 E£111

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.08 E£4.39

$0.31 E£17.35

-74.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 E£402

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.35 E£19.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 E£10.89

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 E£81.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.43 E£24.13

$0.40 E£22.40

7.50%

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

$29.6K E£1.7M

$32.3K E£1.8M

-8.27%

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

$20.4K E£1.1M

$24.9K E£1.4M

-17.95%

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

$26.70 E£1,497

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

$10.80 E£606

$7.51 E£421

43.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.30 E£1,531

$14.02 E£786

94.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.01 E£1,514

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 E£401

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 E£248

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

$117 E£6,538

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,269 E£183.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.71 E£2,114

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 E£2,670

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 E£6,121

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.6 E£3,119

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 E£18.9K

$203 E£11.4K

65.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 E£15.9K

$188 E£10.5K

50.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 E£32.9K

$524 E£29.4K

12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 E£28.4K

$318 E£17.8K

59.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$950 E£53.3K

$793 E£44.5K

19.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 E£37.2K

$484 E£27.1K

37.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$141 E£7,924

$185 E£10.4K

-23.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.5

16.21

63.48%

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

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cairo

$188 30.7%

Groceries & Markets

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cairo

$131 21.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cairo

$113 18.4%

Eating Out

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cairo

$86 14.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cairo

$48 7.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cairo

$36 5.9%

Getting Around

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cairo

$9.7 1.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $203 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 31% higher in Cairo, 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 $21 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $27 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $51 vs $131 – making Sharm El Sheikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Sharm El Sheikh

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

Same time as Sharm El Sheikh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,478

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.78 USD

100 EGP = 1.6 EUR

100 EGP = 1.78 USD

100 EGP = 1.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sharm El Sheikh Cairo 380 km

From you

Sharm El Sheikh
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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

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

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $663 per month in Sharm El Sheikh and $917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $203 there versus $337 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Groceries cost about 156% more in Cairo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Sharm El Sheikh and $27 in Cairo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $442 in Sharm El Sheikh and $611 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Sharm El Sheikh has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $442 in Sharm El Sheikh to $611 in Cairo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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