Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheikh Zayed and Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheikh Zayed and Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $473 per month in Sheikh Zayed vs $523 in Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $769 per month in Sheikh Zayed vs $843 in Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,065 per month in Sheikh Zayed vs $1,163 in Cairo, rent included.

Sheikh Zayed is about 10% cheaper than Cairo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Sheikh Zayed and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Sheikh Zayed 65% lower, Cairo 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 E£182

$4.03 E£209

-12.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.93 E£825

$19.82 E£1,026

-19.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 E£207

$4.88 E£253

-18.24%

Cappuccino

$1.50 E£78.0

$1.50 E£77.5

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

$0.31 E£16.25

$0.37 E£18.93

-16.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.36

$0.13 E£6.87

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 E£63.0

$1.42 E£73.3

-14.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 E£153

$2.82 E£146

4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 E£42.23

$0.93 E£48.16

-11.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 E£38.14

$0.59 E£30.46

25.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 E£36.05

$0.74 E£38.51

-5.41%

Eggs

$1.40 E£72.4

$1.54 E£80.0

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.97 E£205

$3.31 E£171

19.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 E£224

$4.34 E£225

-0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 E£498

$8.42 E£436

14.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 E£76.9

$1.56 E£81.0

-4.49%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 E£24.40

$0.56 E£29.03

-16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.58

$0.47 E£24.22

-14.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 E£19.14

$0.39 E£20.20

-5.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£19.57

$0.46 E£23.96

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 E£19.84

$0.40 E£20.92

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 E£12.44

$0.22 E£11.33

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.14 E£7.25

$0.23 E£11.70

-39.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.70 E£88.0

$2.02 E£105

-15.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 E£306

$7.86 E£407

-24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 E£72.2

$1.26 E£65.3

10.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 E£135

$1.77 E£91.6

46.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 E£13.01

$0.29 E£14.86

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.97 E£309

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 E£27.22

$0.38 E£19.80

39.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 E£22.20

$0.29 E£14.94

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 E£105

$1.02 E£52.7

99.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£15.87

$0.31 E£15.81

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

$35.4K E£1.8M

$36.1K E£1.9M

-1.84%

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

$33.6K E£1.7M

$30.7K E£1.6M

9.61%

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

$11.24 E£582

$26.21 E£1,358

-57.12%

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

$5.64 E£292

$8.42 E£436

-33.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.13 E£525

$12.30 E£637

-17.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.73 E£2,058

$16.02 E£830

148.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.74 E£504

$6.80 E£352

43.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.02 E£157

$3.51 E£182

-13.96%

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

$88.3 E£4,572

$91.9 E£4,761

-3.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,875 E£97.1K

$1,993 E£103.3K

-5.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.13 E£1,405

$31.43 E£1,628

-13.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 E£2,478

$44.87 E£2,324

6.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 E£5,682

$107 E£5,551

2.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 E£2,625

$57.5 E£2,980

-11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$189 E£9,776

$205 E£10.6K

-7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.5 E£5,154

$130 E£6,758

-23.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 E£22.4K

$424 E£21.9K

2.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 E£9,091

$250 E£12.9K

-29.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,073 E£55.6K

$843 E£43.7K

27.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$577 E£29.9K

$483 E£25.0K

19.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$132 E£6,831

$196 E£10.1K

-32.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

1.98%

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

Last update for Sheikh Zayed: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cairo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $189 in Sheikh Zayed versus $205 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 48% 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 $16.00 in Sheikh Zayed versus $20.00 in Cairo. Groceries tell a different story – $129 in Sheikh Zayed vs $128 in Cairo – so Cairo 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

Sheikh Zayed vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $709 per month in Sheikh Zayed and $784 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sheikh Zayed, 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 $473 in Sheikh Zayed and $523 in Cairo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $88.3 per month in Sheikh Zayed and $91.9 in Cairo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $473 in Sheikh Zayed and $523 in Cairo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sheikh Zayed – 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 Sheikh Zayed. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cairo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.