Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sun City and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $647 a month against $1,255 in Sun City, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sun City
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,255
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$647
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,255 per month in Sun City vs $647 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Sun City $1,255
  • Cairo $647

A couple spends around $1,930 per month in Sun City vs $1,035 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Sun City $1,930
  • Cairo $1,035

A family of three spends $2,606 per month in Sun City vs $1,423 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Sun City $2,606
  • Cairo $1,423

Sun City costs about 94% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sun City and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Sun City 7% lower, Cairo 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sun City
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.94 R 197
$4.64 E£248
157.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.53 R 717
$28.12 E£1,501
54.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.40 R 122
$6.03 E£322
22.72%
Cappuccino
$2.46 R 40.54
$1.72 E£92.1
43.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 R 20.26
$0.36 E£19.38
241.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 R 15.34
$0.12 E£6.41
675.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.20 R 36.18
$1.51 E£80.4
45.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 R 45.61
$2.32 E£124
19.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sun City
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 R 22.30
$0.92 E£48.92
46.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.28 R 21.14
$0.73 E£38.92
75.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 R 29.18
$0.74 E£39.64
139.19%
Eggs
$2.63 R 43.27
$1.19 E£63.7
121.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.41 R 139
$4.33 E£231
94.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 R 93.1
$5.03 E£269
12.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.48 R 140
$9.28 E£496
-8.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.10 R 34.58
$1.77 E£94.4
18.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 R 30.91
$0.73 E£39.03
157.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 R 29.21
$0.55 E£29.51
221.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 R 34.93
$0.50 E£26.91
324.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 R 27.45
$0.42 E£22.42
297.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.09
$0.41 E£21.81
346.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 R 24.55
$0.33 E£17.51
351.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 R 21.70
$0.21 E£11.20
528.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.38 R 55.8
$1.98 E£106
70.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.09 R 100
$7.81 E£417
-22.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 R 31.11
$1.59 E£84.7
18.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 R 39.52
$2.09 E£112
14.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Sun City
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 R 24.54
$0.35 E£18.83
325.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.69 E£464
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.82 R 13.44
$0.39 E£21.02
110.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.91 R 15.01
$0.22 E£11.57
313.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.50 R 239
$1.51 E£80.5
860.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 R 24.59
$0.43 E£22.88
246.51%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K R 579.9K
$32.7K E£1.7M
7.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5K R 519.7K
$27.2K E£1.5M
15.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sun City
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$233 R 3,832
$27.27 E£1,456
753.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.09 R 628
$8.58 E£458
343.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.25 R 597
$13.99 E£747
159.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sun City
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.16 R 530
$29.69 E£1,585
8.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.57 R 174
$7.25 E£387
45.79%
Cinema Ticket
$7.69 R 127
$4.86 E£260
58.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sun City
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$246 R 4,052
$121 E£6,438
103.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,459 R 89.9K
$3,560 E£190.1K
53.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sun City
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.1 R 957
$40.28 E£2,151
44.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.31 R 763
$49.53 E£2,645
-6.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 R 1,766
$115 E£6,137
-6.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 R 1,757
$60.0 E£3,206
77.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sun City
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$395 R 6,502
$222 E£11.9K
77.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$354 R 5,834
$195 E£10.4K
81.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 R 12.1K
$550 E£29.3K
34.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$737 R 12.1K
$346 E£18.5K
112.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$890 R 14.7K
$800 E£42.7K
11.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$658 R 10.8K
$525 E£28.0K
25.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sun City
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$200 E£10.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.91
16.21
-32.70%

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

Last update for Sun City: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sun City
$354
Cairo
$195 44.9% $159
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sun City
$307
Cairo
$50 83.8% $257
Groceries & Markets
Sun City
$219
Cairo
$142 35.3% $77
Eating Out
Sun City
$172
Cairo
$90 47.8% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Sun City
$143
Cairo
$119 16.8% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Sun City
$48
Cairo
$39 17.1% $8.1
Getting Around
Sun City
$11 *
Cairo
$12 2.2% $0.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $395 in Sun City 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Sun City versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $142 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Sun City
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
12:36 12:36 PM
13:36 1:36 PM
1 h ahead of Sun City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,556
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
  • Sun City Cairo 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sun City
  • 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
Sun City vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Sun City?
Yes – Sun City is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,882 per month in Sun City 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 Sun City and in Cairo?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,255 in Sun City and $647 in Cairo. That's a gap of about 94%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $246 per month in Sun City and $121 in Cairo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sun City or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $647, than in Sun City at $1,255. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sun City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sun City 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, Sun City 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, Sun City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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