Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulm and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $2,139 in Ulm, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ulm
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,139
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,139 per month in Ulm vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Ulm $2,139
  • Cairo $643

A couple spends around $3,265 per month in Ulm vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Ulm $3,265
  • Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $4,390 per month in Ulm vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Ulm $4,390
  • Cairo $1,431

Ulm costs about 232% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ulm sits 60% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ulm
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.64 €14.85
$4.69 E£245
254.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.4 €59.3
$28.49 E£1,491
133.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.29 €11.86
$6.03 E£315
120.40%
Cappuccino
$3.80 €3.39
$1.81 E£94.7
109.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.67 €4.16
$0.35 E£18.18
1234.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.73
$0.15 E£7.95
1186.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.67 €4.17
$1.45 E£76.0
222.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 €3.95
$2.24 E£117
97.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ulm
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 €1.30
$0.97 E£50.7
49.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.98 €1.76
$0.73 E£37.96
171.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.18 €3.73
$0.77 E£40.24
442.86%
Eggs
$3.61 €3.22
$1.17 E£61.2
208.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.40 €12.85
$4.32 E£226
233.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.23 €9.13
$5.07 E£265
101.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.47 €22.73
$8.92 E£467
185.54%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 €3.11
$1.83 E£95.8
90.16%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 €2.01
$0.75 E£39.07
200.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 €1.77
$0.57 E£29.78
247.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.89 €3.47
$0.51 E£26.62
662.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 €0.93
$0.38 E£20.05
173.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 €1.01
$0.42 E£21.88
169.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.68 €1.50
$0.35 E£18.43
380.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.08
$0.24 E£12.57
404.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.97 €8.89
$1.99 E£104
401.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.03
$7.48 E£391
-24.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.52 E£79.4
-24.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 €1.33
$2.13 E£112
-30.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Ulm
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.19 €2.84
$0.33 E£17.10
866.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.6 €57.7
$8.66 E£453
646.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.37 E£19.27
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.20 E£10.65
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$1.49 E£77.8
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.88
$0.46 E£23.94
358.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K €29.2K
$32.6K E£1.7M
0.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.6K €34.5K
$28.4K E£1.5M
36.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ulm
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$384 €342
$27.54 E£1,441
1293.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.18 €30.50
$8.27 E£432
313.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.8 €47.12
$14.05 E£735
275.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ulm
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.91 €30.26
$28.27 E£1,479
19.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.47 €20.05
$6.70 E£350
235.37%
Cinema Ticket
$13.50 €12.05
$4.40 E£230
206.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ulm
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$451 €402
$121 E£6,356
270.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.5K
$3,619 E£189.3K
256.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ulm
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.7 €80.9
$40.16 E£2,101
125.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.3 €49.37
$49.61 E£2,596
11.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.4 €82.5
$115 E£6,033
-19.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$150 €134
$60.6 E£3,170
147.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ulm
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$958 €855
$220 E£11.5K
335.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$756 €674
$194 E£10.2K
289.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,887 €1,684
$514 E£26.9K
267.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,515 €1,352
$334 E£17.5K
354.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,993 €5,349
$806 E£42.2K
643.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,946 €3,522
$513 E£26.9K
668.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ulm
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,754 €3,350
$200 E£10.5K
1775.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.97
16.21
-75.51%

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

Last update for Ulm: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ulm
$756
Cairo
$194 74.3% $561
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ulm
$471
Cairo
$50 89.4% $421
Groceries & Markets
Ulm
$341
Cairo
$141 58.6% $200
Eating Out
Ulm
$277
Cairo
$91 67.1% $186
Clothing & Footwear
Ulm
$175
Cairo
$120 31.6% $55
Getting Around
Ulm
$77 *
Cairo
$11 85.3% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Ulm
$61
Cairo
$37 39.1% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $958 in Ulm versus $220 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 1775% higher in Ulm, 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 $66.0 in Ulm versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Ulm
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
05:48 5:48 AM
06:48 6:48 AM
1 h ahead of Ulm
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
121,648
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ulm Cairo 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ulm
  • 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
Ulm vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Ulm?
Yes – Ulm is pricier by about 232%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,208 per month in Ulm and $965 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.
How do food prices compare in Ulm and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 141% more in Ulm, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Ulm or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Ulm and $28.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ulm or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Ulm at $2,139. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ulm 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, Ulm 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, Ulm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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