Cost of Living · Africa
Cost of living in Cairo
Egypt · Updated May 2026
Mid-tier monthly
$1,070
all categories below
Best for: Cheap-MENA nomads who want a real megacity with deep history and brutal traffic.
Monthly breakdown
- Rent1-bedroom, central, decent neighborhood$500
- Groceriescooking ~50% of meals at home$180
- Dining out~12 meals out per month$150
- Transportmonthly transit pass or scooter$30
- Utilitieselectricity, water, 100Mbps internet$80
- Coworkingmonthly hot-desk membership$130
- Total$1,070
How Cairo compares
Versus four reference nomad cities, mid-tier monthly totals.
- Lisbon+85%
$1,980/mo
- Berlin+137%
$2,540/mo
- Bangkok+34%
$1,430/mo
- Mexico City+84%
$1,970/mo
Climate at a glance
Climate FinderJan
14°C
60% humidity · 0 mm/day rain
Apr
23°C
45% humidity · 0 mm/day rain
Jul
31°C
50% humidity · 0 mm/day rain
Oct
25°C
60% humidity · 0 mm/day rain
Field notes
Genuinely cheap, genuinely chaotic. Zamalek is the expat anchor; Maadi the quieter alternative. Egypt's nomad-visa story is still informal — most foreigners are on tourist visas with periodic runs. Wear-the-city slowly.
Useful while you’re in Cairo
Travel insurance
Long-term, nomad-friendly cover that travels with you to Cairo
Multi-currency banking
Avoid the 4% conversion fees foreign cards rack up in Egypt
eSIM data plan
Day-one connectivity in Egypt without local-SIM friction
Coworking & coliving
Day passes, monthly memberships, and verified workspaces in Cairo
Flight deals
Cheapest routes in and out of Cairo
Cities at a similar price point
Editorial estimates aggregated from public data (Numbeo, expat surveys, recent nomad reports). Prices vary by neighborhood and lifestyle — treat the totals as an order-of-magnitude comparison, not a budget.