Living in Egypt - The Cost of Living

Embassies, NGOs, and multinational corporations all find it advantageous to have a presence in Egypt, resulting in a thriving expat community in Cairo. One major perk of expat life here is the low cost of living. While neighborhoods with large expat populations tend to be slightly more expensive, they remain quite affordable and offer numerous international food options and activities to make you feel at home. Imports and alcohol often carry a larger price tag, but most everyday items are more affordable than in cities throughout the US and Europe. Here are a few examples of the prices of various goods in the popular expat neighborhood of Maadi as of June 2024.

Currency of Egypt: Egyptian pound, abbreviated as EGP or LE

Current Exchange Rate: 1 USD = 50 EGP; 1 Euro = 52 EGP

Self Care and Wellness

Staying healthy and relaxed is quite affordable in Cairo. Love a good massage (umm, who doesn’t?), or want to sweat it out in the gym? Well you’re in luck! Not only are there multiple options, but they won’t break the bank either!

Massage - 1500 EGP (32 USD) for 1 hour Swedish massage

Manicure & Pedicure - 630 EGP (13 USD) for a pedicure and gel manicure

1 Year Gym Membership - 10,000LE (212 USD) for a whole year of workouts

Food

Now that you’re all relaxed from your massage and pedicure, how about a delicious dinner out? Or maybe you want to relax at home and order in?

Restaurant Meal - 275 EGP (6 USD) for a delicious plate of rigatoni bolognese pasta

Pizza Delivery - 400 EGP (8.5 USD) for 2 large Dominos pizzas

Latte - 100 EGP (2 USD) for vanilla flavored caffeine bliss

Groceries

1L Milk - 55 EGP (1 USD)

Loaf of Bread - 50 EGP (1 USD)

500 grams (1 lb) of Chicken Breast - 150 EGP (3 USD)