Cost of Living · CN vs EG
🇨🇳 Shanghai vs 🇪🇬 Cairo: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,011 in China vs $252 in Egypt — 75.11% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Egypt
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -80.57%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -80.56%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -80.56%
Closest to China prices
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -37.31%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -37.37%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -37.38%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | China | Egypt | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $650 | $126 (6,220 EGP) | -80.57% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $520 | $101 (4,976 EGP) | -80.56% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,189 | $231 (11,375 EGP) | -80.56% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.27 | $2.28 (112 EGP) | -72.43% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $34.45 | $9.51 (468 EGP) | -72.39% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $5.42 | $1.68 (83 EGP) | -69% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.62 | $0.24 (12 EGP) | -61.29% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.82 | $0.71 (35 EGP) | -60.99% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.93 | $0.76 (37 EGP) | -60.62% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.68 | $2.23 (110 EGP) | -60.74% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.27 | $0.89 (44 EGP) | -60.79% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.73 | $1.07 (53 EGP) | -60.81% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $6.81 | $2.67 (131 EGP) | -60.79% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.14 | $0.45 (22 EGP) | -60.53% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.76 | $0.76 (37 EGP) | -72.46% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.03 | $3.78 (186 EGP) | -37.31% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $2.30 | $0.63 (31 EGP) | -72.61% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.31 | $0.51 (25 EGP) | -61.07% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $32.05 | $9.95 (490 EGP) | -68.95% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.36 | $0.42 (21 EGP) | -69.12% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.84 | $0.51 (25 EGP) | -72.28% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.83 | $0.23 (11 EGP) | -72.29% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.72 | $0.45 (22 EGP) | -37.5% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $98.60 | $30.60 (1,506 EGP) | -68.97% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $34.51 | $10.71 (527 EGP) | -68.97% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $22.19 | $6.89 (339 EGP) | -68.95% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $22.97 | $6.34 (312 EGP) | -72.4% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $6.43 | $1.78 (88 EGP) | -72.32% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $13.78 | $3.80 (187 EGP) | -72.42% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $41.45 | $25.96 (1,278 EGP) | -37.37% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $67.82 | $42.47 (2,091 EGP) | -37.38% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $115 | $31.70 (1,561 EGP) | -72.39% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Egypt than China?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $252 in Egypt versus $1,011 in China — 75.11% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Egypt?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $0.76 in Egypt (≈ 37.41 EGP), versus about $2.76 in China.
- How much is rent in Egypt compared to China?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $126/month in Egypt versus $650/month in China (-80.57%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.