Cost of Living · MY vs EG
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur vs 🇪🇬 Cairo: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $594 in Malaysia vs $252 in Egypt — 57.64% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Egypt
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -63.94%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -63.93%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -63.93%
Closest to Malaysia prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -25%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -25.15%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -25.27%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Malaysia | Egypt | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $350 | $126 (6,220 EGP) | -63.94% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $280 | $101 (4,976 EGP) | -63.93% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $641 | $231 (11,375 EGP) | -63.93% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.09 | $2.28 (112 EGP) | -55.21% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $21.19 | $9.51 (468 EGP) | -55.12% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $3.49 | $1.68 (83 EGP) | -51.86% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.44 | $0.24 (12 EGP) | -45.45% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.28 | $0.71 (35 EGP) | -44.53% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.36 | $0.76 (37 EGP) | -44.12% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $3.99 | $2.23 (110 EGP) | -44.11% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $1.60 | $0.89 (44 EGP) | -44.37% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $1.91 | $1.07 (53 EGP) | -43.98% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $4.79 | $2.67 (131 EGP) | -44.26% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $0.80 | $0.45 (22 EGP) | -43.75% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $1.70 | $0.76 (37 EGP) | -55.29% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.05 | $3.78 (186 EGP) | -25.15% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $1.41 | $0.63 (31 EGP) | -55.32% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $0.92 | $0.51 (25 EGP) | -44.57% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $20.61 | $9.95 (490 EGP) | -51.72% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $0.87 | $0.42 (21 EGP) | -51.72% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.13 | $0.51 (25 EGP) | -54.87% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.51 | $0.23 (11 EGP) | -54.9% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.60 | $0.45 (22 EGP) | -25% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $63.40 | $30.60 (1,506 EGP) | -51.74% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $22.19 | $10.71 (527 EGP) | -51.74% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $14.27 | $6.89 (339 EGP) | -51.72% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $14.13 | $6.34 (312 EGP) | -55.13% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $3.96 | $1.78 (88 EGP) | -55.05% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $8.48 | $3.80 (187 EGP) | -55.19% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $34.74 | $25.96 (1,278 EGP) | -25.27% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $56.84 | $42.47 (2,091 EGP) | -25.28% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $70.65 | $31.70 (1,561 EGP) | -55.13% |
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 Malaysia?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $252 in Egypt versus $594 in Malaysia — 57.64% 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 $1.70 in Malaysia.
- How much is rent in Egypt compared to Malaysia?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $126/month in Egypt versus $350/month in Malaysia (-63.94%). 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.