Cost of Living · ZA vs EG
🇿🇦 Cape Town vs 🇪🇬 Cairo: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $833 in South Africa vs $252 in Egypt — 69.78% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Egypt
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -75.68%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -75.68%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -75.68%
Closest to South Africa prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -32.84%
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -33.1%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -33.21%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | South Africa | Egypt | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $520 | $126 (6,220 EGP) | -75.68% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $416 | $101 (4,976 EGP) | -75.68% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $950 | $231 (11,375 EGP) | -75.68% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.93 | $2.28 (112 EGP) | -67.1% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $28.88 | $9.51 (468 EGP) | -67.07% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $4.62 | $1.68 (83 EGP) | -63.64% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.55 | $0.24 (12 EGP) | -56.36% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.60 | $0.71 (35 EGP) | -55.62% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.70 | $0.76 (37 EGP) | -55.29% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.00 | $2.23 (110 EGP) | -55.4% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.00 | $0.89 (44 EGP) | -55.5% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.40 | $1.07 (53 EGP) | -55.42% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $5.99 | $2.67 (131 EGP) | -55.43% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.00 | $0.45 (22 EGP) | -55% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.31 | $0.76 (37 EGP) | -67.1% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.65 | $3.78 (186 EGP) | -33.1% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $1.93 | $0.63 (31 EGP) | -67.36% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.15 | $0.51 (25 EGP) | -55.65% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $27.30 | $9.95 (490 EGP) | -63.55% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.16 | $0.42 (21 EGP) | -63.79% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.54 | $0.51 (25 EGP) | -66.88% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.69 | $0.23 (11 EGP) | -66.67% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.67 | $0.45 (22 EGP) | -32.84% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $84.00 | $30.60 (1,506 EGP) | -63.57% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $29.40 | $10.71 (527 EGP) | -63.57% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $18.90 | $6.89 (339 EGP) | -63.54% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $19.26 | $6.34 (312 EGP) | -67.08% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $5.39 | $1.78 (88 EGP) | -66.98% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $11.55 | $3.80 (187 EGP) | -67.1% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $38.87 | $25.96 (1,278 EGP) | -33.21% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $63.61 | $42.47 (2,091 EGP) | -33.23% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $96.28 | $31.70 (1,561 EGP) | -67.08% |
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 South Africa?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $252 in Egypt versus $833 in South Africa — 69.78% 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 $2.31 in South Africa.
- How much is rent in Egypt compared to South Africa?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $126/month in Egypt versus $520/month in South Africa (-75.68%). 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.