Is Cairo Expensive?

Egypt · Africa · Currency: EGP

16.8
COLI Index
#113
of 182 Cities
31.9%
Total Deductions
$300
1BR Rent/mo

About Cairo

Cairo has a cost of living index of 16.8, making it a very low cost city compared to New York (baseline = 100). It ranks #113 out of 182 cities tracked globally.

The local currency is EGP. A salary of $75,000 USD in New York would need to be approximately E£614,819 in Cairo to maintain the same purchasing power.

The approximate effective income tax rate in Egypt is 21% for a mid-range earner. Including social security and other mandatory deductions, the total deduction rate is approximately 31.9%.

Monthly Cost Breakdown in Cairo

Estimated monthly expense allocation for a mid-range earner living in Cairo. Housing costs are based on average one-bedroom rent in the city center ($300/month), with other categories adjusted for the local cost of living index.

Housing
36%
Food & Groceries
18%
Transportation
10%
Utilities
6%
Healthcare
5%
Other & Savings
25%

Estimates based on a mid-range salary adjusted for Cairo's COLI of 16.8 and Egypt's total deduction rate of 31.9%. Individual expenses will vary.

Tax & Deductions Breakdown in Cairo

Estimated annual deductions for a mid-range salary of E£614,819 in Cairo. This shows all mandatory payroll deductions as a local employee.

Income Tax
21%
Social Insurance
11.0%
Total Deductions: 31.9%
Est. Take-Home: E£418,734/yr

Rates shown are for a local employee. Expat rates may differ — use the main converter for personalized calculations.

Salary Ranges by Job Title in Cairo (2026)

Estimated annual salaries in Cairo (EGP) adjusted for cost of living. These figures represent local purchasing-power-adjusted ranges based on global baseline data.

Job Title Entry Level Mid Level Senior Level
Doctor (General) E£655,807 E£1,475,566 E£2,869,157
Surgeon E£983,711 E£2,295,325 E£4,098,795
Dentist E£573,831 E£1,311,614 E£2,459,277
Pharmacist E£491,855 E£1,024,699 E£1,639,518
Nurse E£245,928 E£475,460 E£819,759
Psychologist E£368,892 E£696,795 E£1,229,639
Software Engineer E£368,892 E£696,795 E£1,475,566
DevOps Engineer E£409,880 E£778,771 E£1,434,578
Data Scientist E£409,880 E£778,771 E£1,393,590
Mechanical Engineer E£327,904 E£639,412 E£1,147,663
Civil Engineer E£311,508 E£590,227 E£1,106,675
Electrical Engineer E£344,299 E£655,807 E£1,188,651
Architect E£311,508 E£590,227 E£1,065,687
UX Designer E£327,904 E£614,819 E£1,147,663
Product Manager E£450,867 E£819,759 E£1,557,542
Project Manager E£368,892 E£655,807 E£1,229,639
Financial Analyst E£344,299 E£639,412 E£1,188,651
Accountant E£286,916 E£508,251 E£901,735
Business Analyst E£344,299 E£614,819 E£1,147,663
Consultant E£368,892 E£737,783 E£1,475,566
Investment Banker E£655,807 E£1,229,639 E£2,869,157
Actuary E£491,855 E£901,735 E£1,639,518
Lawyer E£409,880 E£819,759 E£1,803,470
Paralegal E£245,928 E£426,275 E£696,795
Marketing Manager E£311,508 E£590,227 E£1,106,675
Sales Manager E£327,904 E£655,807 E£1,311,614
Graphic Designer E£245,928 E£450,867 E£819,759
Content Writer E£204,940 E£409,880 E£737,783
HR Manager E£311,508 E£573,831 E£1,065,687
Operations Manager E£368,892 E£672,202 E£1,229,639
CEO / Executive E£819,759 E£1,803,470 E£4,098,795
Teacher E£204,940 E£393,484 E£696,795
Professor E£409,880 E£778,771 E£1,475,566
Research Scientist E£368,892 E£696,795 E£1,270,627
Pilot E£409,880 E£983,711 E£2,049,398
Chef E£204,940 E£409,880 E£819,759
Journalist E£204,940 E£426,275 E£778,771

Salary ranges are estimates adjusted by Cairo's COLI (16.8) relative to the New York baseline (100). Actual salaries depend on experience, company, and industry.

How Much Do You Need to Earn in Cairo?

Understanding your take-home pay is critical when evaluating a move to Cairo. With total deductions of approximately 31.9% (income tax + social security) in Egypt and average one-bedroom rent of $300/month, here is what a mid-range salary looks like:

E£614,819
Gross Annual (Mid-Range)
E£34,891
Monthly Take-Home

After taxes, a mid-range earner in Cairo takes home approximately E£34,891 per month. With housing consuming roughly 36% of after-tax income, careful budgeting is essential in this very low cost city. Your purchasing power in Cairo is 595% of what it would be in New York for the same nominal salary.

Neighborhoods in Cairo

20 neighborhoods tracked with cost multipliers relative to the city average. This neighborhood-level data helps you understand exactly how costs vary within Cairo.

NeighborhoodMultipliervs City Avg
Zamalek 1.35x +35%
Garden City 1.28x +28%
Maadi 1.18x +18%
New Cairo (5th Settlement) 1.15x +15%
Katameya 1.12x +12%
Rehab City 1.10x +10%
Heliopolis 1.08x +8%
Sheikh Zayed City 1.05x +5%
Corniche El Nil 1.05x +5%
Dokki 1.02x +2%
Hadayek El Maadi 1.02x +2%
Mohandessin 0.95x -5%
Downtown 0.90x -10%
6th of October City 0.85x -15%
Nasr City 0.82x -18%
Al Shorouk 0.82x -18%
Obour City 0.78x -22%
Shubra 0.72x -28%
Ain Shams 0.68x -32%
El Marg 0.65x -35%

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Salary Comparison: Cairo vs Other Cities

To maintain the same standard of living as $75,000 USD in Cairo, here's what you'd need in other cities:

City COLI Equivalent Salary Difference
New York 100 $446,429 +83%
London 87.5 £294,145 +81%
Singapore 87.7 S$510,035 +81%
Dubai 72.4 AED 1,170,922 +77%
Berlin 51.2 €193,804 +67%
Tokyo 77.3 ¥53,457,657 +78%
Sydney 74.5 A$472,587 +77%
Toronto 62.3 C$376,558 +73%

Compare Cairo With Other Cities

See detailed side-by-side comparisons of salaries, rent, taxes, and neighborhoods.

Cairo vs Abu Dhabi Cairo vs Amsterdam Cairo vs Athens Cairo vs Atlanta Cairo vs Auckland Cairo vs Austin Cairo vs Bali (Denpasar) Cairo vs Bangalore Cairo vs Bangkok Cairo vs Barcelona Cairo vs Beijing Cairo vs Berlin Cairo vs Bogotá Cairo vs Boston Cairo vs Brussels Cairo vs Bucharest Cairo vs Budapest Cairo vs Buenos Aires Cairo vs Cancún Cairo vs Cape Town Cairo vs Casablanca Cairo vs Charlotte Cairo vs Chennai Cairo vs Chiang Mai Cairo vs Chicago Cairo vs Copenhagen Cairo vs Dallas Cairo vs Delhi Cairo vs Denver Cairo vs Doha Cairo vs Dubai Cairo vs Dublin Cairo vs Edinburgh Cairo vs Fukuoka Cairo vs Geneva Cairo vs Guangzhou Cairo vs Hanoi Cairo vs Helsinki Cairo vs Ho Chi Minh City Cairo vs Hong Kong Cairo vs Houston Cairo vs Istanbul Cairo vs Jakarta Cairo vs Krakow Cairo vs Kuala Lumpur Cairo vs Lagos Cairo vs Las Vegas Cairo vs Lima Cairo vs Lisbon Cairo vs London Cairo vs Los Angeles Cairo vs Luxembourg City Cairo vs Madrid Cairo vs Manila Cairo vs Marrakech Cairo vs Medellín Cairo vs Melbourne Cairo vs Mexico City Cairo vs Miami Cairo vs Milan Cairo vs Minneapolis Cairo vs Montevideo Cairo vs Montreal Cairo vs Mumbai Cairo vs Munich Cairo vs Málaga Cairo vs Nairobi Cairo vs Nashville Cairo vs New York Cairo vs Nice Cairo vs Osaka Cairo vs Oslo Cairo vs Panama City Cairo vs Paris Cairo vs Perth Cairo vs Philadelphia Cairo vs Phnom Penh Cairo vs Phoenix Cairo vs Phuket Cairo vs Playa del Carmen Cairo vs Portland Cairo vs Porto Cairo vs Prague Cairo vs Raleigh Cairo vs Riga Cairo vs Riyadh Cairo vs Rome Cairo vs San Diego Cairo vs San Francisco Cairo vs San José (CR) Cairo vs Santiago Cairo vs Seattle Cairo vs Seoul Cairo vs Shanghai Cairo vs Shenzhen Cairo vs Singapore Cairo vs Split Cairo vs Stockholm Cairo vs Sydney Cairo vs São Paulo Cairo vs Taipei Cairo vs Tallinn Cairo vs Tampa Cairo vs Tel Aviv Cairo vs Tokyo Cairo vs Toronto Cairo vs Valencia Cairo vs Vancouver Cairo vs Vienna Cairo vs Warsaw Cairo vs Washington DC Cairo vs Zurich

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of living index for Cairo?

The cost of living index (COLI) for Cairo is 16.8, which ranks #113 out of 182 cities globally. New York is the baseline at 100.

How much salary do I need in Cairo to match $75,000 in New York?

To maintain the same purchasing power as $75,000 USD in New York, you would need approximately E£614,819 in Cairo.

What is the average rent in Cairo?

The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center of Cairo is approximately $300 USD.

What are the total payroll deductions in Egypt?

The approximate effective income tax rate for a mid-range earner in Egypt is approximately 21%. Including social security and other mandatory contributions, total deductions are approximately 31.9%.

What are the cheapest neighborhoods in Cairo?

The most affordable neighborhoods include Shubra, Ain Shams, El Marg.

What are the most expensive areas in Cairo?

The most expensive neighborhoods are Zamalek, Garden City, Maadi.

Data Sources & Methodology

Our cost of living index (COLI) uses New York City as the baseline (COLI = 100). Indices are derived from multiple sources including Numbeo, Expatistan, and national statistics agencies. Exchange rates are sourced from the European Central Bank.

Tax rates represent approximate effective rates for mid-range earners based on OECD Taxing Wages data and do not constitute tax advice. Neighborhood cost multipliers are estimated from local rental indices and property data. Salary ranges are modeled by adjusting global baseline figures by each city's COLI.

Last updated: 2026-02-25. Data is refreshed periodically and may not reflect very recent changes. All figures are estimates for informational purposes only.

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