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Cairo vs Nairobi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ช๐ฌ Cairo
๐ฐ๐ช Nairobi
At a glance
- Where Nairobi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (19%โ)
- Where Cairo is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (61%โ), Taxi (58%โ), Half-day tour (51%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Nairobi is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Cairo 5 vs Nairobi 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cairo | Nairobi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Eยฃ 220$4.49 | KSh 600$4.65 | similar |
| Street food1 item | Eยฃ 60$1.22 | KSh 150$1.16 | Nairobi โ5% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Eยฃ 450$9.18 | KSh 2,300$17.8 | Cairo โ48% |
| Coffeeone cup | Eยฃ 120$2.45 | KSh 400$3.1 | Cairo โ21% |
| Beerone bottle | Eยฃ 130$2.65 | KSh 300$2.33 | Nairobi โ12% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Eยฃ 350$7.14 | KSh 800$6.2 | Nairobi โ13% |
| Bottled water | Eยฃ 12$0.24 | KSh 50$0.39 | Cairo โ37% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Eยฃ 20$0.41 | KSh 80$0.62 | Cairo โ34% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Eยฃ 80$1.63 | KSh 500$3.88 | Cairo โ58% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Eยฃ 50$1.02 | KSh 335$2.6 | Cairo โ61% |
| Transitone ride | Eยฃ 15$0.31 | KSh 70$0.54 | Cairo โ44% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Eยฃ 600$12.2 | KSh 3,000$23.3 | Cairo โ47% |
| Hotel night3-star | Eยฃ 3,000$61.2 | KSh 9,000$69.8 | Cairo โ12% |
| Studio rent (month) | Eยฃ 12,000$245 | KSh 50,000$388 | Cairo โ37% |
| Laundry | Eยฃ 50$1.02 | KSh 200$1.55 | Cairo โ34% |
| SIM card1 week data | Eยฃ 350$7.14 | KSh 800$6.2 | Nairobi โ13% |
| Haircutcut | Eยฃ 150$3.06 | KSh 500$3.88 | Cairo โ21% |
| Massage1 hour | Eยฃ 800$16.3 | KSh 3,500$27.1 | Cairo โ40% |
| Half-day tourper person | Eยฃ 1,500$30.6 | KSh 8,000$62 | Cairo โ51% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Eยฃ 700$14.3 | KSh 1,500$11.6 | Nairobi โ19% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Cairo or Nairobi?
Cairo is 27% cheaper than Nairobi. Daily budget $93.8 vs $121; a month $1,117 vs $1,613.
Which is easier to travel, Cairo or Nairobi?
Nairobi is easier: Nairobi 2.8/5 vs Cairo 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cairo and Nairobi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cairo is about $1,117 and Nairobi about $1,613 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.