Egypt
Source: WhereNext Global Relocation Index 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Challenging Fit — strongest in affordability and lifestyle.
- Monthly cost
- $550/mo
- 84% less than US · standard 11-category basket
- Safety
- 35/100
- Watch · high confidence
- Healthcare
- 31/100
- Watch · medium confidence
- Schools
- 12/100
- education index · medium confidence
- Climate
- 24°C avg
- 51mm/yr rain
- Infrastructure
- 43/100
- Mixed · medium confidence
83% data coverage·118.4M population·Institutional data
Per-field freshness (5 dimensions)
Egypt at a glance
- Cost$550/mosingle person · standard 11-category basket
- Safety1.3 per 100Kintentional homicides (UNODC)
- Healthcare71/100 UHCWHO universal health coverage
- Tax wedge—single, no kids (OECD)
- Population118.4MWorld Bank 2024
Quick answer
Quick answer
Cost-of-living estimate is a 2026 single-person model based on the WhereNext cost index. Use the Cost of Living tool for city-level detail.
Key facts
- Rank #84 of 95 composite score 27/100 across the WhereNext 7-dimension framework.
- ~$550/mo single-person cost of living, including rent, utilities, food, and transport.
- Strongest: Affordability highest of 95 normalized — top strength out of 7 dimensions.
- Watch area: Education 12/100 — lowest dimension; verify against your priorities.
- Coverage: 83% of dimensions population 118.4M · official and institutional sources (World Bank, UNDP, IEP, OECD, EF EPI).
Composite score
On par with peers
- Egypt
- 27/100
- North Africa avg
- 26/100
- Global avg
- 49/100
Compared against 3 regional neighbors and 95 indexed countries globally.
Source: WhereNext 7-dimension composite (World Bank ICP, UNDP HDI, IEP GPI, OECD PISA, EF EPI, Eurostat) · updated
Healthcare costs — Egypt vs US baseline
Five common line items. Destination visit prices are modelled from US prices with a country multiplier; private insurance uses separate estimates. Grey bar = US price (reference); green = destination; amber = destination above US.
Updated · WhereNext healthcare-cost dataset
Private ins./mo
GP visit
Specialist visit
ER visit
Dental cleaning
| Line item | Country | Local range | US price (reference) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private ins./mo | 🇪🇬 Egypt | $28-$52 | $500 | −$460 |
| GP visit | 🇪🇬 Egypt | $10-$20 | $225 | −$210 |
| Specialist visit | 🇪🇬 Egypt | $15-$30 | $375 | −$352 |
| ER visit | 🇪🇬 Egypt | $70-$150 | $1.9K | −$1.7K |
| Dental cleaning | 🇪🇬 Egypt | $5-$10 | $150 | −$142 |
Annual climate — Cairo (Egypt)
Each vertical band shows the monthly low-to-high temperature range; the colour classifies the month by its high/low MIDPOINT. Green = comfortable midpoint (5-25°C); amber = hot midpoint (>25°C); grey = cold midpoint (<5°C). A green month can still have hot afternoons — read the bands for the extremes.
Updated · Climate-Data.org + WhereNext city-monthly-climate dataset
Cairo
| City | Month | High | Low | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo | Jan | 19°C | 9°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Cairo | Feb | 21°C | 9°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Cairo | Mar | 24°C | 12°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Cairo | Apr | 28°C | 14°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Cairo | May | 33°C | 18°C | Hot (midpoint >25°C) |
| Cairo | Jun | 35°C | 21°C | Hot (midpoint >25°C) |
| Cairo | Jul | 36°C | 23°C | Hot (midpoint >25°C) |
| Cairo | Aug | 35°C | 23°C | Hot (midpoint >25°C) |
| Cairo | Sep | 34°C | 21°C | Hot (midpoint >25°C) |
| Cairo | Oct | 30°C | 18°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Cairo | Nov | 25°C | 14°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
| Cairo | Dec | 20°C | 10°C | Comfortable (midpoint 5–25°C) |
Will you find your people in Egypt?
Expat density
Low0.5% foreign-born
English proficiency
7/100 (EF EPI)
Coworking density
Low
Top nomad hubs
Cairo, Dahab
Safety reality in Egypt
Per Global Peace Index + WHO + national crime statistics.
GPI 2026Institute for Economics & Peace · Verified HDR 2025 (HDI 2023 data)United Nations Development Programme · Verified- Moderate
Overall public safety
Sinai insurgency; high sexual harassment rates; LGBTQ+ individuals face arrest under morality laws.
- Serious
Political stability22/100
Material political instability — track-record of policy reversals or civil unrest. Verify residency rights are durable before committing.
- Strong
Natural disaster resilience80/100
Moderate exposure (earthquake, flood, drought). Insurance coverage usually sufficient; check policy fine print.
- Serious
Women's safety28/100
Elevated harassment / personal-safety reports — research neighbourhoods and apply additional precautions.
- Serious
LGBTQ+ safety8/100
Hostile legal regime — same-sex relationships may be criminalised or unrecognised. Do not relocate without legal advice.
- Caution
Emergency healthcare quality48/100
Limited emergency capacity — international medical evacuation insurance strongly advised. Avoid relocation without local-network research if managing chronic conditions.
- Caution
Terrorism risk
Active advisories — avoid known target areas, register with home embassy.
National averages only. Cross-reference at the city / neighbourhood level before relocating.
Verify with current government advisories
Static-data signals don’t reflect this week’s situation. Cross-check your home government’s current travel advisory before any irreversible commitment.
What life in Egypt is actually like
Daily rhythm and cultural texture
Cairo is sensory overload distilled into a city. The call to prayer echoes across Zamalek at dawn while feluccas drift on the Nile below. Traffic on the 6th October Bridge is a contact sport — lanes are suggestions, horns are punctuation. You'll eat kushari from a street cart in Downtown for 20 Egyptian pounds, then have a world-class dinner at Sequoia overlooking the Nile for a fraction of London prices. The social rhythm is nocturnal: dinner at 10pm is early, cafes in Maadi and Heliopolis buzz until 2am, and Ramadan flips the entire schedule. Weekends are Friday-Saturday, and Thursday night is the new Friday. Dust is constant — a thin film coats everything within hours of cleaning. The khamsin winds in spring bring Saharan sand that turns the sky orange. Escape routes matter: the Red Sea coast is a 4-hour drive to Ain Sokhna, Alexandria's corniche offers Mediterranean relief, and Dahab in Sinai is the diving-and-decompression retreat. Social life depends heavily on your compound or neighborhood — Maadi's tree-lined streets and expat clubs feel like a village within the megacity.
Who thrives here — and who struggles
History and archaeology enthusiasts find nowhere comparable on Earth. Arabic language students benefit from immersive exposure to Egyptian dialect, the lingua franca of the Arab world. Cost-conscious remote workers stretch their income dramatically — a comfortable apartment in Maadi or Zamalek runs $300-500/month. Regional business professionals use Cairo as a hub for the broader MENA market. Egypt is not for those who need personal space, quiet, or predictability. Women should be prepared for persistent street harassment, particularly outside expat enclaves. Anyone requiring clean air or minimal noise will find Cairo genuinely punishing.
Reality check: the first 6 months
Navigating mogamma-style government offices for residency paperwork is a trial of endurance — bring a book, arrive early, and expect to be sent to a different window multiple times. Opening a bank account requires your residency permit, which requires a bank account to prove financial stability — the circularity is real and typically resolved through a fixer or a sympathetic bank manager. Landlords in expat-friendly areas demand rent in US dollars despite technically needing to accept Egyptian pounds. The currency has devalued sharply since 2022, which benefits dollar-earners but creates constant price adjustments. Internet speeds are adequate in urban areas but throttling during peak hours is common. Learning to read Arabic numerals (which differ from Western Arabic numerals) is essential for daily transactions.
Egypt at a glance
What works well here
- ✓Extremely low cost of living relative to quality
- ✓Rich ancient history and cultural depth
- ✓Strategic geographic location with excellent air connectivity
- ✓Warm climate year-round with Red Sea beaches
Friction to expect
- !Severe air pollution and traffic congestion in Cairo
- !Bureaucracy can be slow and opaque
- !Political stability concerns and press freedom limitations
Practical nuances
- LGBTQ+ safety
- Homosexuality is not explicitly criminalized but authorities use morality and debauchery laws to prosecute. Extreme discretion is essential; public displays are unsafe.
- Driving & licensing
- Drives on the right. Traffic in Cairo is notoriously chaotic with aggressive driving norms. International driving permits are accepted temporarily; a local license requires a practical test.
- Healthcare system
- A fragmented system with public, military, and private tiers. Most expats rely on private hospitals such as As-Salam International or Dar Al Fouad, which offer modern facilities.
- Walkability & transit
- Cairo has an expanding metro system (the oldest in Africa) and a new monorail under construction. Outside the metro, traffic congestion makes ride-hailing apps far more practical than driving.
Healthcare-system facts · Source: WHO Global Health Observatory + national health-ministry publications · Source review pending · last checked Apr 18, 2026 · Verify coverage and eligibility with the public-system administrator or a licensed health insurer before relying on it.
Tax overview
- Personal income tax
- 0% - 27.5%
- Corporate tax
- 22.5%
- Sales / VAT
- 14%
- Wealth & crypto
- No specific crypto regulation. Income tax applies to all income sources including digital assets.
Tax rates and special regimes · Source: OECD Tax Database + national tax authority publications + treaty texts · Source review pending · last checked Apr 18, 2026 · Verify against your own circumstances with a licensed cross-border tax advisor before filing.
See our tax calculator to model your specific situation.
Where expats settle in Egypt
Decision Snapshot
The numbers that matter most for your relocation decision.
Scored 0–100 using data from credited organisations: World Bank (cost, governance), WHO (healthcare), OECD PISA (education), Global Peace Index (safety), Open-Meteo (climate), and other credited organisations, plus our own curated data — scoring never uses crowdsourced surveys; crowd-market price indexes appear only as labeled city-cost calibration. See the full methodology.
$550
High Value · standard 11-category basket
1.3 homicides per 100k
UHC index: 71
3 pathways
Tourist Visa
Avg 24°C / 75°F
GDP/capita PPP: $20,204
Monthly cost-of-living basket · Source: World Bank + OECD + national statistical agencies + WhereNext research — standard 11-category single-person basket · Source review pending · last checked Apr 21, 2026 · Verify with a recent local listing or in-person check before committing.
Key Caution
Career scores 13/100, which is 45 points below the global average. Research this area carefully before committing.
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The honest take
What's great
- Affordability — scored highest of 95(well above average)
- Lifestyle — scored 44/100
- Infrastructure — scored 43/100
Watch out for
- Education — scored 12/100(40 below average)
- Career — scored 13/100(45 below average)
Is this place viable for you?
Quick decision check — Egypt
Strengths
- Affordability100/100
- Lifestyle44/100
- Infrastructure43/100
Likely blockers
School options may be limited
Run the free School Cost CalculatorCareer market is narrower than average
Re-rank destinations against your priorities
How Egypt Scores
Seven dimensions, weighted by what matters to relocators.
Best Cities in Egypt
Flagship cities first, then researched, then modeled — sorted by cost.
Cairo
city price-index model
Alexandria
city price-index model
Giza
city price-index model
Sharm El Sheikh
city price-index model
All 4 Cities in Egypt
International Schools in Egypt
101 schools · 1 cityBrowse detailed school profiles — tuition, class sizes, nationalities, admissions, and hidden fees.
Relocating with school-age children? Browse ranked schools in Egypt with true-cost fees and admissions timing below.
This plan is not currently for sale.Tradeoffs and Risks
Every country has tradeoffs. Here is what the data shows.
What works well
Areas to research
Regional comparison
Get the free Egypt Relocation Snapshot (2026)
A one-page, source-cited PDF — cost of living, visa routes, tax & healthcare for Egypt, each figure cited to its source. The weekly relocation brief: dated rule, cost and ranking changes with primary sources. One email a week — unsubscribe in one click.
Similar Countries
Countries with a similar data profile across all seven dimensions.
Relocation Checklist — Egypt
Checklist is for guidance only. Requirements may vary based on nationality, visa type, and personal circumstances. Consult an immigration professional.
Make Egypt real
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Egypt advisor intro
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About Egypt
Egypt offers an unmatched blend of ancient history, strategic location bridging Africa and the Middle East, and a rapidly modernizing economy anchored by its new administrative capital and Suez Canal revenues.
Deep Research
Detailed data for thorough due diligence. Expand any section below.
Quick Facts
Quick Facts
Capital
Cairo
Population
118.4M
Region
North Africa
Languages
Arabic
Currency
Egyptian Pound (EGP)
Timezone
EET (UTC+2)
GDP per capita (PPP)
$20,204
Unemployment
6.8%
Healthcare System
Healthcare System
UHC Coverage Index
71
Physicians per 1,000
1.2
Life expectancy
71.8 years
Homicide rate
1.3 per 100k
If your visa or residency application requires proof of health cover, compare the exact requirement with a comprehensive resident plan before you apply. International Citizens Insurance can compare resident plans from multiple insurers; a travel-medical policy may not meet that requirement.
Climate & Environment
Climate & Environment
Average temperature
23.8°C / 75°F
Annual rainfall
51 mm
Visa Pathways
Visa Pathways
Tourist Visa
Available on arrival for many nationalities, valid for 30 days with possible extension.
Work Permit
Employer-sponsored, requires labor ministry approval and a ratio of local-to-foreign employees.
Residence Permit
Granted for property owners, retirees, or those with Egyptian family ties; renewable annually.
Golden Visa Program
Golden Visa Program
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Egypt a good country to move to?
Egypt scores 27/100 overall and ranks #84 out of 95 countries in our data-driven analysis. Its strongest dimensions are affordability and lifestyle. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use our free personalization quiz to see how it ranks for your specific profile.
What is the cost of living in Egypt?
The estimated monthly cost of living in Egypt is approximately $550 on WhereNext's standard 11-category single-person basket. GDP per capita (PPP) is $20,204. Cost inputs draw on World Bank, OECD, national statistical agencies, and WhereNext research.
Is Egypt safe to live in?
Egypt has notable safety concerns, scoring 35/100 on our safety index (normalized within our 95-country field; inputs: Global Peace Index, World Bank political stability, and homicide statistics). The homicide rate is 1.3 per 100,000 people.
How is healthcare in Egypt?
Egypt has limited healthcare infrastructure, scoring 31/100 on our healthcare index (normalized within our 95-country field). The WHO Universal Health Coverage index is 71. There are 1.2 physicians per 1,000 people. Healthcare quality can vary significantly between cities and rural areas.
Do I need a visa to move to Egypt?
Requirements depend on your citizenship and intended length of stay. Common pathways include Tourist Visa, Work Permit, Residence Permit. Always check with the official embassy or consulate for current requirements.
Egypt Guides & Articles
Suggested citation
CC BY 4.0This dataset is free to redistribute, quote, and embed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The composite form below preserves source lineage so AI assistants can cite both WhereNext and the underlying institutional publishers.
WhereNext composite — WhereNext Egypt Relocation Profile 2026 (2026-04-21). Derived from: World Bank ICP (cost of living); WHO Global Health Observatory (healthcare quality); OECD PISA + UNESCO UIS (education); Yale EPI (environment); IEP Global Peace Index (safety); EF EPI (English proficiency); World Bank internet penetration + fixed broadband (digital infrastructure); WGI (governance). Available at https://getwherenext.com/country/eg?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. (2026). WhereNext Egypt Relocation Profile 2026. Retrieved from https://getwherenext.com/country/eg?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. "WhereNext Egypt Relocation Profile 2026." WhereNext, 21 Apr 2026, https://getwherenext.com/country/eg?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. Accessed via https://getwherenext.com/country/eg?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
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Important Notice
WhereNext provides data-driven insights for informational purposes only. Scores and rankings are algorithmically generated from public institutional data and may not reflect your individual circumstances. This tool does not replace professional advice for immigration, legal, tax, or financial matters.