🇦🇪 Dubai vs 🇪🇬 Cairo
Cost of Living Comparison (2026)
Cairo is 79% cheaper than Dubai
Quick answer
Comparing Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Cairo, Egypt: a moderate single-person monthly budget is approximately $3,846 in Dubai versus $815 in Cairo. Cairo is roughly 79% cheaper overall. Central 1-bed rent: $2,286/mo (Dubai) vs $295/mo (Cairo). The totals use the single-person city-centre basket: canonical 1-bedroom city-centre rent plus modeled groceries, dining, transport, utilities/internet, healthcare, and leisure/personal spending.
Key facts
- Moderate budget: $3,846/mo in Dubai single person — city-centre rent + modeled non-housing categories.
- Moderate budget: $815/mo in Cairo single person — like-for-like city-centre basket.
- Central 1-bed rent $2,286/mo in Dubai · $295/mo in Cairo.
- Cheaper overall: Cairo ~79% cheaper than Dubai.
- Source World Bank ICP + national statistics · CC BY 4.0.
Monthly Budget Comparison
| Lifestyle | 🇦🇪 Dubai | 🇪🇬 Cairo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $2,700/mo | $550/mo | -80% |
| Moderate | $3,846/mo | $815/mo | -79% |
| Comfortable | $5,750/mo | $1,200/mo | -79% |
The Moderate row equals the category table below: single-person city-centre basket: canonical 1-bedroom city-centre rent plus modeled groceries, dining, transport, utilities/internet, healthcare, and leisure/personal spending. Budget and Comfortable scale that same basket.
Cost Breakdown by Category
| Category | 🇦🇪 Dubai | 🇪🇬 Cairo | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1-bed, center) | $2,286/mo | $295/mo | -87% |
| Groceries & Food | $480/mo | $160/mo | -67% |
| Dining Out | $240/mo | $80/mo | -67% |
| Transport | $240/mo | $80/mo | -67% |
| Utilities & Internet | $240/mo | $80/mo | -67% |
| Healthcare | $192/mo | $64/mo | -67% |
| Leisure & Personal | $168/mo | $56/mo | -67% |
Category sum = Moderate budget. Basis: single-person city-centre basket: canonical 1-bedroom city-centre rent plus modeled groceries, dining, transport, utilities/internet, healthcare, and leisure/personal spending.
Quick Facts
🇦🇪 Dubai
- Monthly cost (moderate)
- $3,846
- 1-bed rent (center)
- $2,286/mo
- Cappuccino
- $4.50
- Inexpensive meal
- $10.00
- Monthly transit pass
- $80
- Internet speed
- 200 Mbps
- Safety index
- 88/100(very safe)
- Healthcare index
- 88/100
- Country
- United Arab Emirates
🇪🇬 Cairo
- Monthly cost (moderate)
- $815
- 1-bed rent (center)
- $295/mo
- Cappuccino
- $2.50
- Inexpensive meal
- $3.00
- Monthly transit pass
- $12
- Internet speed
- 45 Mbps
- Safety index
- 45/100(concerns)
- Healthcare index
- 57/100
- Country
- Egypt
Explore more: Dubai city guide | Cairo city guide | United Arab Emirates | Egypt