Egypt

Living in Egypt: the short version

Egypt offers a very low cost of living, year-round sunshine and a strategic location between Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Most foreign residents live in Cairo’s expat districts or Red Sea towns like Hurghada, and residence is usually tied to work, study, marriage or property.

Best for: Remote workers and retirees with foreign income, and professionals posted by international employers.

How to move to Egypt: main visa and residency routes

Summaries only — requirements and income thresholds change. Always check the official sources below.

Employment residence permit

Requires a work permit from an Egyptian employer.

Residence through property

Foreigners who buy qualifying property can apply for renewable residence.

Tourist residence

Longer non-working residence for people who can show sufficient means.

Healthcare for newcomers

Private hospitals in Cairo and Alexandria are the main option for expats; international health insurance is recommended.

How Egypt compares

Calculated from our data for all 55 countries. How we calculate this

Cost of living rank

1st cheapest of 55

Single person, core costs

$300/mo

Family of four, core costs

$666/mo

Take-home on $60,000

$43,300/yr

• Renting a one-bedroom home takes about 45% of the average local salary in Egypt, more than the median of 36% across the countries we cover.
• Core monthly costs for one person (rent, groceries, transport, utilities, internet and eating out) come to about $300, or 90% of the average local monthly salary.
• On a gross salary of $60,000 taxed locally, our estimate leaves $43,300 a year after income tax and employee social security (an effective rate of 28%), the 29th highest take-home pay of 55 countries. After single-person core costs, that leaves roughly $39,700 a year to save or spend.
• Countries with a similar overall cost of living: India, Nigeria, Vietnam.

Estimates for planning, using simplified national tax brackets in US dollars; local taxes, deductions and your own spending will differ. Try your own numbers in the tax calculator or budget planner.

Sources and methodology

Figures on this page are estimates in US dollars, compiled from the international datasets below and converted at recent exchange rates. The cost of living index uses New York City as 100. Guidance was last reviewed on September 30, 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.