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Head-to-head

Alexandria vs Cairo

Egypt flagAlexandriaEgypt flagCairo

Alexandria and Cairo are compared across affordability, safety, healthcare, career, culture and food, and public life. Cairo has the broader all-round edge, while Alexandria leads on affordability. The better fit depends on which of those relocation priorities matters most.

Photo: David Evers from Amsterdam, Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY)

How they compare

AffordabilitySafetyHealthcareCareerCulturePublic life
  • Alexandria
  • Cairo
Affordability
75
74
Safety
58
58
Healthcare
39
39
Career
36
43
Culture & food
58
67
Public life & spaces
41
33
Overall
47
49

Objective 0–100 scores from source-backed CrossBorders data. Green marks the category leader; gold is the overall leader.

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Alexandria or Cairo? Depends on you.

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Category by category

Is Alexandria or Cairo cheaper to live in?

Alexandria 75Cairo 74

Alexandria has the lower open-market one-bedroom rent on a new lease, at about €158 per month, compared with €209 in Cairo. Against one typical employee's mean net pay, Alexandria is beyond local pay at the 120% ceiling, with the underlying burden possibly higher, while Cairo is beyond local pay at the 120% ceiling, with the underlying burden possibly higher.

Is Alexandria or Cairo safer?

Alexandria 58Cairo 58

Also a tie. Serious violent crime is low in both, but political stability drags on each score, a shared shadow over daily life.

Does Alexandria or Cairo have better healthcare?

Alexandria 39Cairo 39

Level again. Doctor availability is thin in both cities, and private clinics are the realistic route for anyone needing dependable care.

Is Alexandria or Cairo better for your career?

Alexandria 36Cairo 43

Cairo leads. Its broader economy and larger English-language job pool give it more openings than Alexandria's narrower, smaller market.

Does Alexandria or Cairo have a better food and culture scene?

Alexandria 58Cairo 67

The widest gap in the set: Cairo ahead. Its depth of history, museums, and living culture outpaces even Alexandria's genuine Mediterranean-Levantine character.

Does Alexandria or Cairo have better public spaces and street life?

Alexandria 41Cairo 33

Alexandria edges this one. Its long corniche and modern library give it a bit more public sweep than Cairo's more chaotic, congested sprawl.

The verdict

Choose Cairo for the broader all-round balance, especially if career matters most. Choose Alexandria if affordability matters more. Compare their rent burden and day-to-day strengths before deciding.

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Alexandria vs Cairo looks different once your budget, work, and dealbreakers are in the mix. Answer a few questions and we'll weigh 109 metrics across 283 cities around your answers.

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Egypt flagLiving in AlexandriaEgypt flagLiving in Cairo

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