💰 Cost of Living
Average monthly expenses for a digital nomad
🏠 Accommodation
🍜 Food & Dining
🚗 Transportation
🎯 Other
⚡ Digital Nomad Essentials
Everything you need to work remotely from Cairo
📶 Internet
☁️ Weather
✈️ Transport
🛂 Visa
✓Advantages
- ✓Very low cost of living for a megacity if you pay in strong currencies while earning abroad
- ✓World-class historical sites in and around the city including the Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx and Islamic Cairo
- ✓Egypt leads Africa for fixed broadband speeds with improving fibre coverage and growing digital infrastructure
- ✓Strong café and coworking ecosystem emerging in Zamalek, Maadi and Downtown, with laptop-friendly spots and MQR / The GrEEK Campus hubs
- ✓Mild, sunny winters that are ideal for long stays compared to colder European cities
- ✓Excellent local food from koshary and falafel to Nile-view restaurants at prices far below Europe or the Gulf
- ✓Easy domestic travel connections to Luxor, Aswan, Sinai and the Red Sea for weekend or post-stay trips
✗Disadvantages
- ✗Traffic, noise and air pollution can be intense, especially in central districts and on main arteries
- ✗Summer heat, dust and occasional sandstorms make June–September uncomfortable for many remote workers
- ✗Frequent haggling and a high level of petty scams and tourist overcharging around major sights
- ✗Sidewalks and road crossings are often chaotic and not very pedestrian-friendly
- ✗Drinking tap water is not recommended and power cuts or connectivity drops can still occur in some areas
- ✗Cultural norms are more conservative than in European capitals, with additional considerations for solo women and LGBTQ+ travellers
💼 Top Coworking Spaces
Best places to work in Cairo
MQR - The GrEEK Campus Downtown
📍 171 El Tahrir St, Downtown Cairo • 150 Mbps • Meeting rooms
MQR Maadi
📍 Street 9 area, Maadi, Cairo • 120 Mbps • Meeting rooms
The District Maadi
📍 14 Road 9, Maadi, Cairo • 100 Mbps • Meeting rooms
Co-55 Zamalek
📍 3 Mohammed Mazhar St, Zamalek, Cairo • 120 Mbps • Meeting rooms
The GrEEK Campus West
📍 Mall of Arabia, 6th of October City, Giza • 150 Mbps • Meeting rooms
MQR - The GrEEK Campus Downtown
📍 171 El Tahrir St, Downtown Cairo
MQR Maadi
📍 Street 9 area, Maadi, Cairo
The District Maadi
📍 14 Road 9, Maadi, Cairo
Co-55 Zamalek
📍 3 Mohammed Mazhar St, Zamalek, Cairo
The GrEEK Campus West
📍 Mall of Arabia, 6th of October City, Giza
☕ Best Cafes to Work From
Laptop-friendly cafes with good WiFi
Octa cafe and restaurant
📍 Downtown
Holm Cafe
📍 Zamalek
Café Greco
📍 Maadi
30 NORTH ICONIA
📍 Zamalek
Sufi Cafe & Bookstore
📍 Zamalek
Octa cafe and restaurant
📍 Downtown
Holm Cafe
📍 Zamalek
Café Greco
📍 Maadi
30 NORTH ICONIA
📍 Zamalek
Sufi Cafe & Bookstore
📍 Zamalek
🏘️ Best Neighborhoods
Where to stay in Cairo
Zamalek
Leafy island in the Nile filled with embassies, older apartment blocks, cafés and boutique hotels. Long-time favourite with expats thanks to relatively walkable streets, slightly cleaner air and a good mix of restaurants and laptop-friendly cafés.
Maadi
Southern, greener suburb with tree-lined streets, villas and low-rise apartment buildings. Popular with NGOs, embassies and families. More relaxed and residential than the centre, with plenty of international schools, cafés and coworking spaces.
Downtown & Garden City
Historic downtown grid of boulevards and belle époque buildings around Tahrir Square, plus quieter Garden City by the river. Once faded but now undergoing a slow revival with renovated buildings, cafés and boutique hotels. Very central and atmospheric but noisy and busy.
New Cairo
Master-planned eastern suburbs with gated communities, malls, universities and newer apartment complexes. Car-dependent but more modern and spacious than central Cairo. Popular with higher-income locals and expats working in tech, finance or universities.
Zamalek
$$ Mid-rangeLeafy island in the Nile filled with embassies, older apartment blocks, cafés and boutique hotels. Long-time favourite with expats thanks to relatively walkable streets, slightly cleaner air and a good mix of restaurants and laptop-friendly cafés.
Maadi
$$ Mid-rangeSouthern, greener suburb with tree-lined streets, villas and low-rise apartment buildings. Popular with NGOs, embassies and families. More relaxed and residential than the centre, with plenty of international schools, cafés and coworking spaces.
Downtown & Garden City
$ BudgetHistoric downtown grid of boulevards and belle époque buildings around Tahrir Square, plus quieter Garden City by the river. Once faded but now undergoing a slow revival with renovated buildings, cafés and boutique hotels. Very central and atmospheric but noisy and busy.
New Cairo
$$ Mid-rangeMaster-planned eastern suburbs with gated communities, malls, universities and newer apartment complexes. Car-dependent but more modern and spacious than central Cairo. Popular with higher-income locals and expats working in tech, finance or universities.
🏛️ Top Attractions
Best things to do in Cairo
Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx
The last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Giza Plateau holds the Great Pyramid, smaller pyramids and the Sphinx overlooking the desert and city edge. Best experienced with an early start to beat heat and crowds, or at sunset when the light turns golden.
Egyptian Museum (Tahrir) & Grand Egyptian Museum
Vast collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts including royal mummies, statues and treasures from Tutankhamun. The classic pink Egyptian Museum overlooks Tahrir Square, while the new Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza offers a more modern, spacious experience as exhibits gradually move over.
Khan El-Khalili & Islamic Cairo
Maze-like historic souq and surrounding streets packed with mosques, madrasas and medieval lanes. Great for photographs, tea in historic cafés and picking up souvenirs, but also where haggling and tourist touts are at their most intense.
Saladin Citadel & Mosque of Muhammad Ali
Hilltop fortress complex with sweeping views over Cairo and multiple mosques and museums. The Ottoman-style Mosque of Muhammad Ali dominates the skyline and the courtyards make a good escape from street-level traffic and noise.
Coptic Cairo
Compact historic district with some of Egypt's oldest churches, the Hanging Church, synagogues and the Coptic Museum. A quieter, more contemplative corner of the city with layered Christian, Jewish and Muslim history.
Al-Azhar Park
Landscaped hilltop park built on a former landfill, offering some of the best skyline views of Cairo's minarets and the Citadel. Popular with locals at sunset; combines well with a meal in one of the park's restaurants.
Nile Corniche & Felucca Ride
Evening stroll or boat trip along the Nile, with feluccas (traditional sailboats) and modern dinner cruises offering views of Cairo illuminated at night. A gentler way to experience the city and feel its scale from the water.
Downtown Cairo Walk
Self-guided walk through renovated early 20th-century buildings, cinemas and cafés in Downtown, where a slow but visible revival is underway. Ideal for architecture fans, people-watching and understanding Cairo's modern history.
Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx
The last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Giza Plateau holds the Great Pyramid, smaller pyramids and the Sphinx overlooking the desert and city edge. Best experienced with an early start to beat heat and crowds, or at sunset when the light turns golden.
Egyptian Museum (Tahrir) & Grand Egyptian Museum
Vast collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts including royal mummies, statues and treasures from Tutankhamun. The classic pink Egyptian Museum overlooks Tahrir Square, while the new Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza offers a more modern, spacious experience as exhibits gradually move over.
Khan El-Khalili & Islamic Cairo
Maze-like historic souq and surrounding streets packed with mosques, madrasas and medieval lanes. Great for photographs, tea in historic cafés and picking up souvenirs, but also where haggling and tourist touts are at their most intense.
Saladin Citadel & Mosque of Muhammad Ali
Hilltop fortress complex with sweeping views over Cairo and multiple mosques and museums. The Ottoman-style Mosque of Muhammad Ali dominates the skyline and the courtyards make a good escape from street-level traffic and noise.
Coptic Cairo
Compact historic district with some of Egypt's oldest churches, the Hanging Church, synagogues and the Coptic Museum. A quieter, more contemplative corner of the city with layered Christian, Jewish and Muslim history.
Al-Azhar Park
Landscaped hilltop park built on a former landfill, offering some of the best skyline views of Cairo's minarets and the Citadel. Popular with locals at sunset; combines well with a meal in one of the park's restaurants.
Nile Corniche & Felucca Ride
Evening stroll or boat trip along the Nile, with feluccas (traditional sailboats) and modern dinner cruises offering views of Cairo illuminated at night. A gentler way to experience the city and feel its scale from the water.
Downtown Cairo Walk
Self-guided walk through renovated early 20th-century buildings, cinemas and cafés in Downtown, where a slow but visible revival is underway. Ideal for architecture fans, people-watching and understanding Cairo's modern history.
🛡️ Safety & Healthcare
What to know about safety and medical care
🚨 Safety
🏥 Healthcare
💬 What Nomads Say
Real reviews from digital nomads
"I spent one month in Zamalek working remotely and using MQR at The GrEEK Campus a few days a week. My rent and food costs were some of the lowest I have ever paid in a big city, and winter weather was perfect. Internet in my flat was 50–80 Mbps most of the time, with only a couple of short cuts. You do need to be ready for intense traffic, noise and bargaining, but if you can handle that, Cairo is incredible value."
"Cairo gave me some of the most memorable travel experiences of my life but also some of the most exhausting days. Working from cafés in Zamalek and Maadi was fine, and coworking spaces were solid. The hard part was the intensity of the city: crossing streets, constant honking, haggling for everything around tourist sites. I would recommend it for experienced travellers and nomads, not as a first base."
"I used Cairo as a content base for six weeks, filming in Islamic Cairo, Coptic Cairo and around the pyramids. From a creative perspective it is a dream – there is always something happening and the visuals are powerful. For day-to-day remote work, I preferred staying in Maadi where it is greener and a bit calmer, then going downtown for shoots. If you are okay with some chaos and using Uber a lot, it can be a great, cheap base."
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