Accommodation
Accommodation costs vary greatly. You are able to find a room for 300 up to 2000 and above. Costs can go higher than that, however as a student that would not be ideal as it is firstly a waste of resources, and secondly would not be in an area suitable for studying well.
In Nasr City, an apartment can go from 1000 up to 6000 or more depending on the location, whether it is furnished (mafroosh) or not, number of rooms, amenities, etc. Below you will find a rough idea of what prices may be like. Please note that during the summer months when many students come over for a few months, and some come for an extended holiday, prices rise sharply due to this increased demand.
Long term leases will be cheaper than shorter ones as a general rule. For example, a flat which is available for 3000 for a year may cost you 4000 for 2-3 months. Another thing to consider is if you are staying longer than a year, there is usually a mandatory 10% increase year on year. (You can try to negotiate this but don’t hope for much.) Furnished apartments are obviously more expensive than the alternative. If you are planning on staying for a year or less, don’t consider buying furniture and furnishing something yourself to save money. It will only work out if you stay longer.
It is recommended to find something with an AC if you’ll be staying from March-October, especially if you are with family. See the section below on other living costs for more information and approximate prices.
Estate agents (simsars) are plentiful in Cairo, although most do not know how to cater to the specific and often extravagant demands of western brothers/ families. You will occasionally find one who will cater to such luxuries, however the audience for our advice here are students. Do not travel with the mentality of going on a 5 star hotel experience where everything is spotless, the furnishings are plush and all the amenities are available at your beck and call. Rather, expect modest accommodation, and God willing you will find a suitable place. You can live a comfortable life at a fraction of the cost of living in most western countries, but you will have to work for it. Take wifi for example. We may consider it a basic necessity however most apartments won’t be set up for it, and it a long and tedious task to get it installed. You may consider mobile data or a wifi dongle as an alternative.
If you ask for a specific location, you may not get a straight answer. If you ask for pictures, you may not get them immediately, if ever. This is just the way things go, and it completely normal. You may even encounter multiple simsars renting a flat to you. For example, the landlord contracts simsar A to rent out his flat. Simsar A tells his two friends B and C about the place. You find person B, and they still have to go through A to finalise anything. This is common in Egypt; everyone wants a slice of the cake. These are a few examples of what you can run into, so do stay vigilant and shrewd when conducting any sort of business in Egypt.
Payment and fees paid for an apartment are one thing officially. However, in practice it is usually as follows: At the beginning of the lease, you will pay for a months rent in advance. You will pay an additional 1 or 2 months worth of rent as a security deposit in case anything is damaged or the contract is broken. The deposit is negotiable, so do try to get it down as much as you can. Finally, the simsar will take a commission. In practice for the past few years, for a term up to 10 months in length, 10% of the entire rental value seems to be an appropriate figure. For anything above that, the equivalent of 1 months rent is charged. There is no rule that this is the amount to be charged, it has simply become something widespread and practised by most. See the examples here.
Here, we have put together a rough idea of how prices are like along with the date the figures are compiled. Summer months will see an increase in prices in areas where there are more foreign students.
The monthly costs in addition to rent are as follows:
If you have a phone line installed, expect around 50-100 EGP every 3 months for the line, plus usage charges if any. If there is an ADSL (internet) connection, that is an additional cost. It can range from 50-500 EGP. A typical connection (16Mbps for 200GB, 2Mbps thereafter) is 260 EGP from TE Data, which is the biggest provider. Other providers offer comparable packages. Line speeds depend on the area you live in, so keep that in mind also.
In addition, you will pay for water usage (it may be a fixed amount or usage from the meter), usually between 30-100 EGP monthly depending on where you live. Furthermore, some buildings will have a maintenance fee paid monthly. This covers cleaning and maintenance of the stairwells, lobby, lifts if there are any and if there is a bawab (doorman/guard/porter) his salary will be covered by this maintenance fee. It can range from 20 EGP (simply washing the staircase and repairing any lighting) to 200 EGP (lifts, bawab, cleaning).
In Nasr City, an apartment can go from 1000 up to 6000 or more depending on the location, whether it is furnished (mafroosh) or not, number of rooms, amenities, etc. Below you will find a rough idea of what prices may be like. Please note that during the summer months when many students come over for a few months, and some come for an extended holiday, prices rise sharply due to this increased demand.
Long term leases will be cheaper than shorter ones as a general rule. For example, a flat which is available for 3000 for a year may cost you 4000 for 2-3 months. Another thing to consider is if you are staying longer than a year, there is usually a mandatory 10% increase year on year. (You can try to negotiate this but don’t hope for much.) Furnished apartments are obviously more expensive than the alternative. If you are planning on staying for a year or less, don’t consider buying furniture and furnishing something yourself to save money. It will only work out if you stay longer.
It is recommended to find something with an AC if you’ll be staying from March-October, especially if you are with family. See the section below on other living costs for more information and approximate prices.
Estate agents (simsars) are plentiful in Cairo, although most do not know how to cater to the specific and often extravagant demands of western brothers/ families. You will occasionally find one who will cater to such luxuries, however the audience for our advice here are students. Do not travel with the mentality of going on a 5 star hotel experience where everything is spotless, the furnishings are plush and all the amenities are available at your beck and call. Rather, expect modest accommodation, and God willing you will find a suitable place. You can live a comfortable life at a fraction of the cost of living in most western countries, but you will have to work for it. Take wifi for example. We may consider it a basic necessity however most apartments won’t be set up for it, and it a long and tedious task to get it installed. You may consider mobile data or a wifi dongle as an alternative.
If you ask for a specific location, you may not get a straight answer. If you ask for pictures, you may not get them immediately, if ever. This is just the way things go, and it completely normal. You may even encounter multiple simsars renting a flat to you. For example, the landlord contracts simsar A to rent out his flat. Simsar A tells his two friends B and C about the place. You find person B, and they still have to go through A to finalise anything. This is common in Egypt; everyone wants a slice of the cake. These are a few examples of what you can run into, so do stay vigilant and shrewd when conducting any sort of business in Egypt.
Payment and fees paid for an apartment are one thing officially. However, in practice it is usually as follows: At the beginning of the lease, you will pay for a months rent in advance. You will pay an additional 1 or 2 months worth of rent as a security deposit in case anything is damaged or the contract is broken. The deposit is negotiable, so do try to get it down as much as you can. Finally, the simsar will take a commission. In practice for the past few years, for a term up to 10 months in length, 10% of the entire rental value seems to be an appropriate figure. For anything above that, the equivalent of 1 months rent is charged. There is no rule that this is the amount to be charged, it has simply become something widespread and practised by most. See the examples here.
Lease length
|
3,000 rent /month
|
Total rental value
|
Simsar fee
|
3 month
|
3,000x3
|
9,000
|
900
|
6 month
|
3,000x6
|
18,000
|
1,800
|
10 month
|
3,000x10
|
30,000
|
3,000
|
1 year
|
3,000x12
|
36,000
|
3,000
|
Here, we have put together a rough idea of how prices are like along with the date the figures are compiled. Summer months will see an increase in prices in areas where there are more foreign students.
Updated March/April 2018
| |||
Location
|
Description
|
2 bed furnished
(unfurnished) |
3 bed furnished
(unfurnished) |
10th District
Swissery A
| Near Masjid Salaam, close to freedom gym and 2 supermarkets. Few restaurants. 25 min walk from Kalimah, 30 mins walk from Fajr. Tibyan center located here |
1700 - 2500
(1200-1700) |
2300 - 3500
(1700-2300) |
10th District
Swissery B
| Next to Masjid Sherbeeni, busy market with all essentials, gyms, restaurants. 15 min walk to kalimah, 25 mins to Fajr, 15 mins from Tibyan | 1700 - 2500 (1200-1700) | 2300 - 3500 (1700-2300) |
9th District
| Behind freedom gym and 2 supermarkets close by. 10 min walk from kalimah, 15 min walk from Fajr and Tibyan |
3500 - 5000
(2500) |
4500 - 7000
(3500-4500) |
8th District
| Close to Masjid Bilal, Serag Mall. Fajr, Kalimah, Tibyan are 10-15 min bus/taxi rides away. Supermarkets nearby. |
2500 - 3500
(2000-2500) |
4500 - 6500
(3500-4500) |
NOTE: Bills are never included, so budget separately for that. (See below for an idea.)
| |||
The monthly costs in addition to rent are as follows:
- Maintenance
- Electricity
- Gas
- Water
- Phone line
- ADSL (internet/ wifi)
If you have a phone line installed, expect around 50-100 EGP every 3 months for the line, plus usage charges if any. If there is an ADSL (internet) connection, that is an additional cost. It can range from 50-500 EGP. A typical connection (16Mbps for 200GB, 2Mbps thereafter) is 260 EGP from TE Data, which is the biggest provider. Other providers offer comparable packages. Line speeds depend on the area you live in, so keep that in mind also.
In addition, you will pay for water usage (it may be a fixed amount or usage from the meter), usually between 30-100 EGP monthly depending on where you live. Furthermore, some buildings will have a maintenance fee paid monthly. This covers cleaning and maintenance of the stairwells, lobby, lifts if there are any and if there is a bawab (doorman/guard/porter) his salary will be covered by this maintenance fee. It can range from 20 EGP (simply washing the staircase and repairing any lighting) to 200 EGP (lifts, bawab, cleaning).
is there any advice on how to find/contact estate agents serving properties in Nasr City, before arriving? The above post makes no mention of this.
ReplyDeleteI would also like the answer to this question too ...
Delete???
DeleteSalaams I've been living in Cairo for the past year Alhamdulillah. There are various Facebook groups advertising accommodation. Also there are WhatsApp groups for expat Muslims who can help with this. I have some contacts of simsars that can help (if interested I'll ask them then post the number). It really helps if you know people in Cairo (expats) word of mouth is probably one of the best ways to get a good place. Don't worry too much about finding a place before you come, I think a good idea is to get an airbnb for the first week and look for places once you're here. Also if you join an Arabic centre people there/students can probably help. Potentially can even share a place with another expat. Hope this helped.
DeleteAre you able to share these facebook pages or advise on the whatsapp groups?
DeleteAs a foreigner living in egypt . I would advise you not to go through a broker. They will cheat you and charge you twice as much. You will have to pay a broker free as well as first and last month rent for the flat . That you will likely not get back as Egyptians make up stuff not to return your money. Its better to have a friend that is already here and get them to locate you a flat its much much cheaper than going through a broker I remember one i tried a broke. He they had found me a furnished flat back them for 2500 well this is what he expected me to pay plus 2500 le first and last month rent. I declined and found my own self a flat for much cheaper . Also you have to be careful with utilities and stuff here. The companies will try and raise the price when they realize you are foreigner. I remember having a problem the guy would not bring me my water bill . He would bring everyone's in the building but mine . Well when i finally got him I ask him why he did not bring my bill he would lie and say i was not at home which was a lie or that I did not have a bill that month like seriously so when they did bring the bill which was like every four months r longer it would be over 1000 le . They were claiming we were using all this water and we were not. Then they claim was a leak and it wasent. I actually got a plumber and he said no leak they are probably cheating you because you are a foreigner. I had this happen with another friend of mine . She is foreigner married to a Yemeni man and they were cheating them charging them 3000 le for an electric bill . Its best you keep up with that stuff on your own if possible and dont get to friendly with egyptians they are not honest and only see foreigners as their meal ticket or people who they can cheat .
ReplyDelete