Overheads

*Please be aware the economy has changed a lot since this was written so the exact costs will not be up to date due to high levels of inflation.

 

After several requests from fellows students and people hopeful of studying in Cairo we have decided to write up a post discussing expenditure and costs of life in Egypt for a student. Each individual situation depends on their lifestyle and is unique therefore it may be difficult to provide a complete accurate figure of ones expected monthly expenditures. However we will attempt to provide a simple breakdown based on our own experiences, through which others can come up with an estimate of their own.

There are several costs one must take into consideration when planning their trip to Cairo. We will attempt to breakdown each one individually and then provide a monthly total. We will provide the price in Egyptian pounds and then in sterling when calculating the totals. Calculations are based on the current exchange rate of 23.7egp per 1 sterling. Please check the sidebar if you’re on a PC or the menu if you’re on a mobile device for a live currency calculator!

An important point to note is that 90% of brothers will end up spending almost double their budget in their first month abroad. This can be due to many reasons including not knowing the local restaurants, so eating out at pricy places, taking taxis everywhere, visiting tourist attractions, shopping for household items they may need, other one time purchases (whiteboard, study table, plates, cutlery etc).

Some of the expenses to bear in mind are as follows:

1. Flights & Visas
2. Accommodation
3. Tuition Fees
4. Food
5. Additional costs (Taxis, Books etc)

Remember that these figures are estimations and will not be accurate for everyone. For some, their expenses may be more and for others it may be less.

Flights & Visas

Flight prices will vary depending on several factors, such as the airline you fly with, the time of year or whether it's a direct flight. Some students prefer to book on EgyptAir or British Airways as they both fly direct from the UK to Cairo. They also provide a large baggage allowance (depending on ticket). However, others opt to fly indirect with a smaller baggage allowance on airlines such as Turkish, Saudi, Moroccan, Greek, Italian, to name a few.  Depending on which airline one flies with, costs will vary. However you will be looking at somewhere between £250 - £350 during the off peak seasons. During holiday season prices can be much higher. This is for return flights. One way flights can be much cheaper at approximately as less as £160 in some cases. However, we have heard many instances of brothers being asked unnecessary questions at the airport because they have booked one way flights.

Visas on the other hand will cost £32 if purchased from the Egyptian consulate in London and €25 (around £25) if brought upon arrival at Cairo airport. 

Flights & Visas = Between £275 - £400

Accommodation

We have previously posted a separate article with full details on accommodation costs. Please see that for a full breakdown. However for the purpose of giving a student an idea of his potential expenses we will estimate in this article that accommodation for a single student sharing a flat with others on average costs between 1000 - 1800 EGP per month. It could be more or less depending on the area and quality of the apartment.

Accommodation = £40 - £80

Tuition Fees

We have also previously written a detailed page discussing the fees at institutions for Arabic and Qur'anic studies. Therefore we will not focus on this here. Please read our detailed post to get a clearer idea.

Arabic studies at an institute can start from 700 EGP and for some institutions it goes up to 1500 EGP.

For a student who only studies privately it can come up to as much as between 3000 - 4500 EGP if a student was to study 3 hours a day of 1 to 1 studies, 5 days a week.

Institute = £30 - £60

Private = £130 - £190

Food

Food cost is also something which can range hugely depending on an individuals eating habits and preferences. Eating Egyptian food from local restaurants can cost you as little as 20 EGP per meal (not even £1 or around $1) and sometimes even less. Fast food however is pricier. McDonald's for example costs between 75 - 100 EGP per meal on average. Alternatively if you decide to cook you can buy a kilogram of chicken for 70 EGP and that can last you meal or two at least.

Therefore if an individual eats cheaper local food they are looking at around 50 EGP per day. That comes to a monthly cost of 1500 EGP.

Whereas if someone prefers western foods he may end up spending between 100 - 150 EGP per day. This comes to a monthly total of 3000 - 4500 EGP. Again, it all depends and varies from person to person.

Food = £60 - £190

Additional Costs

These are difficult to factor in as it depends on how a student lives, how many books you buy, how often you travel and the mode of transportation you use as well as many other things. As an estimation we will set aside 1000 EGP for these additional costs which can include taxis, books, bills, haircuts, leisure activities and outings.

Addtional costs = £40

Therefore keeping all of the above in mind, a students monthly expenditure can come to as little as £170 to as much as £500 a month. A total of £500 of however seems excessive and not many students will spend that much. Unless they are studying long hours of only private studies, constantly eating out and living in a fairly nice area.

Hence if a student stays in Egypt for 9 months of the year and returns home for his summer holidays he can end up spending anywhere between £2000 - £5000 during the entire year, including flights.

As most of the figures so far have been rough estimations, we will attempt to provide 3 examples from students currently in Egypt in order to provide a clearer image.

Student A

This student only studies in group classes in an institute and lives in one of the cheaper areas. He mostly eats from the local Egyptian food joints and occasionally cooks. His expenses are:

• Rent - 1000 EGP (£43)
• Institute Fees - 800 EGP (£35)
• Food - 2200 EGP (£92)
• Any additional costs - 500 EGP (£21)

Total = £191 per month

Student B

This student studies both in an institute as well as taking some private classes a few times a week. He lives in a fairly decent area in District 8. He tends to eat out sometimes from local Egyptian places and sometimes from western franchises such as McDonalds and KFC. His expenses are as follows:

• Rent - 1500 EGP (£63)
• Institute fees - 800 EGP (£35)
• Private studies - 1800 EGP (£75)
• Food - 3000 EGP (£125)
• Any additional costs - 500 EGP (£21)

Total = £319 per month

Student C

This student only takes private classes of up to 15 hours a week. He lives in a nicer area than most students and also tends to eat out a lot. His expenses can be broken down as follows:

• Rent - 1800 EGP (£75)
• Fees - 4000 EGP (£168)
• Food - 4000 EGP (£168)
• Any additional costs - 1000 EGP (£42)

Total = £453 per month

As you can see from the examples above, monthly expenditures can vary a lot from student to student and depends a lot on individual circumstances. However it is possible in Egypt to live comfortably on a fairly small amount of money. Alternatives can be found for everyone whatever their budget may be. We hope this article has provided some further clarity on what you can expect your budget to come to. For any questions please feel free to ask in the comments.

May Allah bless us in our wealth and our knowledge and accept it from us all.