Cairo vs San Jose: cost of living for digital nomads

Cairo, Egypt and San Jose, Costa Rica, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Cairo is about 47% cheaper than San Jose for a month of nomad living ($1,000 vs $1,900).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $420 in Cairo against $900 in San Jose.
  • San Jose scores higher on safety (7/10 vs 6/10).
  • Internet is faster in San Jose: 80 Mbps typical against 60 Mbps.
  • Cairo is arid; San Jose is tropical.

Cairo wins 5 of the measured lines; San Jose wins 3.

LineCairoSan Jose
Monthly total (USD)$1,000$1,900
Rent$420$900
Food$300$480
Transport$35$55
Coworking$90$140
Safety (out of 10)6/107/10
Internet (Mbps)6080
Climatearidtropical
City sizemetrometro
Settinginlandinland
Nomad score (out of 10)7/108/10

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Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.