How Much Money For Apartment Rentals in Cairo, Egypt
As you may suspect the cost of apartment rentals in Cairo, Egypt has steadily increased over the years. For instance in Al-Rehab City (located in the suburbs of Cairo) just prior to 2005, a three bedroom apartment/flat (150 sq.meters or 1600 sq.feet) rented for approximately 700 le. Now the same sized flat rents for more than 2000 le. It is worth noting that prior to 2005 McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and the other international fast food chain restaurants were not in Al-Rehab City at that time. Many shops and other amenities were added since 2005. So in addition to a fully stocked food court, Rehab City also now boasts multiple international schools for kids based on the British and French Systems as well as others. There are also two malls for major shopping, super markets big and small as well as furniture stores, medical centers and more. Al-Rehab also has a sports club with many facilities including in-ground pools and various sports facilities. Essentially one would not have to leave the grassy picturesque gated and secured city of Rehab, unless one wanted to.
Now for those individuals interested in getting in the thick of it, there's always Nasr City. Nasr city has what one might expect from a typical bustling Egyptian city, including the main locations of the well known Arabic Language Learning Centers, Al-Ibaanah Arabic Center and Fajr Center. Rents in Medina Nasr are pretty much wide ranging according to the neighborhood, street or even building. I've found that apartments can usually be 25% cheaper than Al-Rehab and probably 50-100% dustier. I neglected to mention above that Rehab City boasts unusually plush grassy gardens containing manicured flower beds and flowering trees/bushes within the apartment groups and Villas (small villas, 180 sq.meters rented for 3000 le in 2005 and 5500 le in 2008) with private gardens/yards. On the contrast Nasr City has sporadic trees planted in less than attractive grassy areas.
Between Medina Nasr and Al-Rehab City there are two other areas worth mentioning and they are Tajamul Awwal or the 1st Settlement and Tajamul Khamis. Both of these areas offer apartments/flats in apartment buildings or villas. Tajamul Awwal's apartments historically are the cheapest of the four areas that I have mentioned thus far. Two bedroom apartments (approximately 70 sq.meters) in Tajamul Awwal were renting for approximately 350 le in 2006. At that time there were few finished villas (due to ongoing construction) to choose from but a flat in a villa (approximately 250-300 sq.meters) at that time was around 2000 le per month. Around 2006/2007, three/four/five bedroom flats rental prices ranged from approximately 1800-3500 le in Tajamul Khamis. The shopping, restaurant and other areas were newer in Tajamul Khamis as opposed to Tajamul Awwal with more under construction in 2010.
So the bottom line in Cairo and its surrounding areas, one can expect to pay 1000-5000 le for a moderately sized super-luxe apartment, location dependent of course. And Allah knows best. In future posts I will insha Allah cover apartment rental ranges for villages and Alexandria. Please note that the prices above are based on what was experienced and witnessed by me, an American Muslim in Egypt. As I stated before, research is the best way to proceed with a move of this magnitude. Real estate agents are always available to assist you in your move for a fee of course. The best recommendation I could give would be to plan a fact finding trip for yourself of anywhere from two weeks to a month. Furnished flats are available in Al-Rehab for approximately 5000 le per month to facilitate a comfortable apartment search/fact finding trip. But you might want to budget 200 le per day for limousine service to be shuttled around Cairo. Limousine/taxi service and other modes of transportation are other topics that I will cover in future posts, insha Allah.
To err is human and all of the children of Adam make mistakes. So please forgive me in my short comings and I pray that Allah will forgive me also...
With love and masalaamah, American Muslim in Egypt.
Recommended Links For American Muslims Considering Hijrah To Egypt
Having lived in Egypt for over seven years as an American Muslim, these are the first of many recommendations that I intend to share. Most foreigners, that I know, have come to Egypt to learn Arabic. And I believe that it is one of the easiest and most affordable places to study Arabic. In future posts I will definitely get into some details on what I have seen the costs, that I believe one must consider in making your plans and budget for such a move, insha Allah. But here in this list you will find my top ten links that I have found to be beneficial in preparing for hijrah to Egypt or living in Egypt.
Although Arabic Language studies are primarily taught in classical (fus-ha) Arabic, it is typical to find the average Egyptian that you will contact with not speaking classical Arabic or English. So I highly recommend that one familiarizes oneself with the local Arabic dialect spoken in Egypt. I have found this little book to be worth its weight in gold in my daily interactions.
I must admit that although I love to study and learn new things, I am far from a scholar or for that matter I am not a student of knowledge either. Nonetheless, I have learned many things including some Arabic and things about Muslims and Islam while living in Egypt. So before you embark upon taking that leap and moving to Egypt, do your research. Please read as much as you can and get as many viewpoints regarding your personal situation (i.e. moving with kids or with a spouse or health care for special needs, etc.). With the aforementioned advice in mind, here are some links to get your research started as you prepare for a move to Egypt as your destination for Hijrah...
- For Scholarly Advice About Hijrah
- Free eBooks For Studying Arabic Including the Medina Books
- Free Download of The LQToronto Video Arabic Language Series Based on the Medina Books
- Online Based Quran Utilizing Flash Technology
- One of the Prominent Egyptian Scholars(Sheikhs)
- Contains Some Advice From Sheikh Hasan Al-Bannaa For Western Muslims
- Blog Pertaining to Muslim Women's Issues
- A Very Useful Website That Helps Determine Prayer Times in Various Locations
- A Source for Islamic Clothing, Audio Recordings and Books
- Stay Informed of International News and Events From One of These News Websites
I decided to include the free online live streaming news channels because the current situation in Egypt is very dynamic (i.e. ever changing). Even though there is usually not much going on in the Egyptian neighborhoods regarding protesting and the like, it is good to stay informed of where the protests are taking place so that you can avoid those areas. There will be future posts on how and where the revolutions have affected the living situation for me as an American Muslim and others I know in Egypt. So stay tuned...
If you have any questions or topics that you would like for me to address in my blog, please leave them below in the comments.
To err is human and all of the children of Adam make mistakes. So please forgive me in my short comings and I pray that Allah will forgive me also...
With love and masalaamah, American Muslim in Egypt.
I leave you with some words of Sheikh Rslan (may Allah preserve him, Allahuma ameen) as a reminder to myself firstly and then to those who fear Allah. Let us work deeds of righteousness for the sake of Allah in our efforts to learn more about this great religion and practice it in our daily lives, insha Allah, for our time here is fixed...
As salaamu alaikum and Hello World!!!
Alhamdulillah and yippee!!!
I am sooo excited!!! Today I begin my new blog about me and my adventures as an American Muslim in Egypt. I have lots of stories to share, recipes, experiences and even advice (a.k.a. naseehah) for individuals that are interested in finding out more about what life is like for a typical western family that was blessed to live in pre-revolution and post-revolution Egypt.
As you might have figured out by now, I am a female convert to Islam from the United States. And I must confess that I love Egypt, with all of its little quirks. Having experienced living on different levels in Misr, I do believe that what I have to share may be of benefit to someone, insha Allah. It is my plan to write on a variety of topics, which I can't begin to list here right now. So check back often and if you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them, insha Allah.
Disclaimer and Disclosure: I must admit to you that I started blogging as a means to supplement my lifestyle. So from time to time I will make recommendations which I believe to be helpful. So don't take offense for me sharing and possibly making a dime or two in the process. I love Amazon and have been one of its best customers for years and decided that I should work toward making back some of the money that I have freely spent with them.
With that being said, I must admit that I have been told that I am "too honest". Therefore in my American Muslim in Egypt blog I plan on being 95-99% honest with you. I WILL change names here and there in my stories to protect the innocent... :)
To err is human and all of the children of Adam make mistakes. So please forgive me in my short comings and I pray that Allah will forgive me also...
With love and masalaamah, American Muslim in Egypt.
