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.
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