Cairo, Egypt Report of what it's like to live there - 08/31/25
Personal Experiences from Cairo, Egypt
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No, lived in the region before. Some were better; not many were worse than here.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Washington, DC. The government ticket takes you through Europe and is not the most efficient way to go. Using the pet exception might work better for you since it allows you go to directly to DC without a layover. Plenty of cats and dogs to adopt here.
3. What years did you live here?
Currently here still.
4. How long have you lived here?
About one year.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
There are apartments, and some houses. The larger the family (there are people with extremely large families), the bigger the housing. The apartments in Zamalek is where people want to live, but singles will often end up in Maadi living in the same size apartments but far from work. The housing is older and not very well maintained in my opinion.
The commute time is bad unless you live in Zamalek. Traffic is horrible here, and Zamalek is about fifteen minutes, while Maadi can take up to an hour or more if the traffic is bad. We recently had our work shuttle taken away, which I feel has been catastrophic for morale.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
The household items can be cheap and shoddy. The Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) has new rules and you can’t get larger items, meaning you have to depend on what is available locally. While you might be able to ask for a VAT reimbursement, most vendors will not accept it. The grocery stores are very small, only a few look like U.S. grocery stores but require that you get out there. The smaller stores have a very limited selection and you have to go to multiple just to get all the things you need.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Larger items that you can no longer get via DPO.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Delivery is available, so fast food is easy to get, but restaurants as compared to regional restaurants in other countries around here are inferior. Service and food quality is poor.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Ants and flies, but mosquitoes are luckily not a big problem.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
There is DPO, which comes every month or six weeks (depending on if you order in time for it to be included in the shipment), and flat mail. Shipping things out takes an exceedingly long time, so returning items is a problem.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
People tend to pay about $7 an hour for household help. Often there is a language barrier and people prefer Filipinas, who tend to be better. They will at times as you to sponsor their work visas, so be sure you go into any arrangements with clear intentions.
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
No. Walking is not safe, not because of crime, but the absence of sidewalks forces you to walk in the street, and mopeds and cars have right of way and it’s extremely dangerous (you don’t want to end up in a medical facility here!).
Do not bring a bike. Nobody rides them for the same reason. The air quality and absence of walkable areas forces you to basically stay at home.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There are some gyms in the local community, some have zero parking, almost none are within walking distance, but they are cheap, but then you also shouldn’t expect much in terms of equipment or air conditioning.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
You can use them in most places. People will either cash checks at the embassy or use the ATMs. The largest bill is the equivalent of $4, so you end up carrying a lot of currency in general. No major issues with ATMs or credit card fraud, but most people are careful where they use them.
6. What English-language religious services are available locally?
There is a list available through the Community Liaison Office (CLO).
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You really do need Arabic. The post program is limited, but if you never had Arabic before you will likely struggle to do basic things. For example you might place an order for food, but the courier or restaurant will call you about various issues (this country is full of small complications like that) and you will need an advanced degree of Arabic to talk to them.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Yes, absolutely. If you need a wheel chair or have visual impairment this is not the city for you.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
You cannot take buses or taxis. Uber and Careem work okay, the metro is not too bad but not convenient. It seems that everyone will also try to scam you, and you will need Arabic to deal with them. Car service is often hard to get if you live in Maadi.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
It takes about nine months to get your car. It will still take a while to get it registered once it arrives. You can use any car here, there is usually no parking anywhere, especially at work, so don’t plan to drive to and from work without some complication and parking scams (which require Arabic to be dealt with). Many people get a driver, or buy a local car here and then hire a driver; it's probably the best option.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes, you can get it installed before arrival. There are two options: there is a fixer who will get it working for you and his rates will vary depending on speeds, and there is Orange, which you will have to figure out ways to charge the card on a regular basis.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
You can bring a phone (and you have to register it at the airport before you enter the country) and put a SIM card in it. If you use GoogleFi or T Mobile international, you do not have to register it. Don’t plan to buy one locally since the price is akin to extortion.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
Yes, you can get vets, some will even come to your house. Pets do not require quarantine, but if you fly through Europe with a dog you have to meet all of the EU requirements. You can always adopt, there are a lot of cats and dogs out there in need of a good home.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
There are very few jobs here. If your eligible family member (EFM) needs a job, it’s probably good to expect nothing and try and find a telework job before coming here. Local salaries for EFMs are quite low.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Yes, there are options, but the language barrier remains.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
People wear professional dress at work. There are not a lot of issues with women bearing shoulders or legs as the local police have cracked down on harassment a good bit, but it will happen regardless, just not as much. It’s extremely hot year round so expect to be uncomfortable regardless of your dress.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Currently there is some street crime, but we lost all our danger pay last year. Being out at night is an issue, and teen kids going out can be problematic.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
The medical care here is bad. You will need to fly to Europe for basic services. The air quality is unusually bad and expect to have respiratory issues. The pharmacies also can dispense a lot without prescription, but they often simply do not have anything but the most common medicine.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Bad. Year round, with winter being the worst. You already cannot walk outside, so you will not have to worry about inhaling toxic vapors as much. The filters at home are government provided and work reasonably well.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
Take over the counter meds with you. You will likely not find them here.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
Issues with morale would be the first. There are very few services left that the embassy provides, and being cooped up at home can wear you down over time.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
It’s very hot most of the year. In the limited winter season you can get out of town where the air quality is better to see things without risking heat exhaustion.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
CAC is good, there are seldom any complaints by parents.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
Limited, but they are willing to work with you.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
It’s large, but oddly people stick to their cliques. So you end up seeing the other expats, but it’s very hard to break into these insular groups to socialize. Morale is not great, and you will either find those who tell you how much they love Cairo, and those who tell you how bad it is.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
In my opinion, you will very likely not get to mingle with other expats or locals. They have established groups, and even if you join a sports club or something along those lines you will still be just the outsider.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Singles will struggle. In my opinion, this is made worse if you are single and end up in Maadi where there is nothing to do and nowhere to go. If you have kids and are in Maadi, you will have a lot of others who are in the same boat and will have no problems socializing.
If you are a childless couple, it will depend on whether you live in Zamalek or Maadi. Zamalek is where anyone with kids will want to live, but because of internal issues, you will most likely be sent to Maadi and in my opinion, suffer social isolation.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
No, the superficial relationships at work will seldom result in relationships outside.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
No. It is still criminalized.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Women can still suffer harassment. It is not as bad as it was, but it will also depend on where you are, what part of town, what you are wearing, and who you’re walking with.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Waiting until the weather is nice and going to see Abu Simbel and Luxor is nice. A lot of people do a lot of Red Sea diving, so if you want to start doing it, this is going to be a good place, plus you will have little else to do outside.
8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Taking a short trip to Europe to reset.
9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
No, a lot of the bazaars have Chinese made goods, and every shopkeeper will scam you beyond anything you might imagine.
10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
You can save money because it’s very inexpensive.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
That there would be no SND, no danger pay, and no work shuttles. That it will take months to get your personal shipments, and twice as long to get your car.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Absolutely not.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
optimism. In my opinion, there is a concerted effort by those here to take away small things that make a lot of difference in morale. It seems almost punitive at this point.
4. But don't forget your:
everything you need to be self-sufficient at home. You will spend a lot of time at home, so anything you have related to old hobbies or new ones, bring those with you.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
European travel guides.
6. Do you have any other comments?
Post morale is exceedingly low. The housing assignments that put singles out in Maadi are a major morale killer. It seems that everyone here who’s lost the things they expected to get by bidding here remains concerned about future decisions to make this assignment worse than it has already gotten.
