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Right....firstly I'd like to thank all of you who have helped me figure out what kind of price I can expect to be paying for my rent once I come to Egypt. I think I definatly have an idea of what to expect. The other cost I have to figure out is how mcu I'll need per month for shopping etc. I know it's like asking how long's a piece of string but it would be helpfull to hear your feedback.
I'm not concerned with weekend trips etc but more the shopping at the supermarket etc.
Me, my wife and 5 small children. How are the prices out there for fruit and veg? Somebody told me that around 1000LE is a good guess at a months shopping for our family?
I know it's an individual choice but how much do you think you need to spend to live 'well'?
posted
For 5 kids family plus parents i think 1000EGP is quite low figure
Ofcourse it all depends on the quality and the place you gonna shop from
Metro Chain is Good option, but a bit expensive, specially if you looking for organic food , you will find it there but at double or triple normal prices
i would say you need at least 5000EGP monthly as minimum and can go easily up to 10,000 EGP
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Ok, intresting, so far I've heard 1000 is to little, 1500 is sensible but 5000 is likely?
I'm really not planning on looking for organic food, stick to foul,tamees and cous cous I reckon! As for fast food then not a great fan but perhaps at weekends. It is unusual to pay more than double for food what you pay for rent?
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AbdulKarim... I met this friend. You can rent a Town House in REHAB about 200m2 with a 25m2 garden. Fully air-conditioned. semi-furnished (don't know what that means). About LE1100/month. I will get the phone number of the real-estate agent. Will post his number once i get it.
Posts: 477 | From: Egypt | Registered: Jan 2004
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Ahh come on Jaguar....maybe theres more to your 'drug' reference than meets the eye? I can't see that hearing about this place would be possible without some mind altering drugs? Sounds a bit too good to be true...I'll show you what some one else posted on another forum:
"I've been looking at that link on "Where to live in Egypt" and I'm quite shocked at some of the misinformation there. Some of the poeple writing are giving (perhaps unintentionally) misleading info. Particularly about the cost of flats,prices and exchange rates. My husband, who is Egyptian, has been reading these entries and asked me to say on his behalf, that some Egyptians may be writing from a sense of trying to present a good picture of Egypt - a sort of national pride - but this could have difficult consequences for you and your family if you don't read between the lines. Yes, it is a good country, and yes , some lovely people, but as a foreigner without sponsorship, a tricky and expensive country to live in. Daily life is frustrating, paperwork an Orwellian doublespeak nightmare - if you are planning just for a year - OK- to finish the masters- but don't expect a smooth sabbatical type year - it's a difficult country to live in and get around in. Having a garden in Cairo is very difficult - there is even a suburb (where the British Embassy is in fact) called "Garden City" - a misnomer if I ever saw one. Maadi has the most greenery of the older suburbs - but it would be very difficult find a flat with a garden - the building is very dense. Perhaps if you are home schooling you don't need to worry about proximity to schools - so you could look at Faisal (near the Pyramids - much cheaper, and I had a friend renting a small place above a horse riding centre with a garden, or Giza. You need to think about "socialisation" for your children too. Cairo has very little facilities for sports for children - the concept of urban planning is limited here in the older areas, and the class system very distinct. Many children play in the street - very dangerous, as there are no facilities. Membership to clubs becomes very important, but without sponsership of a company, prohibitively expensive - thousands of $US to even join"
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Both views are right. As with everything it depends on whom you ask and what they think you are asking. For myself, when I am in Egypt I spend EASILY over 2000 LE per month on expenses outside of rent. I am not married and do not have children. However I sometimes have expensive tastes, like international cuisine, and my neighbourhood is on the expensive side for Egypt. Then I have some friends who live in Mohandeseen who spend about 1000 LE per month on expenses outside of rent. My friends living in parts of Agouza spend about 200 LE per month or less, but they have living standards I don't think you would find acceptable. Nothing horrible, just quite basic. For example they don't watch satellite games of Arsenal . FOR ME, I could not imagine spending less than about 6000 LE per month on rent and expenses combined and maintain a lifestyle that one would find in England or the States. Most Egyptians live and enjoy themselves on far less than that, though. So it is not really defined. Expensive is relative. Also, the point the mans wife made about parks and play space for kids is generally correct in Cairo. Zamalek has better space for that, and a huge Youth Club but is an expensive area. My personal expenses run over 100,000 LE per year but that is definitely on the HIGH side. There are many options and I think you will be able to find a niche that works out for you and your family but 1000 LE won't be enough for the things you may be accustomed to in England. PS when Felfel was saying you will pay double or triple, he meant double or triple in Metro than you would in the other supermarkets. He didn't mean double rent costs.
Posts: 238 | Registered: Jan 2004
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Dear English Muslim, Make a monthly shopping list, and tell us how often you want to go out and to what places and I believe it will help us give you a realistic figure. By the way, if you can afford to live in England comfortably, you can live in Egypt and enjoy all luxuries. Posts: 25 | Registered: Feb 2004
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nelly is right on about if you can afford to live in England, you can afford to live here. Undead has given probably the exact information I would give about expenditures, in that I am also single, and I try to have about LE6000 available a month to pay my rent,electric,gas bills and still have some money left over to eat and play on.
As for the woman that wrote on that other board, I don't get where she is coming from. You learn to appreciate areas like Garden City with time. She clearly hasn't been here long enough to make that appreciation leap yet. Or is it her Egyptian husband that doesn't appreciate it? Can't figure that one out.
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Ok Nelly, here is what I need a month although it's probably a bit more than this. I'm basing it on how we lived in Morocco. I have no intention of trying to live how we do in England:
Full Shop of Fruit and Vegtables (prob 5 kilos of most things) Rice 10Kg Pasta 8 packs Chicken/Meat Maximum 2x per week 20 Tins of Tuna Mayonaise Sweet Corn Crisps/Biscuits etc Tea/Coffee/Sugar Drinks Cleaning Stuff (bleach,floor cleaner,washing powder,fabric softner etc) I guess we'd eat out once or twice per month.
I see what you're saying Undead and Debbie about if you can live in England then you can live in Egypt but don't forget that I have a job in England and not in Egypt? Hmm... approx 6000LE per month all in (if you're single), it is allot more than I'd been told but let me just check my currency calculator....Ok...517 pounds sterling....hmmm I'd figured on approx 2500 for rent and 1500 for food....difference of 2000LE or 172 Quid! Looks like I may have to try and find a job after all? That could make things harder now.....back to the drawing board!
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1-Full Shop of Fruit and Vegtables (prob 5 kilos of most things)Local fruits LE3-6/kg Vegetable LE2-4/kg 2-Rice 10Kg... LE2.5/kg 3-Pasta 8 packs LE4/pack LE8/foreign pack 4-Chicken/Meat Maximum 2x per week... Chicken is LE 10-13 ... I don't eat meat but i think LE20-30 5-20 Tins of Tuna. LE4-5/tin 6-Mayonaise Local LE4 - Foreign LE 8-14 7-Sweet Corn-- I hate it 8-Crisps/Biscuits etc.... LE 0.50-5/pack 9-Tea/Coffee/Sugar ... For perculated coffee LE30/kg, Nescafe Gold LE30/100grm.. I don't drink tea nor take suger (less expesive than coffee) 10-Drinks... have no idea, but cheap 11-Cleaning Stuff (bleach,floor cleaner,washing powder,fabric softner etc) I think you cannot spend more than LE 150/month for the whole package. As for eating out.. I sent you the OTLOB link.. that's for a fast food thingy.. Restaurant.. I am sure UNDEAD can give you a better idea, but the rate he is going is a bit too much for the upper middle class.. WALLAHO AALAM.
Posts: 477 | From: Egypt | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
Jaguar, I am curious as to what the upper middle class income is. Just your guess would be enough, in case you don't know any actual figures. I posted about this on a different thread but we weren't able to find real figures. I know my close friends salaries and a few of their fathers salaries, but I am too shy to ask people personally. SO, I would appreciate if you could share with me your guess on what different classes incomes are. tHANKs!
Posts: 238 | Registered: Jan 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Undead: For myself, when I am in Egypt I spend EASILY over 2000 LE per month on expenses outside of rent.
I don’t know what is it with me UNDEAD, I always misread your posts. I take my comment back. However, I honestly don't think we have this upper mid-- mid upper classes. Matter of fact, classes come and go.. there are no classes, there are moments of classes.
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Just a guess is fine And we can call it Low, Moderate, and High income rather than class if it fits better My good friend earns about 70,000 LE per year, and considers himself Moderate. He makes more than his father and he is only 25. NOW I have other friends that are also friends with this one guy, and they say he is RICH. So of course I am confused. I understand that it is relative, but when I take this one friend out he says the restaurants I choose are too expensive. Perhaps because he refuses to let me pay for him 99% of the time Anyway, still curious, if Jaguar or anyone feels like giving me their own guess. Thanks.
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UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
. FOR ME, I could not imagine spending less than about 6000 LE per month on rent and expenses combined and maintain a lifestyle that one would find in England or the States. Most Egyptians live and enjoy themselves on far less than that, though. So it is not really defined. Expensive is relative. Also, the point the mans wife made about parks and play space for kids is generally correct in Cairo. Zamalek has better space for that, and a huge Youth Club but is an expensive area. My personal expenses run over 100,000 LE per year but that is definitely on the HIGH side. There are many options and I think you will be able to find a niche that works out for you and your family but 1000 LE won't be enough for the things you may be accustomed to in England.
Just a guess is fine 
My good friend earns about 70,000 LE per year, and considers himself Moderate. He makes more than his father and he is only 25. NOW I have other friends that are also friends with this one guy, and they say he is RICH. So of course I am confused. I understand that it is relative, but when I take this one friend out he says the restaurants I choose are too expensive. Perhaps because he refuses to let me pay for him 99% of the time 
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