Cheapest Cities in the Middle East & North Africa — Cost of Living Index (2026)

22 cities in the Middle East & North Africa across 10 countries, ranked from cheapest to most expensive. New York City is the baseline at 100 — a city at 40 is roughly 60% cheaper than New York for the same basket of rent, food, transport, and utilities.

Cities ranked

Countries

Cheapest

Giza · 19

Most expensive

Tel Aviv · 99.1

Cheapest cities (one per country)

1.Giza, Egypt19
2.Algiers, Algeria28.7
3.Marrakesh, Morocco31.6
4.Tunis, Tunisia31.6
5.Amman, Jordan42.9
6.Dammam, Saudi Arabia43.1
7.Muscat, Oman45.1
8.Sharjah, United Arab Emirates50.7
9.Doha, Qatar51.9
10.Petah Tikva, Israel78.5

Most expensive cities

1.Tel Aviv, Israel99.1
2.Jerusalem, Israel84.3
3.Haifa, Israel81.4
4.Petah Tikva, Israel78.5
5.Dubai, United Arab Emirates62.2
6.Doha, Qatar51.9
7.Sharjah, United Arab Emirates50.7
8.Riyadh, Saudi Arabia48.4
9.Muscat, Oman45.1
10.Jeddah, Saudi Arabia44
11.Dammam, Saudi Arabia43.1
12.Amman, Jordan42.9

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Full ranking

#	City	Country	Index	vs. New York	1BR rent
1	Giza	Egypt	19	81% cheaper	$141
2	Alexandria	Egypt	19.6	80% cheaper	$130
3	Cairo	Egypt	22.4	78% cheaper	$250
4	Algiers	Algeria	28.7	71% cheaper	$205
5	Marrakesh	Morocco	31.6	68% cheaper	$483
6	Tunis	Tunisia	31.6	68% cheaper	$312
7	Sousse	Tunisia	32.1	68% cheaper	$248
8	Casablanca	Morocco	34.2	66% cheaper	$572
9	Rabat	Morocco	34.5	66% cheaper	$490
10	Tangier	Morocco	35.2	65% cheaper	$498
11	Amman	Jordan	42.9	57% cheaper	$443
12	Dammam	Saudi Arabia	43.1	57% cheaper	$577
13	Jeddah	Saudi Arabia	44	56% cheaper	$626
14	Muscat	Oman	45.1	55% cheaper	$638
15	Riyadh	Saudi Arabia	48.4	52% cheaper	$1,160
16	Sharjah	United Arab Emirates	50.7	49% cheaper	$744
17	Doha	Qatar	51.9	48% cheaper	$1,938
18	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	62.2	38% cheaper	$2,288
19	Petah Tikva	Israel	78.5	22% cheaper	$1,182
20	Haifa	Israel	81.4	19% cheaper	$1,073
21	Jerusalem	Israel	84.3	16% cheaper	$1,849
22	Tel Aviv	Israel	99.1	1% cheaper	$2,134

Related rankings

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How this works

Every city is scored on a single index where New York City = 100. The score blends rent, groceries, restaurants, transport, and utilities into one comparable number, so a city at 50 costs about half what New York does for the same lifestyle.

We rank city-level data only — never a country average painted across its cities. A city is included only when it has genuine local price coverage (real rent and meal prices), which keeps the ranking credible at both ends. Countries under active-conflict travel advisories are excluded.

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