I can't tell you about working, but from my brief experiences (periods of 2-3 months for the past two years) living there, I would say it can be a bit of a shock (both pleasant and unpleasant) depending on your country origin. The vast array of services and considerably lower cost of living is incredible, and easy to get used to. I've found most native Egyptians (my father is Egyptian but I have never lived there before) to be friendly, neighborly, and generally willing to give you a hand if you're stuck on something. I was locked out of our apartment and our neighbor downstairs saw me and invited me in for tea and a little meal until the locksmith came! Late hours offer a more casual and slow paced style of life; there's no worry about having a restaurant close the kitchens early or not being able to go to a kiosk after midnight (I'm from Switzerland).
You have a whole host of activities and a wide array of places to do them in, with countless restaurants, cinemas, clubs, coffee-houses, shisha-bars and so on.
I've found some things take getting used to, such as:
It is far from Saudi-Arabia, but nonetheless certain things can take some getting used to, especially for women - like being affectionate with male friends in public or dressing in tank tops or tight jeans in certain areas.
It is necessary to either hire a driver or purchase your own car as getting around is quite difficult, especially if you don't speak Arabic and don't want to get ripped off by taxi drivers (has happened to me before).
Are you planning a move or committing to a job there?

 

lol buffy i couldn't describe it any better..XD

about the working part..how about telling us your past experience with work..or what is your preference..what school/faculty you went to..etc..so we can answer in details if there are any

 

sorry - but the cost of living is not that cheap - if you look at all the indices being published - it is the same as livng in the UK / US

And the slower pace of living can be very frustrating especially when you are the one who requires the service and they never arrive when they say they should or it takes weeks to repair

 

Biffy - AGREED. The service issue can be extraordinarily frustrating. I never get good service when my father is not there; he used to work for Nasser and Sadat so he is generally well-known and things flow smoothly - however, when he leaves - I am often left alone with faulty pipes or air-conditioning for days to weeks on end!
I read those who work for "foreign" companies and are paid accordingly (i.e. a dollar based salary) consider cost of living cheap, whereas the average Egyptian rated high-normal to high.

 

well its not the cost of living that is important rather its the place you are gonna live in or stay at...prices of apartments/house are getting really high nowadays..however..if you actually manage to find the place to live in..the rest can be considered cheap..well as long as you have enough knowledge of the prices around or someone to help you so you don't get scammed..

 

that the Egyptian pound is "going down" against the dollar, so all prices will be higher very soon! Also Egypt is planning to increase some taxes, this will also make prices higher.

 

Cost of living in Egypt is not considered low if you try to maintain a standard of living similar to that of most western countries and it gets very expensive if the need for medical care arise.
Most products are imported and if you find quality ones they are likely to be more expensive. Add to that the cost of having to get things done a few times, and pay for it, if you want to get them done anywhere near right.

Cost of living can be amazingly cheap when you know your way around and know how to deal with people and situations. But by then most people would have had enough and........

Work depends on the company you work for and the people you deal with. Generally the more "professional" the less headache and in all cases bear in mind "common sense" is an oxymoron.

The best way to live in Egypt and not wanna blow your head off is to take regular breaks from Egypt. If you can afford it, every six weeks or so leave to anywhere else even if you just cross to Aqaba for a few days vacation. I used to take those in break in Sinai but then it got to be a nightmare after the big R.

I used to love sitting in a Cafe in Heliopolis enjoy the sun and watch the craziness around. It was like going to a Zoo, great to visit and you know you will soon be going home.

Best of luck


Oh and never ever think of buying/driving a car in Egypt. Your life will forever change......or you'll die :d

 

Oh and never ever think of buying/driving a car in Egypt. Your life will forever change......or you'll die :d

i would take that advice seriously if i were you..here in Egypt we play Crash ultimate Edition in the streets..especially if you are trying to go head to head with a Micro bus..in that case you have forsaken your life for good..only Pros can get down to it here..

 

Only been here three months, but loving every moment of it. The friendliest city I have lived in, and certainly the most interesting, both in of history, politics and the general feel. It has also been a great place for our baby daughter, who is loved by everyone and is a very happy child as a result. The fact that everyone delivers is also great, and there is an extremely varied social life too. The imbricating layers of civilisation that have marked the architecture of this city are still as intoxicating as when I first arrived. After three years in Jerusalem and four before that in Moscow, I still can't get over the fact that there are so many more things one can buy here (Bak Choy, Mango Chutney, spices and Chinese sauces) that were so hard to get elsewhere. And, whatever anyone else says and conceding the fact that prices may be higher than they used to be, it is still an extremely cheap city. We spend a third of what we did in Jerusalem and Moscow. And tickets for the opera here are just 7 British pounds for the best seats (vs 200 at Covent Garden). Look also at taxi prices, metro prices and vegetables and meat.

 

Glad you have settled in and enjoying Cairo

Opera tickets.. prices change according to the programme..

Cairo may be cheap after Jerusalem and Moscow but it is expensive compared to the UK and Spain..

 

To Long in Egypt

Sorry about the English but translated from German...but you will get the drift of it i'm sure


You know that you live too long in Egypt, if... - you "insha'allah ' allah ' as accept booking confirmation for your flight - you never eat before 10 o'clock in the evening - you put on a sweater at 26° - you see"no problem"as a clear indication, better everything several times to check - you do a speed limit was a useless piece of advice - do you think that it shouldn't hang rugs on walls - you - can perfectly describe a way without a single street address holding it for normal, that your telephone and satellite cable from the balcony just comes - you a considerable stock of household candles and drinking water have - every taxi driver knows where you live, you you not chastising when the water is shut off, but only more deodorant - you use the craftsman, you have ordered to attach something, lend your tools and it must then show how to use them.
-You have no problem with that, when driving a tractor at 40 km/h on the motorway - you receive every TV channel crystal clear - except for the local - it naturally is in the summer for you to turn on the cold water tap to get hot water - do you think that Pepsi and pizza with a "B" start – you understand that means "Bukra": "once during this calendar year" - it for normal holding, when blue flashes from the socket, when you insert a plug

 

and some more

Sorry about the English but translated from German...but you will get the drift of it i'm sure


You know that you live too long in Egypt, if... - you "insha'allah ' allah ' as accept booking confirmation for your flight - you never eat before 10 o'clock in the evening - you put on a sweater at 26° - you see"no problem"as a clear indication, better everything several times to check - you do a speed limit was a useless piece of advice - do you think that it shouldn't hang rugs on walls - you - can perfectly describe a way without a single street address holding it for normal, that your telephone and satellite cable from the balcony just comes - you a considerable stock of household candles and drinking water have - every taxi driver knows where you live, you you not chastising when the water is shut off, but only more deodorant - you use the craftsman, you have ordered to attach something, lend your tools and it must then show how to use them.
-You have no problem with that, when driving a tractor at 40 km/h on the motorway - you receive every TV channel crystal clear - except for the local - it naturally is in the summer for you to turn on the cold water tap to get hot water - do you think that Pepsi and pizza with a "B" start – you understand that means "Bukra": "once during this calendar year" - it for normal holding, when blue flashes from the socket, when you insert a plug

Opening a bank with the air -con guy working in the background, his mate brings in his lunch and they sit there eating (security???).
* 5 people turn up to change a tap washer, but they haven't got a tap, and the only tool they have is a hammer and they want you to give them lunch before they start.
* You don't think anything of phoning the chemist to send you some antibiotics that you have prescribed to yourself, and not via doctor.
* You expect to have a fight with a taxi driver about the fare and you are surprised if you don't.
* Driving at 150mph seems almost too slow
* A biro or pen or piece of cotton wool are effective methods for fixing most hosehold problems
* Its normal to give someone a 'missed call' as a way of saying hello, instead of actually picking up the phone, dialling and saying hello
* Its normall to leave the car engine running and smoking a cigarette whilst filling up your car
* Hearing 4 year old children still out and running around at midnight on a school night means they will have an early night!
* Being on 'camel watch' when driving through the desert
* You consider it normal to see two camles being taken for a drive in the back of a pick-up truck

 

Hi Buffy,

I am moving to Egypt in March to start a years contract, now i have been informed that my residence of living will be in Borg Al Arab City, do you have any information on this area,, vert limited info on the internet.

 

Why not start another thread.. that is Alex and we have a couple of Alex residents who may be able to help you out Buffy is not one of them

 

Whats good about living in Egypt?

Tomorrow, January 21, while everyone is freezing in Europe, here we will enjoy a bright, sunny dAy with a temperature of 27 C, according to accuweather.