Suez, Egypt

Suez sits at the northern tip of the Red Sea, where the canal of the same name meets the Gulf of Suez, and its low profile of just 5 m above sea level keeps the city close to the water that defines it. The climate is hot desert, with scorching, dry summers from May through September reaching 32°C and mild winters around 14°C, and the moderate humidity rolling in off the Red Sea makes the heat more bearable than it is inland. Around 315 thousand people live here, and the expat presence is very few, with most who do settle choosing Suez Center as their base. The timezone is Africa/Cairo, and the city runs on a rhythm set by the canal, the port, and the desert light that frames both.

Living costs in Suez are low even by Egyptian standards. A one-bedroom apartment in the city center rents for $81/mo, while the same outside the center drops to $43/mo. Three-bedroom units run $134/mo in the center and $86/mo outside it. Utilities come to $22/mo, internet to $8/mo, and a mobile phone plan to $4/mo. A monthly public transport pass costs $7/mo and a gym membership $15/mo. Eating out is cheap: an inexpensive restaurant meal is $3 per person, a mid-range three-course meal for two is $14, and a cappuccino is $1. A single adult can live on a budget tier of $151/mo with rent included, step up to a mid-range tier of $212/mo, or settle into a comfortable tier of $283/mo. Excluding rent, a single person spends about $380/mo and a family of four about $1,150/mo. Against that, the average monthly net salary is $124/mo, and the cost of living index sits at 30/100 with New York City at 100.

Safety is moderate, with a safety index of 60/100 and a crime index of 40/100, where a lower crime figure is the better sign. Healthcare quality is fair, which means routine care is available but complex or specialized treatment often means traveling to Cairo. Air quality is a concern, with an index of 78 where lower is better, a reflection of the industrial and port activity that keeps the city working. Internet averages 22 Mbps, enough for everyday browsing and calls but not for heavy data work. The overall expat score is 79/100, a strong figure that sits alongside a FIRE score of 81/100, a retiree score of 51/100, and a digital nomad score of 53/100.

For longer stays, Egypt offers a Retirement Residency program, and the numbers here reward anyone drawing income from elsewhere. The nearest airport is CAI, 112 km away, so arrivals usually mean a drive from Cairo before the canal comes into view. English proficiency is limited, so a few words of Arabic go a long way in daily errands. Suez suits slow-living expats, budget-focused savers, and early retirees chasing a FIRE score of 81/100 in a city where a comfortable month costs $283/mo. It is less suited to digital nomads chasing fast connections and a dense expat scene, given a nomad score of 53/100, a very few expat community, and 22 Mbps internet. Those who come for the canal, the Red Sea air, and the low cost tend to stay for the quiet.