Moving to Cairo in Feb/March 2011

which area u want to be
exchanging money is very easy
also u can have a bank account
good luck

I'm not sure, I have never been to Cairo. We pretty much choose Cairo because it is a major city and we wanted to stay within the city. We would like an area that is decent and nice looking, nothing fancy or expensive, but not in an area where it looks impoverished.  Are there any apartment books that we could look at to get an idea of how some of them look? Or, what would you suggest I do if I've never been there and are needing a place to stay for 2 upon arriving? Any suggestions are of help, after all I have nothing to go on.

It depends on what you need, that i would think should be related to why you are coming to Egypt along with your long term plans and budgeting.

I have lived in some ok Army built housing other governmental blocks,privet flats and now a small villa in and area which is under construction.

Never pre-pay for what you have not seen, you must visit the area personally before you decide and pay any type of fees or signing a contract for a rental.

you should rent something after you arrive as you must verify all services work and that the area is clean has local transportation which reaches the specific area and you can fulfill your other needs in this general area.

you may want to visit this site and ask about cheap but "decent safe budget hotels" that are located in Cairo as you will surely need a place to stay while locating a place to rent.

will you be working here? you can look Thur this section also to get some ideal of the very wide range of prices

I would listen to Shorouk, he's a wise man!!

you need to know where either you or your husband will be working. From there, look at a map of Cairo to determine, how  far away you want to travel to work every day.
(FYI traffic in Cairo is usually a B**CH)

Areas where expats live are Zamalek, Maadi and Heliopolis.

You have to go flat hunting when you are here before you sign a contract and pay key money. You also have to ensure that everyhing is in excellent working condition too. You may also want to negotiate the contract with the land lord and put in your own terms and conditions too.

If your husband is under contract with a company or school, they either help you find suitable and affordable accomodations or provide you with housing.

Rent fees for Foreigners are much higher than what Egyptians would pay. Some land lords expect to be paid either in USD$ or the equivalent.
When you find a flat, key/security money is usually asked and a monthto 2 months rent in advance.

Changing money is easy, you can find foreign exchange places scattered around, you also have hotels and banks that will do it for you too.

I hope this helps

Shorouk and IrishAlexandrian, thanks so much for your help.

Shorouk,

I think I will take your advice and look at the site for the decent safe budget hotels and then go from there.

IrishAlexandrian,

You stated these are areas where expats live; Zamalek, Maadi and Heliopolis. In your opinion what's the difference in the living within these three? Shorouk please feel free to answer as well.

What my husband and I plan on doing is getting there, looking at the places and areas and then finding a place to live. We will not look for employment until we settled in and are there for at least 6 months. We will have money to survive for that long.

What about jobs, is it hard to get them there? I have a lot of experience in many areas such as, cashiering, data entry, customer service, all aspects of restaurants. Currently I'm a student working on my Master's Degree in Psychology. I would like to get into the social worker aspects though. I have no experience with working with my associates degree in psychology yet, any suggestions on what type of job I can get?

Thanks Guys, you are a huge help.

for your requirments i suggest for you Helioplis and Zamalek

Whedy,


Why? Can you tell me a little bit about both. We would like a quite atmosphere as well, with not a lot of the same things that we are coming from. So in other words we want to be secluded somewhat from religious holidays, and partying people.  Basically we want to be free to live our lives as privately as we can without having to see,and hear of those things that those in the United States uphold. This is why we are leaving.

Thanks


UriYah

look dear,
Here in Egypt all expats are strangers and alot of people have a bad point of expats
So Helioplis and Zamalek are suitable cuz:
There you can find alot of expats.
There are alot of companies near
It's near to downtown but the difference between them and downtown is they are quite
Sorry for my bad languge

What my husband and I plan on doing is getting there, looking at the places and areas and then finding a place to live. We will not look for employment until we settled in and are there for at least 6 months. We will have money to survive for that long.

The job market here is difficult at best, you need to begin to search even before you arrive or you will be paid at a much lower rate if you come and then search for work unless you have a unique set of special skills which are in demand.Also work permits are tied to a specific type of visa It's better in general to have a job/contract in hand before coming.

I would like to get into the social worker aspects though.

Boy are you in for a shock!

Cairo is one giant city, its never quite and you wont find seclusion within Cairo anywhere.

they are all the same, i have lived in two of the areas long term and they are always full of people and traffic you can find almost anything you need within a few minutes once you know the area.I'm about thirty minutes outside of Cairo and we always have moving air which is almost impossible to find in Cairo and you will need to use Ac's to make it bearable during the summer.

hello dear ;

first of all welcom to egypt ; i am egyptian thats why i think i can help; first its sort of crowded her thats why you have to choose an area close to your work place ; second you dont pay any thing before you make a contract and that requires you to be here and see it first;let me knew where u want it and i will see what can i do ; at least your stay in a hottel will be short
looking forward to seeing you

suzan

Dear UriYah;

Maddi has 3 major parts and they are all safe. 1- Degla Maddi is where most Foreigners live.. it's very expensive but you can find Apts a little cheaper on side roads and in smaller buildings (around 200 street). Degla has so much security and it feels like you're home. 2- is new Maadi, much cheaper... also very quite and it's only 7 minute drive to degla.  3- sorayaat El maddi is where you will find most embassies and it's also a very secure place, expensive but not as much as degla.  Hotels are expensive in Cairo but there are some small hotels that are a little cheaper just make sure that you stay away from midtown Cairo because of traffic.  I've stayed in Maddi hotel near the Nile in Maddi. very cheap, clean, friendly staff and it was renovated in 2007.  if you stay there for a week or two you can take a cap into degla and look for a real estate place that can find you a place to live. you will find Americans, Germans, and British sitting on coffee shops and walking around and I'm sure they will help you if you ask for help.

I've been living in NYC for 23 years but I orig come from Maddi ... Good luck to you

Best regards.)

Thank you all for all the information. Well, my husband and I have decided to call it quits and I will be coming alone now. It might be sooner than February now and I need to look for a job. I'm currently attending University of Phoenix online and I have obtained my associates degree in psychology, now I'm in the process of working on my bachelors in psychology. I don't have any experience with this degree. I don't know what to do now as far as supporting myself when I get there. I do have some money saved, but I don't think it will be enough to sustain myself past 3 months. Does anyone know of any sites that can assist me in the experience I currently do have. I kind of want a U.S. paying job while I'm there until I can figure out how to switch it. I've been told that it's better to do it this way because the American Dollar is more in Egypt. Any suggestions? If I can find a job soon, than I will move sooner than next year.

Thanks for all your help.