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City Profile

Nag Hammadi, Qena

Egypt · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Compare Nag Hammadi Custom Comparison
78
Overall Score

Nag Hammadi is a prominent city located in the Qena Governorate of Upper Egypt, situated on the east bank of the Nile River. Historically world-renowned as the site where the Nag Hammadi library—a collection of early Christian Gnostic texts—was discovered in 1945, the city combines ancient heritage with modern industrial significance. Today, it serves as a crucial regional hub driven by major industrial output and agricultural production along the fertile Nile valley.

About Qena

Qena is a city in Upper Egypt, serving as the capital of the Qena Governorate, known for its blend of ancient history and local culture. The economy is primarily driven by agriculture, with significant production of sugarcane, tomatoes, bananas, sesame, and hibiscus, alongside industries such as pottery, textiles, and an aluminum complex. Living in Qena is considered very inexpensive, with an average cost of living around $439 per month, ranking it among the least expensive cities globally. The climate is a subtropical desert type, characterized by very hot, dry summers with temperatures often exceeding 40°C (104°F) and mild winters, with minimal rainfall throughout the year. The lifestyle is generally low-key, offering an authentic Egyptian experience with bustling markets and local cafes, rather than a vibrant nightlife.

50,000
Population
$2K
Avg Salary
25
Cost Index
77.6
Quality Score
How this 78/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them
Component Readings used Points Weight Contributes
Safety Safety score: 78 / 100 78.0 30% 23.4
Affordability Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 25.0 100.0 25% 25.0
Economy & jobs Median household income: $3,500 Income needed to live here: $2,000 Unemployment rate: 7.2% 67.5 20% 13.5
Growth Population growth rate: 1.9% Job growth rate: 2% 66.3 15% 9.9
Business climate assessment Business climate assessment: 58 / 100 58.0 10% 5.8
Overall score 77.6

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 1 (fast) (q=52, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 17 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business
58
Livability
63
Affordability
90
Growth
62

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Nag Hammadi is exceptionally low compared to Western standards and remains very affordable relative to major Egyptian metropolitan areas like Cairo and Alexandria. Everyday expenses such as local produce, public transportation, and basic utilities reflect Upper Egypt's modest economic baseline. Housing costs, whether renting or purchasing, require significantly less capital than in Egypt's primary urban centers.

Average Rent
$150/mo
Groceries
$120/mo
Transport
$25/mo
Utilities
$30/mo
Healthcare
$40/mo
Gym membership (monthly)
$15.00
Cinema ticket
$3.00
Restaurant meal (mid-range)
$5.00
Monthly groceries
$100.00
Doctor visit (without insurance)
$15.00

Income

Salary Insights

Nag Hammadi's economy is heavily anchored by heavy industry, most notably the Egypt Aluminum Company (Egyptalum), one of the largest aluminum smelters in the Middle East. Agriculture also plays a vital role in employing the local workforce, with sugarcane and traditional crops dominating the surrounding arable land. While white-collar remote work infrastructure is still developing, industrial employment and manufacturing drive the local labor market.

The average salary in Nag Hammadi is $2,400 per year. You would need approximately $2,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Agriculture & Farming +1.50% Education & Public Services +1.20% Retail & Local Commerce +2.20% Construction & Public Works +2.50% Manufacturing & Aluminum Production +1.80%

Weather

Climate

🌡️
26°C
Avg Temp
☀️
41°C
Summer High
❄️
10°C
Winter Low
🌧️
0.00"
Annual Rain
💧
40.00%
Humidity
🌤️
365
Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Getting around Nag Hammadi relies heavily on local microbuses, taxis, and private vehicles, alongside traditional river crossings. The city is connected to the national rail network, making train travel to Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan accessible. Walkability is moderate within the dense town center, but vehicular transport is necessary for reaching surrounding industrial zones.

20 min
Avg Commute
45.00/10
Transit Score
55.00/10
Walkability
Medium
Car Dependency
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At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages
Housing and rental costs are exceptionally affordable compared to major Egyptian urban centers.
Home to major industrial employers like Egyptalum, providing steady manufacturing jobs.
Rich historical significance as the discovery site of the ancient Gnostic Nag Hammadi library.
Strong community safety profile anchored by traditional Upper Egyptian social values.
Scenic location along the Nile River with rich agricultural surroundings.
Drawbacks
Extreme summer temperatures routinely exceed 100°F, creating harsh outdoor conditions.
Limited presence of white-collar remote work infrastructure and high-tech industries.
Specialized medical care requires traveling to larger neighboring cities like Qena.
Public transportation options are primarily limited to local microbuses and regional trains.
General economic growth heavily depends on a few major industrial anchors.

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Community Q&A

Questions about Nag Hammadi

What people ask about living in and moving to Nag Hammadi, Qena.

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Gathering the most common questions about Nag Hammadi…

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The consumer market basket tracks everyday necessities, including staple grocery items (such as milk, bread, eggs, and produce), residential energy bills (electricity, gas, and water), public and private transit costs, routine outpatient medical care, and standard consumer goods and services to ensure a representative monthly budget.

Even in close geographic proximity, local tax jurisdictions, municipal utility rates, zoning laws, and micro-housing markets can create wide cost discrepancies. For example, a city with strict land-use regulations or higher local sales taxes will typically exhibit elevated housing and consumer goods costs compared to an adjacent county with looser zoning and lower tax burdens.

Even in close geographic proximity, local tax jurisdictions, municipal utility rates, zoning laws, and micro-housing markets can create wide cost discrepancies. For example, a city with strict land-use regulations or higher local sales taxes will typically exhibit elevated housing and consumer goods costs compared to an adjacent county with looser zoning and lower tax burdens.

Local tax climates significantly shift a city's affordability score by directly affecting disposable income. Urblytica factors in state income tax brackets, local municipal property tax millage rates, and combined sales taxes to measure the true tax drag on median household earnings.

Core economic indexes and consumer price metrics undergo a comprehensive quarterly recalibration. This update cycle integrates the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) releases, municipal utility rate adjustments, and regional housing data feeds to ensure all index comparisons reflect current economic conditions.

Housing is weighted as the single largest component in Urblytica's cost-of-living algorithm, typically accounting for roughly 30% to 35% of the composite score. It incorporates both median monthly gross rent and median single-family home purchase prices relative to local median income levels.

Normalization involves adjusting raw economic inputs against localized purchasing power parities (PPPs) and population-weighted density scales. This ensures fair, apples-to-apples comparisons between dense metropolitan hubs and smaller suburban or rural towns.

Utility indexing applies a rolling annual average that captures seasonal climate variations, such as increased summer air conditioning loads in southern climates or heavier winter heating demands in northern regions, providing a realistic year-round average utility expense.

Remote workers leverage the index to calculate real purchasing power parity when moving from a high-cost-of-living area to a lower-cost region. By comparing index differentials against their fixed salary, users can determine if their net savings and lifestyle quality will improve post-relocation.

While the raw Cost of Living Index measures pure expense levels, it is frequently paired with Urblytica’s local wage index and median household income benchmarks. This combined view highlights whether local salaries keep pace with local consumer goods and housing expenses.

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