Sharm El Sheikh
Egypt · Africa · 73K people
Red Sea resort town built around diving tourism, isolated from mainland Egypt.
Ranked #261 of 303 overall · 27.92, 34.33
Overview
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, is home to about 73,000 residents and has built a reputation that goes beyond its size. It's known for warm, sun-heavy weather for most of the year. Sharm El Sheikh is coastal, with the sea shaping daily life and the local economy. People who choose to settle in Sharm El Sheikh tend to point to a climate most people find easy to live with as the deciding factors. Within the 33 cities we track in Africa, the regional average sits at 6.0/10, which puts Sharm El Sheikh's 5.9/10 a little behind the regional norm. On CityMatch, Sharm El Sheikh scores 5.9/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #261 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is climate at 9/10, while public transport is its softest spot at 3/10 — the full breakdown, honest trade-offs, and who this city actually suits are below.
Full scorecard
Reasonable day-to-day costs.
Generally safe with normal precautions.
Air quality is acceptable most of the year.
Largely car-dependent.
Pleasant weather most of the year.
Worth checking specifics if care needs are ongoing.
Solid enough for day-to-day remote work.
Is Sharm El Sheikh right for you?
Set your own priorities and see where it ranks against every city in the dataset.
Run the recommender →How are these scores calculated?
Every city on CityMatch is scored 1-10 on seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — and those seven numbers are combined into the overall score shown throughout the site using a consistent, automated formula (an equal-weighted average by default, or your own weighting via the recommender tool). The same method is applied identically to every city, so scores are comparable across the full database.
Sources & data provenance
The current dataset is an internally curated starter dataset built for this version of the site, reflecting each city's general reputation on each criterion rather than a live feed from a single external provider. It is not yet sourced from a specific third-party API. If that changes, this section will be updated to name the exact sources in use.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
Climate scores 9/10 — genuinely pleasant weather is one of the clearer reasons people choose Sharm El Sheikh.
At 6/10, Sharm El Sheikh is genuinely easy on the budget — one of the more affordable options for the lifestyle it offers.
A 6/10 safety score puts Sharm El Sheikh among the more reassuring cities to walk around, day or night.
Trade-offs
Transport is the soft spot at 3/10 — plan on a car or regular rideshares rather than relying on public transit alone.
Healthcare scores 5/10, on the lower end — worth checking specifics if ongoing medical care matters to you.
Is Sharm El Sheikh safe?
At 6/10, safety in Sharm El Sheikh is unremarkable in a good way: no particular risk stands out, but it's not a standout strength either.
At night
Nighttime is fine in most central areas, but it's worth checking which neighborhoods quiet down early versus stay lively and populated.
For tourists
Tourists are generally fine sticking to well-trodden areas; the usual advice about watching belongings in crowds and transit hubs applies.
For families
Safety, healthcare (5/10) and environment (6/10) together suggest a reasonable, if not exceptional, environment for families.
For solo travelers
Solo travel here is broadly fine with standard precautions; it's worth reading recent, specific traveler reports rather than relying on the city's reputation alone.
On public transport
We'd be more selective about late-night public transport here — daytime use is generally fine, but off-peak service and platforms are worth a second thought.
Practical tips
- →Stick to well-lit, populated streets after dark, as you would in most cities.
- →Keep valuables out of sight rather than out of caution about any specific threat.
What's the climate like in Sharm El Sheikh?
Climate is one of Sharm El Sheikh's clearer strengths at 9/10 — the kind of weather that makes outdoor plans a default rather than a gamble.
Seasonal character
Tagged as a warm-climate city in our data — expect mild winters and a long stretch of pleasant, sun-heavy weather rather than a sharp seasonal divide.
Comfort level
Comfort level is high enough that climate rarely dictates day-to-day plans — a rare trait among the cities we track.
Best time to live here
With a climate this consistent, there isn't a single "best" window — most of the year works.
Note: this reflects our single aggregate 1-10 climate score rather than month-by-month temperature, humidity or rainfall data, which we don't currently track — treat it as a general read rather than a forecast.
Quality of life in Sharm El Sheikh
Put together, quality of life in Sharm El Sheikh is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: sharm el sheikh doesn't lean strongly toward any particular pace — it's neither a nightlife-driven city nor a notably sleepy one, more of a middle-ground, live-and-let-live kind of place, paired with an outdoor/environment picture that's generally favorable and transport that's worth planning around.
Pace & lifestyle
Sharm El Sheikh doesn't lean strongly toward any particular pace — it's neither a nightlife-driven city nor a notably sleepy one, more of a middle-ground, live-and-let-live kind of place.
Nature & outdoors
Between an environment score of 6/10 and a climate score of 9/10, spending time outdoors is genuinely easy here, helped further by its coastal or warm-climate setting.
Getting around
Transport is a genuine weak point (3/10); budgeting for a car or regular rideshares is close to a practical necessity for daily life.
Culture & leisure
Sharm El Sheikh isn't specifically marketed on culture or nightlife in our data, which usually means a more everyday, less tourist-oriented pace of life — good for routine, less exciting for a short visit.
Based on its actual score profile, Sharm El Sheikh tends to suit people who prioritize climate and cost of living over public transport — see "Who Sharm El Sheikh suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Sharm El Sheikh?
Sharm El Sheikh scores 6/10 on environment — decent air quality most of the year, without being a specific standout.
Public spaces
Public space quality isn't separately measured in our data; the environment score above is the closest proxy we have, and it points to an unremarkable, workable baseline.
Infrastructure maintenance
General infrastructure maintenance isn't a criterion we score independently, so treat any specific claims about road quality, public bins, or graffiti with caution unless they come from a recent, first-hand source.
The "environment" score behind all of this is CityMatch's single combined measure of air quality and general environmental conditions — 10 meaning consistently clean air, 1 meaning significant pollution. It doesn't separately break out waste management, noise, or visual upkeep, which aren't part of our current dataset.
Who Sharm El Sheikh suits
Digital nomad
Digital nomads — remote workers who need fast internet and an affordable, pleasant base (fit score 6.2/10 here).
Retiree
Retirees — retirees prioritizing healthcare, climate and a calm environment over nightlife or internet speed (fit score 6.0/10 here).
Freelancer
Freelancers — independent workers balancing cost of living against healthcare access (fit score 6.0/10 here).
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs — founders and small business owners who need reliable connectivity and a livable base without big-city costs (fit score 5.9/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
Sharm El Sheikh scores 6/10 on affordability — not cheap, but reasonable: expect a moderate budget to cover a comfortable, unremarkable lifestyle.
Safety
Sharm El Sheikh scores 6/10 on safety — generally fine, with the usual big-city precautions rather than any particular red flag.
Climate
The climate is a major selling point: Sharm El Sheikh scores 9/10, with the kind of mild, sunny conditions that make outdoor life a year-round option rather than a summer-only one.
Quality of life
Sharm El Sheikh scores 5.9/10 overall, but that average hides a real spread: climate (9/10) is genuinely strong, while public transport (3/10) pulls the picture down considerably. The average across all seven criteria is 5.9/10.
Transport
Sharm El Sheikh is largely car-dependent: transport scores just 3/10, so budgeting for a vehicle or regular rideshares is close to a practical necessity.
Internet & remote work
Connectivity in Sharm El Sheikh scores 6/10 — solid enough for remote work day-to-day, without being a headline reason to move here.
Why choose Sharm El Sheikh?
Sharm El Sheikh makes the most sense if climate matters more to you than public transport — at 5.9/10 overall, it's a solid rather than perfect pick, and the trade-offs above are worth weighing against your own priorities rather than the headline score alone.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Sharm El Sheikh safe?
Sharm El Sheikh scores 6/10 on safety — generally fine, with the usual precautions you'd take in any mid-sized city.
What budget do I need to live in Sharm El Sheikh?
Sharm El Sheikh scores 6/10 on cost of living — a moderate budget is enough for a comfortable lifestyle, without it being a bargain destination.
Is Sharm El Sheikh good for families?
Sharm El Sheikh is a reasonable family option — safety (6/10) and healthcare (5/10) are solid enough, without being standout strengths.
Is Sharm El Sheikh a good city for students?
Sharm El Sheikh isn't an obvious student pick: affordability (6/10) and transport (3/10) average out lower than the cities we specifically tag for students.
Is Sharm El Sheikh suitable for digital nomads?
Remote work is possible in Sharm El Sheikh, but it's not an obvious pick — internet (6/10) and cost of living (6/10) are less favorable than our dedicated digital-nomad cities.
What's the climate like in Sharm El Sheikh?
Sharm El Sheikh scores 9/10 on climate — mild, pleasant conditions for most of the year, one of the better climate scores in our database.
Is Sharm El Sheikh pleasant to live in year-round?
Largely yes — with a climate score of 9/10 and an environment (air quality) score of 6/10, Sharm El Sheikh holds up well across seasons.
Is Sharm El Sheikh a good choice for a first move abroad?
A first move abroad is more demanding in Sharm El Sheikh: safety, healthcare, transport and environment average out to just 5.0/10, so more preparation and local research is worth doing before committing.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Sharm El Sheikh?
Sharm El Sheikh scores 6/10 on internet — generally fine for remote work, without being a standout choice for it.
Is Sharm El Sheikh a good place to retire?
It has real appeal for retirees: healthcare, climate and safety average out to 6.7/10 here — the three criteria that tend to matter most for that stage of life.
What are good alternatives to Sharm El Sheikh?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Dakar and Mombasa are the closest matches to Sharm El Sheikh in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Sharm El Sheikh worth living in?
Reasonably — Sharm El Sheikh scores 5.9/10 overall, a solid if unremarkable all-round profile. Whether it's "worth it" depends more on which specific criteria matter most to you than on the average alone.
Who should move to Sharm El Sheikh?
Based on its score profile, Sharm El Sheikh suits people who value climate and cost of living more than the average mover — see the "Who Sharm El Sheikh suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Sharm El Sheikh walkable, and is public transport good?
Not especially — Sharm El Sheikh scores just 3/10 on transport, so expect to lean on a car, bike or rideshares more than public transit alone.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Sharm El Sheikh?
Climate is Sharm El Sheikh's standout strength, scoring 9/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Sharm El Sheikh?
Public transport is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 3/10 — the lowest of Sharm El Sheikh's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.