Finishing · September 2026
Core And Shell compounds in Egypt — what it means and what it costs
229 compounds across 24 areas offer core and shell units — delivered as a shell — you finish it entirely — from about 1.7M EGP at a median of 115,232 EGP/m².
The spread is wider than the average suggests
Across the 13 areas with enough inventory to compare fairly, the median price per square metre runs from about 71,826 EGP/m² in Mostakbal City to 341,816 EGP/m² in Ras El Hekma — roughly 4.8×. A national average hides that entirely, which is why the area you choose moves your budget further than almost any other decision.
Both figures are medians, so half the stock in each area sits above them. Use them to rank areas against each other, not to predict what one specific unit will cost.
What the instalment actually looks like
Headline prices are not how anyone buys here — the monthly figure is. Taking the cheapest unit in this set, at West Courts New October in 6th of October City, on its longest published plan:
Interest-free, as Egyptian developer plans are. Maintenance and club fees are separate and are not included here.
By area
Ranked by how many compounds offer it, then by entry price. The two rarely agree — the area with the most choice is seldom the cheapest, which is the trade every buyer ends up making.
| Area | Compounds | From | EGP/m² | Longest plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Cairo | 67 | 2.8M | 135,984 | 15 yrs |
| New Capital City | 48 | 2.1M | 103,118 | 15 yrs |
| 6th of October City | 20 | 1.7M | 113,233 | 12 yrs |
| El Sheikh Zayed | 15 | 2.7M | 120,000 | 12 yrs |
| 6th settlement | 15 | 3.4M | 93,839 | 14 yrs |
| New Zayed | 14 | 5.4M | 118,256 | 15 yrs |
| Mostakbal City | 10 | 3.7M | 71,826 | 12 yrs |
| October Gardens | 8 | 3.1M | 113,766 | 11.5 yrs |
| Northern Expansion | 6 | 5.2M | 96,904 | 10 yrs |
| South Investors | 5 | 3.6M | 116,720 | 10 yrs |
| El Lotus | 3 | 4.4M | 84,532 | 10 yrs |
| Ras El Hekma | 3 | 14M | 341,816 | 10 yrs |
| El Shorouk | 3 | 6.4M | 104,453 | 10 yrs |
| Golden Square | 2 | 5M | 186,955 | 10 yrs |
| Old Cairo | 1 | 3.5M | 110,341 | 7 yrs |
| Ghazala Bay | 1 | 11.9M | 182,759 | 10 yrs |
| Alexandria | 1 | 10.9M | 121,444 | 10 yrs |
| Al Dabaa | 1 | 11.7M | 216,606 | 15 yrs |
| Al Alamein | 1 | 5.1M | 42,522 | 12 yrs |
| Sidi Abdel Rahman | 1 | 11.2M | 129,490 | 8 yrs |
| North Investors | 1 | 25M | 422,222 | 5 yrs |
| Maadi | 1 | 3M | 75,300 | 12 yrs |
| New Sphinx | 1 | 14.2M | 91,036 | 10 yrs |
| Downtown Cairo | 1 | 13.4M | 163,150 | 7 yrs |
Developers active here
What to check before you commit
Confirm the plan in writing. Published down payments are often introductory and attached to specific units or phases. Get the schedule, the instalment amount and the frequency on the contract, not the brochure.
Ask what is separate. Maintenance, club membership and parking are usually charged on top and are not in any price on this page.
Check the delivery date contractually. A date in a listing is a plan; a date in a contract is an obligation. On off-plan stock this is the single most consequential line in the agreement.
Visit at the hour you would actually live it. Drive the commute at rush hour and walk the compound on a weekday evening. Both tell you more than any specification sheet.
Where to start
Frequently asked
What does core and shell mean in Egypt?
It means the unit is delivered as a shell — you finish it entirely. The term is used loosely across developers, so always ask for the written specification — two compounds using the same word can hand over very different things.
How much do core and shell units cost?
Compounds offering this level start from about 1.7M EGP, at a median of 115,232 EGP/m² across 229 compounds in 24 areas.
Is it cheaper to finish the unit yourself?
Often on paper, rarely once you count the time, the supervision and the months you are paying instalments on somewhere you cannot live in yet. The saving is real but it is smaller than the price gap suggests.
Does finishing level affect the payment plan?
Not directly — plans here run to 15 years regardless. What changes is your total cash need: a shell unit costs less up front and more later, out of pocket rather than on instalments.
What costs are not included in the price?
Maintenance is the big one — usually an annual charge based on unit size, payable whether you live there or not. Club membership, parking and storage are frequently separate line items, and registration and legal fees sit on top. Ask for a full schedule of everything payable outside the unit price before you sign.
Are developer prices negotiable in Egypt?
The headline price per metre usually moves very little. What does move is the structure — a larger down payment is often traded for a discount, and cash purchases carry published discounts at some developers. Negotiate the plan before you negotiate the price; there is generally more room there.
How does reserving a unit work?
Typically a reservation deposit holds a specific unit for a short window while the contract is prepared, followed by the down payment on signing. Terms differ by developer — confirm in writing whether the reservation is refundable, and what happens to it if you do not proceed.
Want a shortlist?
Tell us your budget and preferred areas and we'll send the ones that actually match.