We pulled in at a gasoline station near the pet food store the other night to fill up with gas. This year the price is up a bit to 9.25 Egyptian pounds per liter versus 8.50 EGP last year, a mild 9% increase. There are many conversations here about inflation, citing prices doubling such as eggs at 4 EGP each now versus 2 EGP a couple of years back.
The more startling change is at the bank or ATM where a dollar now buys almost 30 EGP versus 18 just a year ago. I almost don't know quite what to plug into my calculation for the exchange of EGP per dollar, since the pound has fallen twice against the dollar since the first of the new year.
If we go by the current rate, the equivalent U.S. price of gas is a remarkably low $1.19 per gallon. Egypt is fortunate to have a healthy oil industry of its own and has been on track to achieve self-sufficiency this year. This station on Mansourea Street has a large clientele of tuk-tuk drivers and motorcyclists buying the 80 octane product which is a bit cheaper, but I always base my comparisons on the 92 octane juice.
Here are some historic gas prices for as long as I have been keeping track. (Pound and dollar equivalency)
| EGP |
US $ | |
| Year | per liter | per gallon |
| 2007 | 1.50 | 1.04 |
| 2011 | 1.42 | 0.93 |
| 2013 | 1.85 | 1.04 |
| 2014 | 1.85 | 1.01 |
| 2016 | 2.60 | 1.26 |
| 2017 | 3.50 | 0.74 |
| 2018 | 5.00 | 1.11 |
| 2019 | 6.75 | 1.46 |
| 2020 | 7.75 | 1.83 |
| 2021 | COVID | COVID |
| 2022 | 8.50 | 2.05 |
| 2023 | 9.25 |
1.19 |
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