Living full time in a resort is out of the question, but what would it be like to live outside the resorts? Airbnb isn’t a viable option, but there are hotels willing to negotiate for long stays. I lived in Hurghada for a month. This is what you should know.
Rent at a place like Charbel hotel for a month costs $700. A heavy price tag, but the quality relative to other options was worth it thanks to the queen size bed, A/C, Wi-Fi, and location.
The only social life that can be had was at night clubs. There are no coworks, meet ups, or young expat crowds. It is a resort town and that is where most people stay. For good reason too, the roads directly outside the resorts house the touts and scammers. Pass that and the city gets rougher, but also more human. Away from resorts you’re treated more like a person than an ATM. The best area was the Touristic Villages as it’s where the expats and upper class of the city stay. It’s also where the best cafes and wi-fi were.
Winter weather was great - constantly sunny and cool. Good for pants and a jacket but not much more needed. The wind and sand were an occasional annoyance, but something sunglasses easily took care of.
Total cost for the month, including a weekend trip to Luxor was $1,338. That was eating out at least twice a day. The biggest expense was 4G internet, as the wi-fi was unstable or slow, so ended up costing $117 over the month.
I don’t recommend staying in Hurghada, but if you’re there for a resort or scuba diving it’s doable.
