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A British family who decided to ditch the UK for Egypt have bought a two-bed apartment with a pool for £54,000 and now save a whopping £887-a-month.
Shelley Quijada, 35, moved with her husband, Luis, 39, and their daughter, 14, to the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm El Sheikh in October 2025, after becoming attracted by the cheaper prices and more relaxed way of life.
With its year-round hot weather, sun kissed beaches and iconic historical landmarks, Egypt has long been a popular holiday destination for Brits.
And for over 20,000 British expats, the North African country has also become their home.
Compared to the UK, Egypt offers a much warmer climate where everyday items won’t break the bank.
A pint of milk will set you back £1.25 in the UK while in Egypt it costs £0.72. While a meal for two at a restaurant will on average cost £65 in the UK and just £15.82.
The difference in the price of property is the most dramatic. The average home in the UK costs £300,000, in Egypt this is just £23,246.
It is the promise of a cheaper cost of living and affordable houses that has enticed families like the Quijadas to swap Aldershot for Alexandria or Hounslow for Hurghada.
Shelley Quijada, 35, moved with her husband, Luis, 39, and their daughter, 14, to the Egyptian beach resort of Sharm El Sheikh in October 2025
Mr and Mrs Quijada at the Pyramids of Giza. The family made the move after becoming attracted by the cheaper prices and more relaxed way of life
Mrs Quijada, business coach and social media agency owner from Derby, now saves a whopping £887 a month on bills, and £260 a month on her food shop.
The couple even bought a two-bedroom sea view apartment with a rooftop pool and a gym in the building for just £54,000.
They paid a £27,000 deposit and will pay £1,125 a month for the next two years, after which time they will be mortgage free.
The couple also bought a studio flat outright for £24,000 – which they plan to rent out.
Mrs Quijada said: ‘We always knew we wanted to move abroad, my husband’s from South America, and I’ve always preferred the sun.
‘After going on holiday to Egypt a few times we fell in love with the peaceful feel of it.
‘As soon as I got off the plane I would immediately feel relaxed. I prefer the slower pace of life.
‘There are 365 days of sunshine, you can’t go wrong.
Pictured the family’s new home in Sharm El Sheikh (left) and their old home in Derby (right)
The family had long planned to move abroad as Mr Quijada is originally from Venezuela and not a fan of the dull British weather
‘It’s so much cheaper as well. We can live a very nice life here for a quarter of what people normally spend in the UK.’
She added that the most expensive meal the family have eaten out in Sharm cost just £17 while the weekly shop is £65.
Back in England, Mrs Quijada said she and her family were ‘never out past 6pm’, and would spend their evening glued to Netflix.
Now, thanks to the glorious Egyptian weather, the family now spend their afternoons at the beach, and their evenings shopping and out at juice bars until 10pm.
‘Our lives have completely changed for the better,’ she said.
The 35-year-old said: ‘All we did in England was go to Primark or the cinema, and now we can go quad biking, boat trips and snorkelling.
‘I can’t see myself moving anywhere else now.
‘Egypt has got everything you could possibly want, the heat, the cheaper prices, the more relaxed way of life.’
The family, who works in real estate, had long planned to move abroad as Mr Quijada is originally from Venezuela and not a fan of the dull British weather.
The couple initially thought about moving to Spain, but after going on holiday to Egypt a few times, fell in love with the constant sunshine, and slower place of life.
Mrs Quijada said the family were much more active since they moved to Sharm where they are making the most of the warm weather a sun-kissed beaches
In the UK, the couple earned £2,600 between them, and ‘maxed out’ their earnings every month, spending £550 a month on rent, and £917 on bills.
Their daughter is currently home schooled, but may start going to a British school in the city next year.
And although saying goodbye to friends and family was hard Mrs Quijada said her family are delighted that they now have an excuse to travel more.
As Mrs Quijada works online, she can work from anywhere, and the couple also use their social media accounts to book people on excursions in the local area.
Although the family are loving life in Egypt they have experienced a number of culture shocks, such as the lack of road safety and people hiking prices up at the local markets, as they assume the family are tourists.
‘It does take a bit of being used to, but it’s all a fun experience,’ she said.