What a mobile app actually costs to build in Egypt in 2026
Real ranges, the six variables that move them, and how to read a quote before you pay for it.
It is the most asked and least honestly answered question in this business. Most agencies reply "it depends", which is true and useless. Here is what it depends on.
The ranges
These are market ranges, not a quote. Anyone giving you a final number before seeing your requirements is guessing.
| Type | What's in it | EGP | USD approx. |
|---|---|---|---|
| MVP | One platform, limited screens, simple sign-in | 150,000 – 350,000 | 3,000 – 7,000 |
| Full app | Android and iOS, backend, accounts, notifications, payments | 350,000 – 900,000 | 7,000 – 18,000 |
| Connected system | Integrates with existing systems, admin dashboard, live data | 900,000+ | 18,000+ |
The difference between those rows is not quality. It is how many systems have to talk to each other.
The six variables
1. One platform or two
Android and iOS from a shared codebase (Flutter or React Native) saves roughly 30–40% against building both natively. If your users are in Egypt and you have to pick one, start with Android.
2. Is there a backend?
An app that displays fixed information is one thing. An app with accounts, changing data and sync between devices is another entirely. The backend is usually 30–50% of the project.
3. Payments
Accepting money is not a screen. It is a gateway, settlement, failure states, refunds and an auditable record. Costing it as one screen is the single most common reason budgets overrun.
4. Integration with what you already run
If the app has to read from a POS, an ERP or a stock system, the difficulty is set by that other system, not by the app. A documented API means days. A closed system means weeks, sometimes never.
5. Who manages the content
If you need to change prices, images or text yourself, you need an admin panel. That is a small project inside the project, and it is the one most often missing from a quote.
6. Languages
Arabic plus English is not just translation. Right-to-left inverts the entire layout. If the app will be in Arabic, say so on day one — retrofitting it costs considerably more.
What is usually not in the quote
- Store accounts: Google Play once, Apple annually.
- Hosting: a recurring monthly cost that grows with usage.
- Design: a separate line if there is no existing design.
- Content and photography: the app does not fill itself.
- Maintenance: budget 15–20% of build cost per year. Android and iOS ship
new versions annually, and an app nobody touches stops working in about two.
The cheapest quote becomes the most expensive one the first time you need a change and nobody can open the code.
How to read a quote
Ask these four, and watch how comfortably they are answered:
- Who owns the code? The correct answer is you. If it is unclear, that is
the finding.
- How is it handed over? A repository, credentials and run instructions —
not an APK file.
- What is explicitly excluded? A good quote says so in writing.
- Who fixes it if it breaks after delivery, and for how long?
The firm that answers all four comfortably is usually more expensive up front and cheaper over three years.
Realistic timelines
| Phase | Duration |
|---|---|
| Scoping and design | 2 – 4 weeks |
| Build | 6 – 16 weeks depending on scope |
| Testing and revisions | 2 – 3 weeks |
| Store release | 1 – 2 weeks (Apple review takes time) |
Anyone promising a complete app in two weeks is selling you a template or will not deliver.
Before you ask for a quote
Write one page: who the user is, the three most important things they will do, and which systems the app must talk to. That page changes the price more than any negotiation will.
Common questions
MVP or the full app?
MVP, unless you already have users waiting. The features you are certain are essential are usually not the ones people use.
Why do quotes differ so much?
Because they are not measuring the same work. A quote at the very bottom of the range usually excludes the backend, the admin panel and maintenance. Compare scope, not numbers.
Could a website do instead?
Often yes, and for about a third of the cost. If you do not need the camera, push notifications or offline use, a responsive website reaches the same people.
Keep reading
Newsletter
Occasional notes on software, automation and running a better business. No spam.