Apartment Painting Prices in Egypt 2026 — Rates, Labour and Materials

First: this guide is about walls, not cars

If you're looking for car respray work, that's an entirely different trade with different materials, labour and prices. This page covers interior wall and ceiling painting in apartments and offices: emulsion, oil-based, lacquer and decorative finishes.

Indicative painting price table

These are comparison ranges, not a fixed tariff. The key thing to understand: they mostly represent labour. Materials — paint, filler, primer, tape — are billed separately.

Note that preparation and filling is the item genuinely priced per square metre in the Egyptian market, while the painting itself is usually quoted per room or per apartment. So when you ask "what's the rate per metre?", be clear which one you mean.

Why there is no single per-metre rate

People asking that question usually mean one of three different things:

• The preparation rate (scraping + filling + sanding): this is what's genuinely priced per square metre, indicatively 40–90 EGP per m². It's also the item that swings most with the condition of the wall.
• Wall area is not floor area: a 100 m² apartment does not mean 100 m² of painting. You pay for wall and ceiling surface, which is typically somewhere around 2.5–3.5 times the floor area depending on ceiling height and internal walls.
• Labour by room or by apartment: a single room in emulsion runs indicatively 600–1500 EGP, a whole apartment 3000–9000 EGP — with a wide spread inside that, driven by size, number of coats and paint type.
• Materials: a fully separate line, and one that can rival or exceed labour, especially with a good brand or washable finishes.

What actually drives the price

• Wall condition: a new apartment with clean plaster is easier and cheaper than an old one that must be scraped back and repaired. Repainting an old flat can cost more than painting a new one — which surprises a lot of people.
• Number of coats: the standard is one primer coat plus two finish coats. The bargain quote that delivers one coat leaves you with patchy, uneven colour within weeks.
• Paint type: matt emulsion is cheapest. Washable, oil-based, lacquer (for wood and metal) and high-quality water-based paints cost more — but last longer and clean up, which genuinely matters if you have children.
• Decorative finishes: stencilling, stucco, travertino, wallpaper and foam cornices are separate items priced well away from plain painting, and they need a specialist, not any painter.
• Damp: if there's a leak or rising damp, any paint over it will peel within months. The source must be fixed first — that's a plumber or a waterproofing job, not a painter. Anyone who says they'll "sort it with filler" is wasting your money.
• Ceilings: slower and harder than walls, and priced accordingly.
• Empty or furnished: working around furniture means masking, protection and more time, and it costs more.

Red flags, and what to ask

Most painting disputes aren't about price — they're about a vague agreement. Ask all of the below before work starts, and get it written down.

• Does this price include materials, or is it labour only? Ask first. Most disputes start here.
• Exactly how many coats, and is a primer included? Put the number in the agreement.
• Which paint and filler, by brand and type? "Good paint" is not an answer.
• Priced per square metre or per room? If per metre, who measures, and how? Ask to see the measurement.
• Are masking and post-job cleaning included? A painter who doesn't protect your floors and furniture is a cost you'll pay later.
• Who buys the materials? If they do, ask for receipts. If you do, they should give you a quantity list first.
• How many days? Paint needs drying time between coats — anyone promising a whole apartment in a day is cutting corners on the result.
• Don't pay in full up front. A reasonable deposit for materials, then staged payments against progress, is the norm.

How Eidak works differently

Instead of taking the first painter the doorman recommends at the first price quoted, you post the job with its real details (area, rooms, new build or repaint, who supplies materials) and painters bid on it. The spread between painting quotes is unusually wide — that alone saves you money.

You also see each painter's ratings and photos of their past work before you choose.

Your money is held in escrow until you've inspected the work and confirmed it. Minimum task value is 200 EGP, and Eidak adds 10% on top of the bid — the painter receives 100% of what they bid. For staged jobs, agree the milestones in the in-app chat from the start.

Frequently asked questions

How much does painting a whole apartment in Cairo cost?

Indicatively 3000–9000 EGP, with a wide spread depending on size, wall condition (new plaster or needing to be scraped back), number of coats and paint type. Crucially, that range is mostly labour — materials are a separate line. Get several bids on identical specifications to compare properly.

What's the price per square metre for painting?

What's genuinely priced per square metre in Egypt is preparation and filling, indicatively 40–90 EGP per m². The painting itself is usually quoted per room or per apartment. And remember: you're paying for wall and ceiling area, not floor area — the difference is large.

Should I buy the materials, or should the painter?

Either works — what matters is deciding up front. If you buy, ask for a quantity list before you shop. If they buy, specify brand and type in writing and ask for receipts; otherwise they can buy the cheapest tin and charge you for the good one.

Why does new paint peel after a few months?

Two usual causes: weak preparation (insufficient scraping, filler over dusty walls, no primer), or untreated damp and water ingress. If it's damp, no paint will hold no matter how expensive — fix the source first, which is a plumbing or waterproofing job, not a painting one.

How many coats should I get?

The norm is a primer coat plus two finish coats. If a cheap quote buys you one coat, expect patchy, uneven colour and a repaint. Write the number of coats into the agreement — it's the single most disputed point.