May 2, 2026 · 6 min read
The Real Cost of Building an Online Store in Egypt
Hosting, platform fees, payment gateway fees, a full breakdown of what an Egyptian online store actually costs to launch and operate.
How much does it cost to launch an online store in Egypt? Most articles dodge the question with 'it depends'. This one gives you the actual line items, in EGP, for a typical first-year operation.
Year-1 fixed costs
Cartly platform: EGP 7,000/year (or 699/month). Custom email (Google Workspace): EGP 800/year. Total fixed: ~EGP 7,800/year.
Variable costs (per order)
Payment gateway fees: roughly 2.5-2.9% of order value for online card payments (via Paymob in Cartly's case). For COD: typically 0% gateway fee, but ~30 EGP shipping cost + ~25% rejection rate means effective cost per delivered COD order is EGP 38-45 in shipping/handling.
Average all-in cost per delivered order in Egypt: EGP 50-70 (assuming ~30% COD share).
What you don't pay (sometimes)
Cartly takes 0% commission on your sales. Other Egyptian platforms charge 2-5% per order, that's a separate hidden cost worth checking when comparing.
VAT applies on platform fees but you can reclaim it once tax-registered.
Realistic year-1 budget
For a serious launch (not just 'testing the waters'): allocate EGP 25,000-40,000 for year 1, covering platform, initial inventory, basic photography, and 60-90 days of paid Instagram ads. Anything less means you're operating with no marketing budget.
See exactly what Cartly costs
EGP 699/month, everything included. No commission, no setup fee, no hidden line items.
View pricing