Short answer: in 2026 a mobile app costs from about EGP 60,000 in Egypt and SAR 15,000 in Saudi Arabia for a simple app, up to more than EGP 1.5 million or SAR 250,000 for large platforms such as delivery and ride-hailing apps. Features drive the gap between those numbers, not the agency's name.
I'm Mohamed Saber, an app and web developer based in Cairo, building Android and iPhone apps for clients in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This guide gives you a clear price table, what pushes the price up or down, what apps like Talabat and Uber really cost, and the post-launch costs nobody mentions.
Mobile app development prices in Egypt and Saudi Arabia (2026)
App type | Examples | Egypt (EGP) | Saudi Arabia (SAR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Simple app (MVP) | Catalogue, simple booking, company app | 60,000 – 150,000 | 15,000 – 30,000 | 6 – 10 weeks |
Medium app | Store, paid bookings, memberships, admin dashboard | 150,000 – 450,000 | 30,000 – 80,000 | 3 – 5 months |
Complex platform | Delivery like Talabat, rides like Uber, multi-vendor marketplace | 450,000 – 1,500,000+ | 80,000 – 250,000+ | 6+ months |
The Saudi figures come from Origami's 2026 Saudi app pricing guide. The Egypt figures are approximate ranges from market projects and my own work, not a final quote. In the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar prices are usually close to Saudi rates or higher.
What determines the price of an app?
Two apps that look the same can differ in price by a factor of two. These eight factors move the number:
1. Platforms: Android, iPhone or both
With React Native or Flutter the code is written once and runs on Android and iPhone. Two separate native apps (Swift and Kotlin) nearly double the cost and only pay off for apps with very special performance needs.
2. Number of screens and features
Every screen needs design, development and testing. Sign-in, cart, notifications, chat and reviews each carry their own cost.
3. Admin dashboard
Most apps need a web dashboard where the business manages products, orders and customers. It is a small project next to the app and should appear in the quote.
4. Online payments
In Saudi Arabia and the Gulf: mada, Apple Pay and STC Pay, plus Tabby and Tamara for instalments. In Egypt: Paymob, Fawry and mobile wallets. Each gateway needs integration and testing, and some take weeks to approve the account.
5. Maps and live tracking
Tracking a courier or driver on a map in real time is one of the most expensive features: it needs an always-on server and pay-per-use map services.
6. Arabic and English
A bilingual app needs a properly tested right-to-left interface, clear Arabic fonts and correct language switching. It is essential in Egypt and the Gulf and adds design and testing time.
7. AI and voice
Voice input, smart assistants and reading photos or invoices are in demand, but they add a monthly running cost for AI models and need a design that keeps numbers from going wrong.
8. Design
A ready-made template is cheaper and faster; a custom design in your brand raises quality and trust but takes longer. Good design also lowers support costs later.
How much does a delivery app like Talabat or HungerStation cost?
When a client asks for "an app like Talabat", they are really asking for four products: the customer app, the courier app, an app or dashboard for the restaurant or store, and an admin dashboard, with live tracking and a commission system. That is why it sits in the complex-platform tier.
The cheaper route: launch a first version with only the customer app and the dashboard, and assign orders to couriers manually or over WhatsApp at first. Once people are clearly ordering, add the courier app and tracking. This cuts the first payment a lot and lowers the risk.
How much does an app like Uber or Careem cost?
Ride-hailing is harder than delivery: matching a rider with the nearest driver in seconds, pricing by distance and time, live tracking, payments, ratings and trip safety. It is at the top of the complex tier, and its monthly running costs (servers and maps) are higher than most apps.
E-commerce app cost
If you sell on Salla or Zid, the platform offers a ready-made app for a subscription, which is the cheapest way to start. A custom app pays off when you need a different experience, a loyalty programme or a link to your internal system such as Odoo. See e-commerce store development, and if you need a website rather than an app, read the website design cost guide for Egypt.
Post-launch costs nobody mentions
- App Store: USD 99 a year for the Apple Developer Program.
- Google Play: a one-time USD 25 developer registration fee.
- Server and database: a small monthly amount for a small app, growing with your users.
- Maintenance and updates: the market rule is 15–20% of the build cost per year, per Origami. Yearly Android and iOS releases can require changes even if you add no features.
- Paid services: SMS, maps, AI models and payment gateways (a share of every transaction).
Native, or React Native and Flutter?
For most startups and growing businesses, a modern cross-platform app (React Native or Flutter) is the right choice: one codebase for both platforms, performance very close to native, and lower build and maintenance costs. I build my apps with React Native and Expo, in Arabic and English, and offline where it matters.
Can I build an app with AI for free?
AI tools are great for a prototype to show investors or test an idea. Once you have customers, data and payments, you need a developer to review security, make the app perform, publish it to the stores and keep it updated. Start with the tool and move to a developer once the idea is proven.
Agency or freelance developer?
Agency | Professional freelancer | |
|---|---|---|
Price | Higher (team and overheads) | Usually lower for the same quality |
Communication | Through a project manager | Directly with the person writing the code |
Very large projects | Better fit | Needs a supporting team |
Flexibility for changes | Depends on the contract | Usually faster |
Either way, ask for real past apps you can try, a contract with payments tied to delivery milestones, and the code and store accounts in your name.
Real examples from apps I built
Money Follows, an Arabic and English expense tracker with typed, voice and AI entry.
Money Follows: an offline expense tracker with voice entry, bank SMS capture and an AI assistant that answers questions about your spending.
Amar, a contractor app that records workers, bricks and money by voice.
Amar: an app for a building contractor running several sites, with weekly payroll, PDF reports to WhatsApp and a voice assistant in Egyptian Arabic. Also WX Weather, a weather app with home-screen widgets. See all projects.
How to lower the cost without losing quality
- List the core features only and move the nice-to-haves to version two.
- Start with a first version (MVP) and test it with real customers.
- Use a cross-platform stack (React Native or Flutter) for one app on both stores.
- Use ready services for payments, notifications and maps instead of building them.
- Agree on maintenance up front so there are no surprises after launch.
Get a quote for your app
Send me your app idea and the features you need, and I will reply with a price range and timeline within 24 hours. See mobile app development, or contact me directly. If your project is a website, try the free website cost calculator.