Background: Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) can identify malnourished elderly people and those at risk of malnutrition in short time and can guide optimal early nutritional intervention. Objective: To compare  the nutritional status of institutionalized and free-living elderly in Alexandria. Methods: A cross-sectional study included fifty institutionalized elderly from two governmental elderly homes in Alexandria and fifty four free-living elderly from the community randomly selected . Data about socio-demographic characteristics, medical history and dietary habits were collected and nutritional assessment was carried out using dietary intake method, anthropometric measurements and the MNA tool. Results: Based on body mass index (BMI) estimates, obesity and being at risk of overweight were prevalent among 32% and 18% of institutionalized elderly respectively;  among 7.4% and 33.3%, of free-living ones respectively.  Using MNA, malnutrition and being at risk of malnutrition were 12% and 40%, respectively among institutionalized elderly;  9.3% and 29.6%, respectively among free-living ones. Calcium and vitamins A and C intake were less than the requirements. Conclusion: Malnutrition and being at risk of it were prevalent among the elders in the two studied settings