Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Adama and Addis Ababa

For one person, living is cheaper in Adama: $1,026 a month against $1,307 in Addis Ababa, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Adama
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Adama Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa Living Index

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Adama

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,026

/mo nomad

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Adama and in Addis Ababa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Adama and in Addis Ababa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,026 per month in Adama vs $1,307 in Addis Ababa, rent included.

Adama $1,026
Addis Ababa $1,307

A couple spends around $1,689 per month in Adama vs $1,926 in Addis Ababa, rent included.

Adama $1,689
Addis Ababa $1,926

A family of three spends $2,353 per month in Adama vs $2,544 in Addis Ababa, rent included.

Adama $2,353
Addis Ababa $2,544

Adama is about 22% cheaper than Addis Ababa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Adama and Addis Ababa are more affordable than the global median – Adama 24% lower, Addis Ababa 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 ETB 493

$3.92 ETB 630

-21.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.20 ETB 6,933

$41.93 ETB 6,730

3.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ETB 798

$6.68 ETB 1,072

-25.60%

Cappuccino

$0.95 ETB 153

$0.88 ETB 142

7.95%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ETB 99.8

$0.63 ETB 100

-1.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ETB 46.37

$0.64 ETB 102

-54.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 ETB 132

$0.82 ETB 131

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ETB 372

$2.28 ETB 365

1.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 ETB 124

$1.06 ETB 170

-27.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ETB 187

$1.22 ETB 195

-4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ETB 342

$2.22 ETB 357

-4.05%

Eggs

$1.75 ETB 281

$1.76 ETB 282

-0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 ETB 1,174

$7.19 ETB 1,153

1.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.14 ETB 1,627

$10.25 ETB 1,645

-1.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.13 ETB 1,465

$9.26 ETB 1,486

-1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 ETB 848

$5.42 ETB 871

-2.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 108

$0.65 ETB 104

3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ETB 344

$2.19 ETB 352

-2.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 ETB 114

$0.70 ETB 112

1.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 80.1

$0.50 ETB 80.4

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ETB 168

$1.04 ETB 167

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 111

$0.65 ETB 104

6.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ETB 96.8

$0.60 ETB 97.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 ETB 1,266

$8.20 ETB 1,316

-3.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.60 ETB 899

$5.76 ETB 924

-2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ETB 106

$0.68 ETB 109

-2.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ETB 206

$1.27 ETB 204

1.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ETB 83.7

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.49 ETB 3,449

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ETB 214

$1.36 ETB 218

-2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 42.79

$0.29 ETB 46.70

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 ETB 326

$2.02 ETB 325

0.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 ETB 147

$0.90 ETB 144

2.22%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$54.2K ETB 8.7M

$56.0K ETB 9.0M

-3.22%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$55.0K ETB 8.8M

$56.5K ETB 9.1M

-2.66%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$205 ETB 32.8K

$206 ETB 33.1K

-0.80%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.39 ETB 1,186

$7.16 ETB 1,149

3.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 ETB 34.2K

$216 ETB 34.6K

-1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 ETB 7,128

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.94 ETB 5,929

Cinema Ticket

$3.80 ETB 609

$3.73 ETB 599

1.88%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$135 ETB 21.7K

$134 ETB 21.5K

0.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K ETB 4.9M

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.80 ETB 5,424

$33.22 ETB 5,331

1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.1 ETB 11.4K

$69.9 ETB 11.2K

1.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ETB 12.5K

$79.1 ETB 12.7K

-1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 ETB 13.4K

$84.0 ETB 13.5K

-0.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 ETB 56.1K

$711 ETB 114.1K

-50.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ETB 32.0K

$391 ETB 62.8K

-49.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 ETB 161.8K

$2,255 ETB 361.9K

-55.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 ETB 128.7K

$786 ETB 126.2K

2.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,965 ETB 315.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 ETB 161.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$98.3 ETB 15.8K

$200 ETB 32.1K

-50.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Adama: October 12, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Adama

$425 41.4%

Addis Ababa

$429 32.8% 0.9% $3.6

Groceries & Markets

Adama

$208 20.3%

Addis Ababa

$213 16.3% 2.5% $5.2

Accommodation & Living

Adama

$199 19.4%

Addis Ababa

$391 29.9% 96.2% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Adama

$120 11.7%

Addis Ababa

$120 9.2% 0% $0

Eating Out

Adama

$63 6.2%

Addis Ababa

$76 5.8% 19.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Adama

$7.6 * 0.7%

Addis Ababa

$52 4% 584% $44

Getting Around

Adama

$2.7 * 0.3%

Addis Ababa

$26 2% 892% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $350 in Adama versus $711 in Addis Ababa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 103% higher in Addis Ababa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Adama versus $42.00 in Addis Ababa. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Adama vs $213 in Addis Ababa – so Adama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Adama

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🕒 Local time

20:18 8:18 PM

Same time as Adama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

228,623

3,500,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Adama Addis Ababa 79 km

From you

Adama
Addis Ababa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Adama vs Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,026 in Adama, $1,307 in Addis Ababa – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,539 per month in Adama and $1,961 in Addis Ababa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Adama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Adama and $42.00 in Addis Ababa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Addis Ababa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Adama, where all-in costs run around $1,026, than in Addis Ababa at $1,307. In Adama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Addis Ababa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Adama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Adama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Addis Ababa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.