Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Adama and Assela

For one person, living is cheaper in Assela: $835 a month against $1,026 in Adama, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Adama outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

50

Cost of Living Index in Adama
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Adama Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Assela
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Assela Living Index

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Adama

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,026

/mo nomad

Assela

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Adama and in Assela

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 Assela actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,026 per month in Adama vs $835 in Assela, rent included.

Adama $1,026
Assela $835

A couple spends around $1,689 per month in Adama vs $1,203 in Assela, rent included.

Adama $1,689
Assela $1,203

A family of three spends $2,353 per month in Adama vs $1,571 in Assela, rent included.

Adama $2,353
Assela $1,571

Adama costs about 23% more than Assela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Adama and Assela are more affordable than the global median – Adama 24% lower, Assela 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 ETB 493

$3.96 ETB 636

-22.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.20 ETB 6,933

$42.32 ETB 6,793

2.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ETB 798

$6.66 ETB 1,069

-25.38%

Cappuccino

$0.95 ETB 153

$0.96 ETB 153

-1.04%

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

$0.62 ETB 99.8

$0.64 ETB 102

-3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ETB 46.37

$0.68 ETB 109

-57.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 ETB 132

$0.83 ETB 133

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ETB 372

$2.20 ETB 353

5.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 ETB 124

$1.05 ETB 169

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ETB 187

$1.17 ETB 188

-0.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 ETB 342

$2.22 ETB 357

-4.05%

Eggs

$1.75 ETB 281

$1.78 ETB 286

-1.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 ETB 1,174

$7.18 ETB 1,152

1.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.14 ETB 1,627

$10.17 ETB 1,632

-0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.13 ETB 1,465

$9.17 ETB 1,471

-0.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 ETB 848

$5.43 ETB 871

-2.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 108

$0.68 ETB 109

-1.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ETB 344

$2.17 ETB 348

-1.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 ETB 114

$0.66 ETB 106

7.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 80.1

$0.47 ETB 75.4

6.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ETB 168

$1.05 ETB 169

-0.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 111

$0.66 ETB 106

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ETB 96.8

$0.60 ETB 96.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 ETB 1,266

$8.03 ETB 1,290

-1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.60 ETB 899

$5.49 ETB 881

2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ETB 106

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ETB 206

$1.22 ETB 196

5.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ETB 214

$1.29 ETB 207

3.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 42.79

$0.29 ETB 46.58

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 ETB 326

$2.03 ETB 325

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

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-0.19%

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

$55.0K ETB 8.8M

$56.5K ETB 9.1M

-2.54%

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

$205 ETB 32.8K

$201 ETB 32.2K

1.79%

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

$7.39 ETB 1,186

$7.11 ETB 1,141

3.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 ETB 34.2K

$209 ETB 33.5K

2.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.80 ETB 609

$3.83 ETB 614

-0.78%

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

$135 ETB 21.7K

$137 ETB 22.1K

-1.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K ETB 4.9M

$30.2K ETB 4.8M

1.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.80 ETB 5,424

$33.25 ETB 5,337

1.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.1 ETB 11.4K

$70.9 ETB 11.4K

0.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ETB 12.5K

$77.7 ETB 12.5K

0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 ETB 13.4K

$82.6 ETB 13.3K

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 ETB 56.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ETB 32.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 ETB 161.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 ETB 128.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$98.3 ETB 15.8K

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 Assela: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Adama

$425 41.4%

Assela

$417 50% 2% $8.3

Groceries & Markets

Adama

$208 20.3%

Assela

$211 25.3% 1.6% $3.3

Accommodation & Living

Adama

$199 19.4%

Assela

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Adama

$120 11.7%

Assela

$119 14.3% 0.7% $0.8

Eating Out

Adama

$63 6.2%

Assela

$77 9.2% 21.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Adama

$7.6 * 0.7%

Assela

$7.7 * 0.9% 0.8% $0.1

Getting Around

Adama

$2.7 * 0.3%

Assela

$2.7 * 0.3% 3% $0.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Adama versus $42.00 in Assela. Groceries tell a different story – $208 in Adama vs $211 in Assela – so Adama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Adama

🇪🇹 Assela

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

Same time as Adama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

228,623

139,500

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Adama Assela 67 km

From you

Adama
Assela

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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,026 in Adama, $835 in Assela – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,539 per month in Adama and $1,252 in Assela. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Adama – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,026 in Adama and $835 in Assela, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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