Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Adama and Hawassa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hawassa: $838 a month against $1,024 in Adama, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Adama outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Adama
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Adama Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Hawassa
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Hawassa Living Index

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Adama

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,024

/mo nomad

Hawassa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Adama and in Hawassa

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

A single person spends $1,024 per month in Adama vs $838 in Hawassa, rent included.

Adama $1,024
Hawassa $838

A couple spends around $1,683 per month in Adama vs $1,202 in Hawassa, rent included.

Adama $1,683
Hawassa $1,202

A family of three spends $2,341 per month in Adama vs $1,566 in Hawassa, rent included.

Adama $2,341
Hawassa $1,566

Adama costs about 22% more than Hawassa.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 ETB 495

$3.88 ETB 625

-20.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.10 ETB 6,931

$42.15 ETB 6,777

2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 ETB 791

$6.60 ETB 1,061

-25.45%

Cappuccino

$0.89 ETB 143

$0.88 ETB 142

1.14%

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

$0.59 ETB 95.1

$0.63 ETB 101

-6.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ETB 50.4

$0.68 ETB 109

-54.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 ETB 131

$0.78 ETB 125

5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 ETB 370

$2.21 ETB 355

4.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 ETB 124

$1.05 ETB 169

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ETB 194

$1.17 ETB 189

3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 ETB 340

$1.03 ETB 165

104.85%

Eggs

$1.74 ETB 280

$1.58 ETB 254

10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 ETB 1,222

$7.38 ETB 1,186

2.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.14 ETB 1,630

$10.02 ETB 1,612

1.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.37 ETB 1,506

$9.27 ETB 1,491

1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 ETB 882

$5.23 ETB 841

4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 ETB 103

$0.63 ETB 101

1.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ETB 356

$2.24 ETB 361

-1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 107

$0.69 ETB 112

-2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 ETB 79.2

$0.47 ETB 75.0

4.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ETB 169

$1.09 ETB 175

-3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ETB 103

$0.66 ETB 106

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ETB 92.1

$0.57 ETB 91.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 ETB 1,262

$7.91 ETB 1,272

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 ETB 880

$5.65 ETB 908

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ETB 109

$0.67 ETB 108

1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ETB 203

$1.22 ETB 197

3.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ETB 207

$1.36 ETB 218

-5.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 46.98

$0.27 ETB 43.39

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 ETB 317

$2.02 ETB 325

-2.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ETB 153

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

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-0.31%

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

$55.7K ETB 9.0M

$55.5K ETB 8.9M

0.34%

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

$204 ETB 32.8K

$205 ETB 33.0K

-0.53%

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

$7.15 ETB 1,150

$7.48 ETB 1,202

-4.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$209 ETB 33.7K

$216 ETB 34.8K

-3.32%

Cinema Ticket

$3.68 ETB 592

$3.81 ETB 613

-3.41%

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

$625 ETB 100.4K

$616 ETB 99.1K

1.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

-0.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.64 ETB 5,409

$33.38 ETB 5,368

0.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.0 ETB 11.4K

$69.6 ETB 11.2K

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 ETB 12.8K

$77.4 ETB 12.4K

2.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 ETB 13.2K

$83.5 ETB 13.4K

-1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 ETB 56.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ETB 32.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 ETB 163.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 ETB 127.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$500 ETB 80.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$101 ETB 16.2K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Adama

$420 41.1%

Hawassa

$429 51.2% 2% $8.6

Groceries & Markets

Adama

$210 20.5%

Hawassa

$205 24.5% 2.3% $4.9

Accommodation & Living

Adama

$201 19.7%

Hawassa

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Adama

$120 11.7%

Hawassa

$119 14.2% 0.8% $0.9

Eating Out

Adama

$62 6.1%

Hawassa

$75 8.9% 20.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Adama

$7.4 * 0.7%

Hawassa

$7.6 * 0.9% 3.5% $0.3

Getting Around

Adama

$2.8 * 0.3%

Hawassa

$2.7 * 0.3% 1.5% $0

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 in Adama versus $42 in Hawassa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $205 – making Hawassa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Adama

🇪🇹 Hawassa

🕒 Local time

02:30 2:30 AM

Same time as Adama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

228,623

160,000

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Adama Hawassa 190 km

From you

Adama
Hawassa

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 Hawassa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Adama costs about 22% more than Hawassa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,536 per month in Adama and $1,258 in Hawassa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,024 in Adama and $838 in Hawassa. That makes Hawassa about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $625 per month in Adama and $616 in Hawassa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,024 in Adama and $838 in Hawassa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.