Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Adama

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.

63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Adama
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Adama Living Index

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Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,307

/mo nomad

Adama

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Addis Ababa $1,307
Adama $1,026

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

Addis Ababa $1,926
Adama $1,689

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

Addis Ababa $2,544
Adama $2,353

Addis Ababa costs about 27% more than Adama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ETB 630

$3.07 ETB 493

27.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.93 ETB 6,730

$43.20 ETB 6,933

-2.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 ETB 1,072

$4.97 ETB 798

34.41%

Cappuccino

$0.88 ETB 142

$0.95 ETB 153

-7.37%

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

$0.63 ETB 100

$0.62 ETB 99.8

1.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ETB 102

$0.29 ETB 46.37

120.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 ETB 131

$0.82 ETB 132

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ETB 365

$2.32 ETB 372

-1.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 ETB 170

$0.77 ETB 124

37.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ETB 195

$1.16 ETB 187

5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ETB 357

$2.13 ETB 342

4.23%

Eggs

$1.76 ETB 282

$1.75 ETB 281

0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.19 ETB 1,153

$7.31 ETB 1,174

-1.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 ETB 1,645

$10.14 ETB 1,627

1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 ETB 1,486

$9.13 ETB 1,465

1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 ETB 871

$5.29 ETB 848

2.46%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ETB 104

$0.67 ETB 108

-2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ETB 352

$2.14 ETB 344

2.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 ETB 112

$0.71 ETB 114

-1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 80.4

$0.50 ETB 80.1

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ETB 167

$1.04 ETB 168

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ETB 104

$0.69 ETB 111

-5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ETB 97.0

$0.60 ETB 96.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.20 ETB 1,316

$7.89 ETB 1,266

3.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.76 ETB 924

$5.60 ETB 899

2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ETB 109

$0.66 ETB 106

3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 ETB 204

$1.29 ETB 206

-1.55%

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)

$1.36 ETB 218

$1.33 ETB 214

2.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 46.70

$0.27 ETB 42.79

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ETB 325

$2.03 ETB 326

-0.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ETB 144

$0.92 ETB 147

-2.17%

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

$56.0K ETB 9.0M

$54.2K ETB 8.7M

3.33%

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

$56.5K ETB 9.1M

$55.0K ETB 8.8M

2.73%

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

$206 ETB 33.1K

$205 ETB 32.8K

0.80%

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

$7.16 ETB 1,149

$7.39 ETB 1,186

-3.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$216 ETB 34.6K

$213 ETB 34.2K

1.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 ETB 7,128

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.94 ETB 5,929

Cinema Ticket

$3.73 ETB 599

$3.80 ETB 609

-1.84%

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

$134 ETB 21.5K

$135 ETB 21.7K

-0.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

$30.6K ETB 4.9M

-0.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.22 ETB 5,331

$33.80 ETB 5,424

-1.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 ETB 11.2K

$71.1 ETB 11.4K

-1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 ETB 12.7K

$77.8 ETB 12.5K

1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 ETB 13.5K

$83.5 ETB 13.4K

0.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$711 ETB 114.1K

$350 ETB 56.1K

103.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 ETB 62.8K

$199 ETB 32.0K

96.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 ETB 361.9K

$1,008 ETB 161.8K

123.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$786 ETB 126.2K

$802 ETB 128.7K

-2.00%

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)

$200 ETB 32.1K

$98.3 ETB 15.8K

103.28%

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 Addis Ababa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Adama: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Addis Ababa

$429 32.8%

Adama

$425 41.4% 0.8% $3.6

Accommodation & Living

Addis Ababa

$391 29.9%

Adama

$199 19.4% 49% $192

Groceries & Markets

Addis Ababa

$213 16.3%

Adama

$208 20.3% 2.4% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Addis Ababa

$120 9.2%

Adama

$120 11.7% 0% $0

Eating Out

Addis Ababa

$76 5.8%

Adama

$63 6.2% 16.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Addis Ababa

$52 4%

Adama

$7.6 * 0.7% 85.4% $44

Getting Around

Addis Ababa

$26 2%

Adama

$2.7 * 0.3% 89.9% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $711 in Addis Ababa versus $350 in Adama. 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 $42.00 in Addis Ababa versus $43.00 in Adama. Groceries tell a different story – $213 in Addis Ababa vs $208 in Adama – so Adama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Adama

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

Same time as Addis Ababa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000 Capital

228,623

💱 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

Addis Ababa Adama 79 km

From you

Addis Ababa
Adama

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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,961 per month in Addis Ababa and $1,539 in Adama. 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 $42.00 in Addis Ababa and $43.00 in Adama. 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.