Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,287 in Addis Ababa, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,287

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Addis Ababa versus $934 in Cebu.

Addis Ababa $1,287
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,891 in Addis Ababa versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Addis Ababa $1,891
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,495 in Addis Ababa versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Addis Ababa $2,495
Cebu $1,896

Living in Addis Ababa is roughly 38% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Addis Ababa 4% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.09 ETB 658

$3.03 ₱190

34.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.95 ETB 6,901

$23.48 ₱1,473

82.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 ETB 1,061

$4.09 ₱256

61.37%

Cappuccino

$0.89 ETB 142

$2.52 ₱158

-64.68%

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

$0.59 ETB 94.2

$1.54 ₱96.9

-61.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ETB 103

$0.49 ₱30.98

30.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 ETB 131

$1.79 ₱112

-54.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ETB 372

$2.26 ₱142

2.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ETB 171

$1.95 ₱122

-45.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ETB 188

$1.43 ₱89.7

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ETB 349

$1.02 ₱63.8

112.75%

Eggs

$1.75 ETB 281

$2.06 ₱129

-15.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 ETB 1,181

$9.81 ₱615

-25.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 ETB 1,632

$4.61 ₱289

120.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 ETB 1,470

$7.70 ₱483

18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 ETB 853

$3.31 ₱207

60.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ETB 110

$1.45 ₱90.9

-53.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 ETB 347

$2.36 ₱148

-8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ETB 105

$1.54 ₱96.4

-57.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 ETB 79.3

$2.36 ₱148

-79.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ETB 167

$1.99 ₱125

-47.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 111

$1.15 ₱72.1

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ETB 92.5

$0.67 ₱42.15

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.83 ETB 1,258

$3.00 ₱188

161.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 ETB 927

$6.35 ₱398

-9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ETB 109

$1.31 ₱81.9

-48.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ETB 206

$1.73 ₱108

-26.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ETB 78.1

$0.25 ₱15.78

96.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 ETB 3,411

$12.65 ₱793

67.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ETB 214

$0.74 ₱46.32

79.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 43.19

$0.21 ₱13.11

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ETB 327

$4.33 ₱271

-52.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ETB 144

$1.33 ₱83.5

-32.33%

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

$55.7K ETB 8.9M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

155.86%

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

$56.7K ETB 9.1M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

192.22%

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

$204 ETB 32.9K

$121 ₱7,563

69.58%

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

$7.20 ETB 1,156

$14.45 ₱907

-50.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$208 ETB 33.5K

$28.29 ₱1,774

636.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 ETB 7,066

$32.68 ₱2,050

34.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.11 ETB 5,803

$6.39 ₱401

465.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 ETB 600

$5.46 ₱342

-31.50%

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

$137 ETB 22.0K

$273 ₱17.1K

-49.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

$8,156 ₱511.5K

269.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.12 ETB 5,322

$49.57 ₱3,109

-33.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.5 ETB 11.5K

$24.87 ₱1,560

187.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 ETB 12.7K

$76.6 ₱4,804

3.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 ETB 13.5K

$59.3 ₱3,717

41.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ETB 111.6K

$506 ₱31.7K

37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ETB 62.7K

$309 ₱19.4K

26.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 ETB 371.0K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

119.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$782 ETB 125.6K

$619 ₱38.8K

26.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ETB 308.2K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

-34.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$991 ETB 159.2K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

-46.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$205 ETB 32.9K

$341 ₱21.4K

-39.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

7.2

156.94%

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

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Addis Ababa

$420 32.4%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 61.1% $257

Accommodation & Living

Addis Ababa

$390 30.1%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 20.7% $81

Groceries & Markets

Addis Ababa

$212 16.3%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 0.6% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Addis Ababa

$120 9.3%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 21.5% $26

Eating Out

Addis Ababa

$77 5.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 15.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Addis Ababa

$51 4%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 15.3% $7.9

Getting Around

Addis Ababa

$26 2%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 40.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $694 in Addis Ababa and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Addis Ababa vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

16:19 4:19 PM

5 h ahead of Addis Ababa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Addis Ababa Cebu 9,300 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Addis Ababa
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Addis Ababa and Cebu differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $934 including rent). Cebu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Cebu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $694 in Addis Ababa versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Addis Ababa versus $934 in Cebu – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 68% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Addis Ababa and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.