Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,287 in Addis Ababa, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
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Delhi Living Index

Jump to prices

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,287

/mo nomad

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Addis Ababa versus $520 in Delhi.

Addis Ababa $1,287
Delhi $520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,891 in Addis Ababa versus $858 in Delhi.

Addis Ababa $1,891
Delhi $858

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,495 in Addis Ababa versus $1,195 in Delhi.

Addis Ababa $2,495
Delhi $1,195

Living in Addis Ababa is roughly 147% more expensive than in Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Addis Ababa 4% lower, Delhi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.09 ETB 658

$3.67 ₹355

11.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.95 ETB 6,901

$20.95 ₹2,027

105.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 ETB 1,061

$3.74 ₹362

76.47%

Cappuccino

$0.89 ETB 142

$2.33 ₹226

-61.80%

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

$0.59 ETB 94.2

$0.37 ₹35.82

59.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ETB 103

$0.20 ₹18.91

220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 ETB 131

$2.02 ₹195

-59.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ETB 372

$3.19 ₹308

-27.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ETB 171

$0.68 ₹65.9

57.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ETB 188

$0.52 ₹50.2

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ETB 349

$0.83 ₹80.0

161.45%

Eggs

$1.75 ETB 281

$1.07 ₹104

63.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 ETB 1,181

$4.43 ₹428

65.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 ETB 1,632

$3.37 ₹326

201.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 ETB 1,470

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 ETB 853

$1.99 ₹192

166.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ETB 110

$0.72 ₹70.1

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 ETB 347

$1.02 ₹98.4

111.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ETB 105

$0.52 ₹50.1

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 ETB 79.3

$0.27 ₹25.96

81.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ETB 167

$0.37 ₹35.42

181.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 111

$0.43 ₹41.64

60.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ETB 92.5

$0.31 ₹30.39

87.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.83 ETB 1,258

$4.92 ₹476

59.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 ETB 927

$8.34 ₹808

-30.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ETB 109

$1.64 ₹159

-58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ETB 206

$2.70 ₹261

-52.59%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ETB 78.1

$0.46 ₹44.04

6.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.23 ETB 3,411

$15.29 ₹1,480

38.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ETB 214

$1.03 ₹99.8

29.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 43.19

$0.27 ₹26.38

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ETB 327

$1.53 ₹148

33.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ETB 144

$1.05 ₹102

-14.29%

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

$55.7K ETB 8.9M

$10.5K ₹1.0M

432.20%

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

$56.7K ETB 9.1M

$18.4K ₹1.8M

208.61%

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

$204 ETB 32.9K

$42.67 ₹4,129

379.21%

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

$7.20 ETB 1,156

$4.04 ₹391

78.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$208 ETB 33.5K

$6.75 ₹653

2986.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 ETB 7,066

$19.40 ₹1,878

126.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.11 ETB 5,803

$8.06 ₹780

348.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 ETB 600

$5.08 ₹492

-26.38%

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

$137 ETB 22.0K

$100 ₹9,696

36.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

$2,268 ₹219.5K

1228.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.12 ETB 5,322

$24.14 ₹2,336

37.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.5 ETB 11.5K

$28.38 ₹2,747

151.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 ETB 12.7K

$53.3 ₹5,160

48.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 ETB 13.5K

$44.13 ₹4,271

90.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ETB 111.6K

$264 ₹25.5K

163.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 ETB 62.7K

$154 ₹14.9K

153.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 ETB 371.0K

$736 ₹71.2K

213.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$782 ETB 125.6K

$397 ₹38.5K

96.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,918 ETB 308.2K

$2,494 ₹241.4K

-23.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$991 ETB 159.2K

$1,017 ₹98.4K

-2.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$205 ETB 32.9K

$585 ₹56.7K

-64.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

8.33

122.09%

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

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 3, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Addis Ababa

$420 32.4%

Delhi

$53 10.3% 87.3% $367

Accommodation & Living

Addis Ababa

$390 30.1%

Delhi

$154 29.7% 60.5% $236

Groceries & Markets

Addis Ababa

$212 16.3%

Delhi

$108 20.8% 49% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Addis Ababa

$120 9.3%

Delhi

$67 13% 44% $53

Eating Out

Addis Ababa

$77 5.9%

Delhi

$87 16.8% 13.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Addis Ababa

$51 4%

Delhi

$30 5.7% 42.5% $22

Getting Around

Addis Ababa

$26 2%

Delhi

$20 3.8% 24.5% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $694 in Addis Ababa and $264 in Delhi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Delhi pays 186% 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 $21.00 in Delhi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $108 per month, with Delhi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🇮🇳 Delhi

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

13:58 1:58 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Addis Ababa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000 Capital

16,787,941 Capital

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Addis Ababa Delhi 4,570 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Addis Ababa
Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Addis Ababa and Delhi differ by about 147% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $520 including rent). Delhi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 186% lower in Delhi. 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 $264 in Delhi. 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 $520 in Delhi – a 147% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Delhi runs roughly 39% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $520 in Delhi versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Delhi but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Delhi 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.

Expats usually find Delhi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.