Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Hawassa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hawassa: $837 a month against $1,300 in Addis Ababa, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
Learn more

Addis Ababa Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Hawassa
Learn more

Hawassa Living Index

Jump to prices

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,300

/mo nomad

Hawassa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Addis Ababa 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 Addis Ababa and in Hawassa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,300 in Addis Ababa versus $837 in Hawassa.

Addis Ababa $1,300
Hawassa $837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,914 in Addis Ababa versus $1,203 in Hawassa.

Addis Ababa $1,914
Hawassa $1,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,528 in Addis Ababa versus $1,569 in Hawassa.

Addis Ababa $2,528
Hawassa $1,569

Living in Addis Ababa is roughly 55% more expensive than in Hawassa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Addis Ababa 4% lower, Hawassa 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 ETB 654

$3.97 ETB 638

2.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.77 ETB 6,877

$42.89 ETB 6,897

-0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ETB 1,066

$6.65 ETB 1,069

-0.30%

Cappuccino

$0.88 ETB 141

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

$0.58 ETB 93.7

$0.58 ETB 94.0

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ETB 103

$0.65 ETB 104

-1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ETB 124

$0.82 ETB 133

-6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ETB 359

$2.28 ETB 367

-2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 ETB 172

$1.06 ETB 171

0.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ETB 186

$1.22 ETB 196

-4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ETB 349

$0.98 ETB 157

121.43%

Eggs

$1.79 ETB 287

$1.53 ETB 246

16.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 ETB 1,208

$7.34 ETB 1,180

2.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 ETB 1,653

$9.99 ETB 1,606

2.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.49 ETB 1,526

$9.38 ETB 1,508

1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 ETB 844

$5.27 ETB 848

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 ETB 102

$0.65 ETB 105

-1.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ETB 340

$2.16 ETB 347

-1.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ETB 105

$0.66 ETB 107

-1.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 81.0

$0.50 ETB 79.6

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ETB 174

$1.10 ETB 176

-1.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 110

$0.65 ETB 105

6.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ETB 92.7

$0.62 ETB 99.1

-6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 ETB 1,289

$7.89 ETB 1,269

1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.68 ETB 914

$5.48 ETB 881

3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ETB 108

$0.72 ETB 115

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ETB 195

$1.26 ETB 203

-3.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ETB 82.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.05 ETB 3,385

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ETB 208

$1.30 ETB 209

-0.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 47.25

$0.29 ETB 46.80

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ETB 314

$1.97 ETB 316

-0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ETB 155

$0.97 ETB 156

-1.03%

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

$55.7K ETB 9.0M

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

0.92%

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

$56.1K ETB 9.0M

0.08%

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

$202 ETB 32.5K

$207 ETB 33.3K

-2.31%

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

$7.50 ETB 1,205

$7.40 ETB 1,190

1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 ETB 34.3K

0.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.97 ETB 7,231

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.87 ETB 5,929

Cinema Ticket

$3.77 ETB 606

$3.65 ETB 587

3.29%

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

$633 ETB 101.8K

$628 ETB 100.9K

0.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

0.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.81 ETB 5,276

$32.89 ETB 5,288

-0.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.5 ETB 11.2K

$70.7 ETB 11.4K

-1.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 ETB 12.5K

$77.1 ETB 12.4K

0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 ETB 13.3K

$81.3 ETB 13.1K

2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 ETB 113.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ETB 63.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 ETB 369.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ETB 124.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 ETB 317.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,025 ETB 164.9K

$502 ETB 80.7K

104.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 ETB 32.2K

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 Addis Ababa: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hawassa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Addis Ababa

$423 32.5%

Hawassa

$428 51.1% 1.1% $4.6

Accommodation & Living

Addis Ababa

$392 30.1%

Hawassa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Addis Ababa

$213 16.4%

Hawassa

$206 24.6% 3.2% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Addis Ababa

$118 9.1%

Hawassa

$118 14.1% 0.3% $0.3

Eating Out

Addis Ababa

$76 5.9%

Hawassa

$76 9.1% 0.4% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Addis Ababa

$53 4%

Hawassa

$7.3 * 0.9% 86.1% $45

Getting Around

Addis Ababa

$26 2%

Hawassa

$2.8 * 0.3% 89.4% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43 in Addis Ababa vs $43 in Hawassa. Groceries flip the comparison at $213 vs $206, with Hawassa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Hawassa

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

Same time as Addis Ababa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000 Capital

160,000

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Addis Ababa Hawassa 220 km

From you

Addis Ababa
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,300 in Addis Ababa and $837 in Hawassa, so Hawassa is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,950 in Addis Ababa and $1,256 in Hawassa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $633 in Addis Ababa versus $628 in Hawassa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,300 per month in Addis Ababa versus $837 in Hawassa – Hawassa is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $837 in Hawassa versus $1,300 in Addis Ababa, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hawassa but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Hawassa 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.