Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Addis Ababa: $1,307 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,307

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,307 in Addis Ababa versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Addis Ababa $1,307
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,926 in Addis Ababa versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Addis Ababa $1,926
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,544 in Addis Ababa versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Addis Ababa $2,544
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Addis Ababa costs roughly 41% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Addis Ababa is 3% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 ETB 630

$16.50 €14.67

-76.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.93 ETB 6,730

$61.3 €54.5

-31.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 ETB 1,072

$11.27 €10.02

-40.73%

Cappuccino

$0.88 ETB 142

$3.06 €2.72

-71.24%

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

$0.63 ETB 100

$2.26 €2.01

-72.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ETB 102

$1.73 €1.54

-63.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 ETB 131

$3.39 €3.02

-75.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ETB 365

$3.40 €3.02

-32.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 ETB 170

$1.12 €1.00

-5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ETB 195

$1.86 €1.65

-34.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ETB 357

$1.53 €1.36

45.10%

Eggs

$1.76 ETB 282

$3.96 €3.53

-55.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.19 ETB 1,153

$12.76 €11.35

-43.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 ETB 1,645

$7.90 €7.02

29.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 ETB 1,486

$16.97 €15.09

-45.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 ETB 871

$2.27 €2.02

138.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ETB 104

$1.75 €1.55

-62.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ETB 352

$1.85 €1.64

18.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 ETB 112

$2.57 €2.28

-72.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 80.4

$1.86 €1.65

-73.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 ETB 167

$2.02 €1.80

-48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ETB 104

$1.44 €1.28

-54.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ETB 97.0

$0.82 €0.73

-26.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.20 ETB 1,316

$6.56 €5.83

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.76 ETB 924

$5.62 €5.00

2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ETB 109

$1.28 €1.14

-46.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 ETB 204

$2.07 €1.84

-38.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ETB 83.7

$2.35 €2.09

-77.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.49 ETB 3,449

$44.18 €39.29

-51.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ETB 218

$3.99 €3.55

-65.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 46.70

$1.09 €0.97

-73.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ETB 325

$16.64 €14.80

-87.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ETB 144

$2.28 €2.03

-60.53%

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

$56.0K ETB 9.0M

$33.7K €30.0K

66.25%

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

$56.5K ETB 9.1M

$39.3K €34.9K

43.88%

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

$206 ETB 33.1K

$167 €149

23.09%

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

$7.16 ETB 1,149

$18.80 €16.72

-61.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$216 ETB 34.6K

$33.09 €29.43

551.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.41 ETB 7,128

$46.01 €40.92

-3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.94 ETB 5,929

$19.19 €17.07

92.50%

Cinema Ticket

$3.73 ETB 599

$9.84 €8.75

-62.09%

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

$134 ETB 21.5K

$677 €602

-80.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

$16.9K €15.0K

79.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.22 ETB 5,331

$101 €90.0

-67.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 ETB 11.2K

$45.76 €40.70

52.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 ETB 12.7K

$100.0 €88.9

-20.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 ETB 13.5K

$123 €109

-31.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$711 ETB 114.1K

$1,614 €1,435

-55.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 ETB 62.8K

$1,197 €1,065

-67.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 ETB 361.9K

$2,862 €2,545

-21.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$786 ETB 126.2K

$1,990 €1,770

-60.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,965 ETB 315.4K

$7,577 €6,739

-74.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 ETB 161.1K

$4,307 €3,831

-76.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 ETB 32.1K

$1,588 €1,412

-87.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

3.85

380.52%

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

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Addis Ababa

$429 32.8%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 48.8% $210

Accommodation & Living

Addis Ababa

$391 29.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 206% $806

Groceries & Markets

Addis Ababa

$213 16.3%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 26.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Addis Ababa

$120 9.2%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 38.9% $47

Eating Out

Addis Ababa

$76 5.8%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 220% $167

Sport & Entertainment

Addis Ababa

$52 4%

Lisbon

$66 3% 26.6% $14

Getting Around

Addis Ababa

$26 2%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 139% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $711 in Addis Ababa and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 695% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Addis Ababa vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $269 per month, with Addis Ababa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

11:22 11:22 AM

2 h behind Addis Ababa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 160 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Addis Ababa Lisbon 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Addis Ababa
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Addis Ababa and Lisbon differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,307 vs $2,223 including rent). Addis Ababa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 695% lower in Lisbon. 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: $711 in Addis Ababa versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,307 per month in Addis Ababa versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 106% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,307 in Addis Ababa versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Addis Ababa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Addis Ababa 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 Lisbon 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 Addis Ababa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.