Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,429 in Addis Ababa versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,079 in Addis Ababa versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,730 in Addis Ababa versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Addis Ababa is roughly 14% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Addis Ababa is 7% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 ETB 704

$4.55 ฿153

-2.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.55 ETB 5,634

$46.18 ฿1,550

-23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ETB 1,058

$8.84 ฿297

-24.55%

Cappuccino

$1.30 ETB 206

$3.06 ฿103

-57.52%

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

$0.63 ETB 100

$0.73 ฿24.36

-13.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ETB 68.4

$0.40 ฿13.37

7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ETB 154

$2.43 ฿81.6

-60.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ETB 465

$3.78 ฿127

-22.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ETB 231

$2.26 ฿75.8

-35.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ETB 211

$1.81 ฿60.8

-26.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 ETB 341

$2.25 ฿75.7

-4.44%

Eggs

$2.40 ETB 380

$2.25 ฿75.4

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.12 ETB 1,128

$19.51 ฿655

-63.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.71 ETB 2,173

$3.65 ฿122

275.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 ETB 2,071

$13.05 ฿438

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.66 ETB 1,055

$3.23 ฿109

106.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ETB 165

$1.62 ฿54.3

-35.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ETB 348

$2.38 ฿80.0

-7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 155

$2.03 ฿68.0

-51.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ETB 99.9

$1.53 ฿51.5

-58.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 ETB 303

$1.50 ฿50.4

27.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ETB 105

$0.98 ฿32.85

-32.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ETB 108

$0.52 ฿17.36

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ETB 629

$4.44 ฿149

-10.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.68 ETB 901

$18.32 ฿615

-69.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ETB 164

$1.86 ฿62.6

-44.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ETB 290

$2.68 ฿90.0

-31.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ETB 69.8

$1.41 ฿47.37

-68.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.19 ETB 1,932

$11.70 ฿393

4.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 ETB 226

$3.11 ฿104

-54.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 46.37

$1.04 ฿35.00

-72.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ETB 323

$14.11 ฿474

-85.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ETB 198

$1.31 ฿44.02

-4.58%

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

$55.6K ETB 8.8M

$27.8K ฿933.8K

99.88%

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

$54.3K ETB 8.6M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

63.51%

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

$163 ETB 25.8K

$122 ฿4,110

32.78%

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

$12.23 ETB 1,938

$13.59 ฿456

-10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$129 ETB 20.5K

$18.70 ฿628

590.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 ETB 11.0K

$60.5 ฿2,031

14.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.29 ETB 5,752

$16.98 ฿570

113.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 ETB 923

$9.07 ฿305

-35.83%

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

$80.5 ETB 12.8K

$706 ฿23.7K

-88.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.0K ETB 6.3M

$15.8K ฿530.5K

152.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.75 ETB 7,568

$58.6 ฿1,965

-18.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.4 ETB 11.8K

$35.36 ฿1,187

110.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 ETB 14.5K

$115 ฿3,876

-20.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ETB 18.4K

$83.7 ฿2,811

38.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ETB 116.0K

$626 ฿21.0K

17.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 ETB 81.1K

$445 ฿14.9K

14.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 ETB 287.9K

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-10.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 ETB 140.3K

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-40.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,969 ETB 312.1K

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-43.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$992 ETB 157.2K

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-61.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 ETB 31.7K

$500 ฿16.8K

-59.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

218.95%

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

Last update for Addis Ababa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Addis Ababa and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 150% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Addis Ababa vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $289 per month, with Addis Ababa cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Addis Ababa and Phuket differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,429 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 150% lower in Phuket. 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: $732 in Addis Ababa versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,429 per month in Addis Ababa versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 4% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,429 in Addis Ababa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.