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: $1,383 in Addis Ababa versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Addis Ababa versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,783 in Addis Ababa versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Addis Ababa is roughly 9% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Addis Ababa is 3% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ETB 718

$4.70 ฿153

-3.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 ETB 5,522

$45.37 ฿1,482

-22.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 ETB 1,010

$8.43 ฿275

-23.96%

Cappuccino

$1.24 ETB 196

$2.93 ฿95.6

-57.68%

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

$0.69 ETB 109

$0.69 ฿22.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ETB 67.7

$0.37 ฿11.99

16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ETB 156

$2.41 ฿78.6

-58.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ETB 468

$3.72 ฿122

-20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ETB 228

$2.23 ฿72.9

-35.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ETB 210

$1.83 ฿59.8

-27.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ETB 343

$2.17 ฿70.8

Eggs

$2.43 ETB 383

$2.21 ฿72.3

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ETB 1,148

$19.74 ฿645

-63.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.73 ETB 2,164

$3.63 ฿119

278.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 ETB 2,063

$13.53 ฿442

-3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.68 ETB 1,053

$3.28 ฿107

103.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 154

$1.61 ฿52.6

-39.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ETB 345

$2.41 ฿78.6

-9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 ETB 157

$2.08 ฿68.1

-52.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ETB 107

$1.53 ฿49.93

-55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 ETB 286

$1.48 ฿48.36

22.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ETB 108

$0.99 ฿32.29

-31.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ETB 101

$0.51 ฿16.67

25.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ETB 633

$4.41 ฿144

-8.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 ETB 909

$19.38 ฿633

-70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ETB 156

$1.78 ฿58.1

-44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ETB 298

$2.71 ฿88.6

-30.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ETB 67.9

$1.37 ฿44.79

-68.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.21 ETB 1,925

$11.39 ฿372

7.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ETB 234

$3.02 ฿98.6

-50.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 42.16

$0.99 ฿32.48

-72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ETB 323

$14.10 ฿461

-85.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ETB 195

$1.36 ฿44.51

-8.82%

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

$55.4K ETB 8.7M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

96.55%

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

$54.0K ETB 8.5M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

64.15%

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

$157 ETB 24.8K

$122 ฿3,975

29.13%

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

$12.11 ETB 1,908

$13.57 ฿443

-10.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$129 ETB 20.3K

$18.31 ฿598

602.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.5 ETB 11.0K

$60.2 ฿1,967

15.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.71 ETB 5,786

$17.14 ฿560

114.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 ETB 923

$8.69 ฿284

-32.57%

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

$81.1 ETB 12.8K

$693 ฿22.6K

-88.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.1K ETB 6.5M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

161.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.81 ETB 7,377

$59.5 ฿1,944

-21.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.1 ETB 11.7K

$34.77 ฿1,136

113.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 ETB 14.7K

$115 ฿3,743

-18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ETB 18.2K

$83.3 ฿2,720

38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 ETB 119.5K

$613 ฿20.0K

23.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ETB 78.0K

$437 ฿14.3K

13.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 ETB 286.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-13.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ETB 140.2K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-41.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 ETB 312.2K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-47.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,009 ETB 159.0K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-61.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 ETB 32.5K

$508 ฿16.6K

-59.38%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $758 in Addis Ababa and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 146% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Addis Ababa vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $293 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 9% in total monthly costs ($1,383 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phuket earns 146% less. 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: $758 in Addis Ababa versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,383 per month in Addis Ababa versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 7% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,383 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 9% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.