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: $1,289 in Addis Ababa versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,927 in Addis Ababa versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,564 in Addis Ababa versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Addis Ababa is roughly 5% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Addis Ababa 6% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 ETB 646

$4.41 ฿147

-8.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ETB 6,928

$32.26 ฿1,077

33.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 ETB 1,067

$8.93 ฿298

-25.64%

Cappuccino

$0.95 ETB 153

$2.90 ฿96.6

-67.24%

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

$0.59 ETB 94.5

$0.88 ฿29.38

-32.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ETB 103

$0.48 ฿16.06

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.81 ETB 130

$2.35 ฿78.5

-65.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ETB 368

$3.72 ฿124

-38.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ETB 175

$1.87 ฿62.3

-41.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ETB 194

$1.47 ฿48.94

-17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ETB 354

$1.55 ฿51.8

41.94%

Eggs

$1.81 ETB 291

$2.10 ฿70.1

-13.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 ETB 1,216

$19.59 ฿654

-61.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 ETB 1,630

$3.42 ฿114

196.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 ETB 1,493

$11.38 ฿380

-18.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 ETB 881

$2.98 ฿99.6

83.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ETB 102

$1.68 ฿56.2

-62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ETB 355

$2.21 ฿73.7

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 ETB 111

$2.16 ฿72.1

-68.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 80.2

$1.52 ฿50.9

-67.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ETB 170

$1.34 ฿44.67

-20.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ETB 103

$1.13 ฿37.67

-43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ETB 98.3

$0.55 ฿18.24

10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 ETB 1,314

$4.26 ฿142

92.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 ETB 905

$19.09 ฿637

-70.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ETB 116

$1.78 ฿59.4

-59.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ETB 196

$2.78 ฿92.9

-56.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ETB 82.9

$2.23 ฿74.4

-76.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 ETB 3,326

$22.74 ฿759

-8.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ETB 209

$3.03 ฿101

-57.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 43.30

$1.02 ฿34.15

-73.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ETB 314

$3.89 ฿130

-49.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ETB 145

$1.49 ฿49.77

-39.60%

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

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

103.40%

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

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

104.08%

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

$202 ETB 32.5K

$102 ฿3,420

97.56%

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

$7.10 ETB 1,140

$11.33 ฿378

-37.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$208 ETB 33.4K

$17.40 ฿581

1096.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 ETB 7,191

$52.1 ฿1,738

-14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.56 ETB 5,874

$11.07 ฿370

230.26%

Cinema Ticket

$3.66 ETB 588

$7.69 ฿257

-52.41%

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

$139 ETB 22.3K

$561 ฿18.7K

-75.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K ETB 4.9M

$11.5K ฿384.1K

165.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.99 ETB 5,300

$63.0 ฿2,104

-47.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 ETB 11.2K

$29.52 ฿986

136.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 ETB 12.6K

$98.0 ฿3,272

-19.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ETB 13.2K

$88.5 ฿2,954

-6.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ETB 111.5K

$738 ฿24.6K

-5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ETB 63.2K

$482 ฿16.1K

-18.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,237 ETB 359.4K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

6.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ETB 123.8K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-37.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,990 ETB 319.7K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-44.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,023 ETB 164.3K

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-60.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 ETB 33.1K

$494 ฿16.5K

-58.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

5.57

232.14%

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

Last update for Addis Ababa: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $694 in Addis Ababa and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 139% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $274, with Addis Ababa cheaper for home cooking.

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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 139% 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: $694 in Addis Ababa versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Addis Ababa versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 10% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,289 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 5% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.