Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Assela and Adama

For one person, living is cheaper in Assela: $835 a month against $1,026 in Adama, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Adama outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

Cost of Living Index in Assela
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Assela Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Adama
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Adama Living Index

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Assela

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$835

/mo nomad

Adama

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Assela and in Adama

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Assela and in Adama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $835 per month in Assela vs $1,026 in Adama, rent included.

Assela $835
Adama $1,026

A couple spends around $1,203 per month in Assela vs $1,689 in Adama, rent included.

Assela $1,203
Adama $1,689

A family of three spends $1,571 per month in Assela vs $2,353 in Adama, rent included.

Assela $1,571
Adama $2,353

Assela is about 19% cheaper than Adama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Assela and Adama are more affordable than the global median – Assela 38% lower, Adama 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.96 ETB 636

$3.07 ETB 493

28.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.32 ETB 6,793

$43.20 ETB 6,933

-2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 ETB 1,069

$4.97 ETB 798

34.00%

Cappuccino

$0.96 ETB 153

$0.95 ETB 153

1.05%

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

$0.64 ETB 102

$0.62 ETB 99.8

3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ETB 109

$0.29 ETB 46.37

134.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 ETB 133

$0.82 ETB 132

1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 ETB 353

$2.32 ETB 372

-5.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 ETB 169

$0.77 ETB 124

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ETB 188

$1.16 ETB 187

0.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ETB 357

$2.13 ETB 342

4.23%

Eggs

$1.78 ETB 286

$1.75 ETB 281

1.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 ETB 1,152

$7.31 ETB 1,174

-1.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 ETB 1,632

$10.14 ETB 1,627

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 ETB 1,471

$9.13 ETB 1,465

0.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 ETB 871

$5.29 ETB 848

2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 ETB 109

$0.67 ETB 108

1.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 ETB 348

$2.14 ETB 344

1.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ETB 106

$0.71 ETB 114

-7.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ETB 75.4

$0.50 ETB 80.1

-6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ETB 169

$1.04 ETB 168

0.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ETB 106

$0.69 ETB 111

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ETB 96.9

$0.60 ETB 96.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 ETB 1,290

$7.89 ETB 1,266

1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.49 ETB 881

$5.60 ETB 899

-1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ETB 106

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ETB 196

$1.29 ETB 206

-5.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.29 ETB 207

$1.33 ETB 214

-3.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 46.58

$0.27 ETB 42.79

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 ETB 325

$2.03 ETB 326

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ETB 144

$0.92 ETB 147

-2.17%

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

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

$54.2K ETB 8.7M

0.19%

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

$56.5K ETB 9.1M

$55.0K ETB 8.8M

2.61%

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

$201 ETB 32.2K

$205 ETB 32.8K

-1.76%

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

$7.11 ETB 1,141

$7.39 ETB 1,186

-3.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$209 ETB 33.5K

$213 ETB 34.2K

-2.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ETB 614

$3.80 ETB 609

0.79%

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

$137 ETB 22.1K

$135 ETB 21.7K

1.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K ETB 4.8M

$30.6K ETB 4.9M

-1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.25 ETB 5,337

$33.80 ETB 5,424

-1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.9 ETB 11.4K

$71.1 ETB 11.4K

-0.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 ETB 12.5K

$77.8 ETB 12.5K

-0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 ETB 13.3K

$83.5 ETB 13.4K

-1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 ETB 56.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ETB 32.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 ETB 161.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 ETB 128.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$98.3 ETB 15.8K

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 Assela: October 11, 2026

Last update for Adama: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Assela

$417 50%

Adama

$425 41.4% 2% $8.3

Groceries & Markets

Assela

$211 25.3%

Adama

$208 20.3% 1.6% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Assela

$119 14.3%

Adama

$120 11.7% 0.7% $0.8

Eating Out

Assela

$77 9.2%

Adama

$63 6.2% 17.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Assela

$7.7 * 0.9%

Adama

$7.6 * 0.7% 0.8% $0.1

Getting Around

Assela

$2.7 * 0.3%

Adama

$2.7 * 0.3% 2.9% $0.1

Accommodation & Living

Assela

- * 0%

Adama

$199 19.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Assela versus $43.00 in Adama. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Assela vs $208 in Adama – so Adama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Assela

🇪🇹 Adama

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

Same time as Assela

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

139,500

228,623

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Assela Adama 67 km

From you

Assela
Adama

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

Assela vs Adama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $835 in Assela, $1,026 in Adama – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,252 per month in Assela and $1,539 in Adama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Assela and $43.00 in Adama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Adama – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $835 in Assela and $1,026 in Adama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Assela – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Assela. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Adama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.