Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Addis Ababa

For one person, living is cheaper in Addis Ababa: $1,287 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Addis Ababa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa.

Austin, TX $2,704
Addis Ababa $1,287

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,891 in Addis Ababa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Addis Ababa $1,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,495 in Addis Ababa.

Austin, TX $5,562
Addis Ababa $2,495

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 110% more expensive than in Addis Ababa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Addis Ababa is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$4.09 ETB 658

394.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$42.95 ETB 6,901

97.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$6.60 ETB 1,061

87.12%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$0.89 ETB 142

514.61%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.59 ETB 94.2

547.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.64 ETB 103

290.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$0.81 ETB 131

895.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.31 ETB 372

289.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.07 ETB 171

5.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.17 ETB 188

223.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.17 ETB 349

49.77%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.75 ETB 281

136.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.35 ETB 1,181

77.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.16 ETB 1,632

40.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$9.15 ETB 1,470

74.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.31 ETB 853

-17.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.68 ETB 110

113.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.16 ETB 347

110.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.65 ETB 105

544.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.49 ETB 79.3

436.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.04 ETB 167

126.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.69 ETB 111

155.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.58 ETB 92.5

272.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$7.83 ETB 1,258

25.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$5.77 ETB 927

155.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.68 ETB 109

308.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.28 ETB 206

171.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.49 ETB 78.1

204.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$21.23 ETB 3,411

90.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.33 ETB 214

100.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.27 ETB 43.19

485.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$2.04 ETB 327

1629.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.90 ETB 144

10.00%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$55.7K ETB 8.9M

-35.71%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$56.7K ETB 9.1M

-52.06%

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

$219 $219

$204 ETB 32.9K

7.23%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$7.20 ETB 1,156

705.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$208 ETB 33.5K

-67.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$43.98 ETB 7,066

31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$36.11 ETB 5,803

-58.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$3.74 ETB 600

277.81%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$137 ETB 22.0K

1000.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

-28.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$33.12 ETB 5,322

55.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$71.5 ETB 11.5K

-38.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$79.2 ETB 12.7K

7.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$83.9 ETB 13.5K

25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$694 ETB 111.6K

178.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$390 ETB 62.7K

226.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,309 ETB 371.0K

58.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$782 ETB 125.6K

222.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,918 ETB 308.2K

297.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$991 ETB 159.2K

222.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$205 ETB 32.9K

2390.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

18.5

-63.30%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Addis Ababa

$390 30.1% 69.4% $882

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Addis Ababa

$212 16.3% 47.5% $191

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Addis Ababa

$77 5.9% 77.9% $271

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Addis Ababa

$420 32.4% 21.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Addis Ababa

$120 9.3% 6.4% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Addis Ababa

$51 4% 40.3% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Addis Ababa

$26 2% 54.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2390% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $43.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $212 per month, with Addis Ababa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🕒 Local time

02:18 2:18 AM

10:18 10:18 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,500,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

ETB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Addis Ababa 13,640 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Addis Ababa

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

Austin, TX vs Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX and Addis Ababa differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($2,704 vs $1,287 including rent). Addis Ababa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2390% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 91% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,287 in Addis Ababa versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Addis Ababa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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.

Expats usually find Addis Ababa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.