Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Ethiopia Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Ethiopia

Name: Ethiopia
Address: ET

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,319 per month in Canada vs $792 in Ethiopia, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,378 per month in Canada vs $1,183 in Ethiopia, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,437 per month in Canada vs $1,573 in Ethiopia, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 193% higher than in Ethiopia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 74% above the global median, while Ethiopia is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 CA$26.11

$4.52 ETB 717

312.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 CA$104

$35.26 ETB 5,589

109.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 CA$15.31

$6.37 ETB 1,010

71.43%

Cappuccino

$3.76 CA$5.28

$1.20 ETB 191

213.33%

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

$2.19 CA$3.07

$0.63 ETB 99.1

247.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.43

$0.46 ETB 73.7

278.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.31

$0.97 ETB 154

511.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 CA$8.35

$1.99 ETB 315

198.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CA$3.20

$1.43 ETB 227

59.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.74

$1.25 ETB 198

113.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.30

$1.68 ETB 266

125.00%

Eggs

$3.50 CA$4.90

$2.41 ETB 381

45.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 CA$16.40

$6.97 ETB 1,105

67.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.30 CA$17.24

$12.59 ETB 1,995

-2.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.44 CA$21.65

$13.17 ETB 2,087

17.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.00

$6.19 ETB 981

-30.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$0.98 ETB 155

47.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 CA$5.62

$2.30 ETB 364

74.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.98

$0.86 ETB 136

396.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.77

$0.67 ETB 106

301.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$1.90 ETB 301

39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$0.69 ETB 109

282.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$0.62 ETB 98.8

204.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.77 CA$20.71

$3.96 ETB 628

272.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 CA$18.67

$5.13 ETB 813

159.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 CA$4.15

$0.83 ETB 132

256.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 CA$4.59

$1.80 ETB 285

82.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.67

$0.27 ETB 42.30

870.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 CA$110

$12.55 ETB 1,989

522.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 CA$4.79

$1.48 ETB 235

131.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.10

$0.31 ETB 49.29

383.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.07 CA$40.76

$1.95 ETB 309

1390.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.68

$1.26 ETB 200

-4.76%

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

$25.5K CA$35.7K

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

-52.36%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

-61.55%

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

$152 CA$212

$131 ETB 20.7K

15.92%

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

$46.70 CA$65.5

$12.13 ETB 1,923

285.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.8 CA$86.7

$159 ETB 25.3K

-61.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.36 CA$60.8

$62.4 ETB 9,884

-30.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.05 CA$25.31

$36.87 ETB 5,845

-51.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 CA$16.13

$5.07 ETB 803

127.02%

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

$806 CA$1,130

$78.5 ETB 12.4K

927.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$17.0K

$40.7K ETB 6.4M

-70.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CA$77.6

$46.76 ETB 7,412

18.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.80 CA$58.6

$75.5 ETB 12.0K

-44.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 CA$126

$97.9 ETB 15.5K

-8.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$120 ETB 19.0K

-11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 CA$1,864

$689 ETB 109.1K

93.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,692

$378 ETB 59.9K

219.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CA$2,961

$1,366 ETB 216.4K

54.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 CA$2,570

$869 ETB 137.7K

111.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,639 CA$6,503

$1,785 ETB 282.9K

159.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,849 CA$5,396

$1,009 ETB 159.8K

281.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,948 CA$4,133

$203 ETB 32.2K

1349.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

-62.76%

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

Last update for Canada: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,281 in Canada vs $206 in Ethiopia. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,481 in Ottawa and $732 in Addis Ababa.

Average salary: $2,904 in Canada vs $182 in Ethiopia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 522% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 240% more in Canada.

Public transport is 1525% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are 1496% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

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

Canada vs Ethiopia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ethiopia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 213% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Canada, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Canada consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Ethiopia, contributing to the overall 213% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Ethiopia, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Ethiopia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.