Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Bahir Dar

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahir Dar: $368 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Bahir Dar

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Bahir Dar

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $368 in Bahir Dar, rent included.

Cape Town $1,568
Bahir Dar $368

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $571 in Bahir Dar, rent included.

Cape Town $2,438
Bahir Dar $571

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $774 in Bahir Dar, rent included.

Cape Town $3,307
Bahir Dar $774

Cape Town costs about 327% more than Bahir Dar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Bahir Dar is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 R 194

$3.48 ETB 560

238.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 R 768

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 R 98.4

Cappuccino

$2.47 R 40.80

$1.02 ETB 163

142.16%

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

$1.33 R 21.91

$0.42 ETB 66.9

216.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 16.99

$0.48 ETB 77.4

114.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 R 49.72

$0.78 ETB 125

285.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R 60.4

$1.99 ETB 319

83.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.96

$1.02 ETB 164

36.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 R 19.60

$1.03 ETB 165

15.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 R 34.84

$0.98 ETB 158

115.31%

Eggs

$3.01 R 49.58

$1.72 ETB 277

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R 148

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 R 110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R 153

$9.98 ETB 1,604

-6.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.13

$3.03 ETB 486

-39.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.31

$0.97 ETB 156

95.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 R 28.83

$1.97 ETB 317

-11.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 R 34.41

$0.83 ETB 134

151.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.64

$0.63 ETB 100

146.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.53

$1.12 ETB 180

33.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.41

$0.98 ETB 157

32.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 19.19

$0.51 ETB 82.7

127.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 R 61.2

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 R 100

$3.89 ETB 625

55.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.85

$0.82 ETB 132

69.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R 36.32

$1.95 ETB 314

12.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 R 1,006

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R 10.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 R 25.29

$0.48 ETB 77.3

218.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.81 R 79.4

$2.01 ETB 324

139.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 26.08

$0.98 ETB 158

61.22%

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

$35.5K R 585.7K

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

$31.7K R 523.8K

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

$116 R 1,920

$98.4 ETB 15.8K

18.33%

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

$28.37 R 468

$10.01 ETB 1,609

183.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.69 R 671

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 R 806

$49.08 ETB 7,886

-0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.13 R 184

$60.4 ETB 9,710

-81.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 R 146

$6.03 ETB 968

46.43%

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

$261 R 4,314

$50.3 ETB 8,077

420.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 R 110.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R 914

$50.4 ETB 8,099

9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 R 532

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,939

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 R 1,766

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 R 16.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 R 11.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 R 29.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 R 22.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,331 R 38.5K

$2,002 ETB 321.7K

16.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,513 R 25.0K

$1,488 ETB 239.1K

1.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,636 R 27.0K

$197 ETB 31.6K

730.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bahir Dar: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$715 45.3%

Bahir Dar

–

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$222 14.1%

Bahir Dar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$185 11.7%

Bahir Dar

–

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11%

Bahir Dar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$141 8.9%

Bahir Dar

–

Getting Around

Cape Town

$75 4.8%

Bahir Dar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$67 4.2%

Bahir Dar

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 731% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇪🇹 Bahir Dar

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

16:01 4:01 PM

1 h ahead of Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

350,000

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.49 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 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).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Bahir Dar 5,450 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Bahir Dar

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

Cape Town vs Bahir Dar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 327% more than Bahir Dar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $551 in Bahir Dar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $368 in Bahir Dar. That's a gap of about 327%.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Cape Town, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahir Dar, where all-in costs run around $368, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Bahir Dar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bahir Dar costs $368 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bahir Dar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.