Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Ethiopia Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Ethiopia

Name: Ethiopia
Address: ET

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in China versus $776 in Ethiopia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $1,155 in Ethiopia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $1,534 in Ethiopia.

Living in China costs about 7% less than in Ethiopia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Ethiopia 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$3.93 ETB 632

-25.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$42.71 ETB 6,865

-46.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$6.55 ETB 1,052

-22.60%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$0.87 ETB 139

237.93%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.56 ETB 90.6

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.56 ETB 89.7

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$0.83 ETB 134

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$2.04 ETB 327

10.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.08 ETB 173

65.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$0.97 ETB 156

75.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$1.72 ETB 277

-44.19%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$1.81 ETB 291

-11.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$7.55 ETB 1,213

80.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$10.39 ETB 1,671

-67.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$10.37 ETB 1,667

6.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$4.49 ETB 721

-59.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$0.73 ETB 117

78.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$2.41 ETB 388

-38.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$0.67 ETB 108

94.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$0.55 ETB 88.4

30.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$1.40 ETB 226

-32.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$0.75 ETB 121

-18.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.62 ETB 99.5

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$8.03 ETB 1,292

-54.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$5.23 ETB 841

127.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$0.75 ETB 120

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$1.48 ETB 238

11.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.35 ETB 55.8

-17.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$17.38 ETB 2,794

30.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$1.36 ETB 218

6.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.29 ETB 47.23

17.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$2.01 ETB 323

261.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$0.99 ETB 160

24.24%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$55.6K ETB 8.9M

-64.83%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

-68.78%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$145 ETB 23.3K

-61.81%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$9.42 ETB 1,515

-9.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$230 ETB 37.0K

-95.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$43.94 ETB 7,063

-8.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$36.43 ETB 5,856

-59.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$4.92 ETB 791

36.79%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$120 ETB 19.3K

279.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

-35.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$36.02 ETB 5,789

24.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$64.1 ETB 10.3K

-44.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$76.6 ETB 12.3K

0.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$86.1 ETB 13.8K

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$648 ETB 104.1K

-40.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$348 ETB 56.0K

-30.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$1,826 ETB 293.6K

-54.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$709 ETB 114.0K

-33.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$1,831 ETB 294.3K

152.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$1,023 ETB 164.5K

126.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$201 ETB 32.3K

429.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

-79.59%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $181 in Ethiopia. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $703 in Addis Ababa.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $185 in Ethiopia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 63% higher in China.

Dining out costs 14% more in Ethiopia.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 368% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Ethiopia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $655 in Ethiopia, there's a 30% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Ethiopia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Ethiopia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Ethiopia, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Ethiopia wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.