Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Delhi and Addis Ababa

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $520 a month against $1,287 in Addis Ababa, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Delhi
Learn more

Delhi Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
Learn more

Addis Ababa Living Index

Jump to prices

Delhi

🇮🇳 India

$520

/mo nomad

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Delhi 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 Delhi and in Addis Ababa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Delhi versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa.

Delhi $520
Addis Ababa $1,287

Estimated couple costs with rent: $858 in Delhi versus $1,891 in Addis Ababa.

Delhi $858
Addis Ababa $1,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,195 in Delhi versus $2,495 in Addis Ababa.

Delhi $1,195
Addis Ababa $2,495

Living in Delhi costs roughly 60% less than in Addis Ababa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Delhi 61% lower, Addis Ababa 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 ₹355

$4.09 ETB 658

-10.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.95 ₹2,027

$42.95 ETB 6,901

-51.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.74 ₹362

$6.60 ETB 1,061

-43.33%

Cappuccino

$2.33 ₹226

$0.89 ETB 142

161.80%

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

$0.37 ₹35.82

$0.59 ETB 94.2

-37.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.91

$0.64 ETB 103

-68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 ₹195

$0.81 ETB 131

149.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹308

$2.31 ETB 372

38.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 ₹65.9

$1.07 ETB 171

-36.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$1.17 ETB 188

-55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₹80.0

$2.17 ETB 349

-61.75%

Eggs

$1.07 ₹104

$1.75 ETB 281

-38.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 ₹428

$7.35 ETB 1,181

-39.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ₹326

$10.16 ETB 1,632

-66.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 ETB 1,470

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ₹192

$5.31 ETB 853

-62.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹70.1

$0.68 ETB 110

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ₹98.4

$2.16 ETB 347

-52.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$0.65 ETB 105

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.96

$0.49 ETB 79.3

-44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹35.42

$1.04 ETB 167

-64.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₹41.64

$0.69 ETB 111

-37.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹30.39

$0.58 ETB 92.5

-46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$7.83 ETB 1,258

-37.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₹808

$5.77 ETB 927

44.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹159

$0.68 ETB 109

141.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$1.28 ETB 206

110.94%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.15 ₹596

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₹44.04

$0.49 ETB 78.1

-6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₹1,480

$21.23 ETB 3,411

-27.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹99.8

$1.33 ETB 214

-22.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹26.38

$0.27 ETB 43.19

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ₹148

$2.04 ETB 327

-25.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₹102

$0.90 ETB 144

16.67%

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

$10.5K ₹1.0M

$55.7K ETB 8.9M

-81.21%

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

$18.4K ₹1.8M

$56.7K ETB 9.1M

-67.60%

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

$42.67 ₹4,129

$204 ETB 32.9K

-79.13%

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

$4.04 ₹391

$7.20 ETB 1,156

-43.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.75 ₹653

$208 ETB 33.5K

-96.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.40 ₹1,878

$43.98 ETB 7,066

-55.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.06 ₹780

$36.11 ETB 5,803

-77.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.08 ₹492

$3.74 ETB 600

35.83%

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

$100 ₹9,696

$137 ETB 22.0K

-26.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,268 ₹219.5K

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

-92.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.14 ₹2,336

$33.12 ETB 5,322

-27.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.38 ₹2,747

$71.5 ETB 11.5K

-60.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 ₹5,160

$79.2 ETB 12.7K

-32.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.13 ₹4,271

$83.9 ETB 13.5K

-47.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 ₹25.5K

$694 ETB 111.6K

-61.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 ₹14.9K

$390 ETB 62.7K

-60.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ₹71.2K

$2,309 ETB 371.0K

-68.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₹38.5K

$782 ETB 125.6K

-49.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,494 ₹241.4K

$1,918 ETB 308.2K

30.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,017 ₹98.4K

$991 ETB 159.2K

2.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 ₹56.7K

$205 ETB 32.9K

185.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

18.5

-54.97%

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

Last update for Delhi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delhi

$154 29.7%

Addis Ababa

$390 30.1% 153% $236

Groceries & Markets

Delhi

$108 20.8%

Addis Ababa

$212 16.3% 96% $104

Eating Out

Delhi

$87 16.8%

Addis Ababa

$77 5.9% 12% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Delhi

$67 13%

Addis Ababa

$120 9.3% 78.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delhi

$53 10.3%

Addis Ababa

$420 32.4% 686% $367

Sport & Entertainment

Delhi

$30 5.7%

Addis Ababa

$51 4% 74% $22

Getting Around

Delhi

$20 3.8%

Addis Ababa

$26 2% 32.5% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Delhi and $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Delhi pays 186% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Delhi vs $43.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $108 vs $212 per month, with Delhi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Delhi

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

13:20 1:20 PM

2 h 30 min behind Delhi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,787,941 Capital

3,500,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 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 INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Delhi Addis Ababa 4,570 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Delhi
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

Delhi vs Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Delhi and Addis Ababa differ by about 147% in total monthly costs ($520 vs $1,287 including rent). Delhi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 186% higher in Delhi, 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: $264 in Delhi 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 $520 per month in Delhi versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa – a 147% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Delhi runs roughly 39% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $520 in Delhi versus $1,287 in Addis Ababa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Delhi but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Delhi 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 Delhi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.