Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and Australia Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $792 per month in Ethiopia vs $2,185 in Australia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,183 per month in Ethiopia vs $3,220 in Australia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,573 per month in Ethiopia vs $4,254 in Australia, rent included.

The cost of living in Ethiopia is roughly 64% lower than in Australia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Ethiopia sits 41% below the global median, while Australia is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 ETB 717

$16.19 A$23.17

-72.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.26 ETB 5,589

$77.1 A$110

-54.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 ETB 1,010

$9.47 A$13.56

-32.73%

Cappuccino

$1.20 ETB 191

$3.46 A$4.95

-65.32%

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

$0.63 ETB 99.1

$2.68 A$3.84

-76.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ETB 73.7

$2.19 A$3.13

-79.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ETB 154

$6.61 A$9.46

-85.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ETB 315

$7.10 A$10.17

-71.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ETB 227

$1.55 A$2.22

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ETB 198

$2.47 A$3.54

-49.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 ETB 266

$2.10 A$3.00

-20.00%

Eggs

$2.41 ETB 381

$4.24 A$6.07

-43.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.97 ETB 1,105

$8.57 A$12.27

-18.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.59 ETB 1,995

$8.60 A$12.31

46.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 ETB 2,087

$13.81 A$19.78

-4.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.19 ETB 981

$3.17 A$4.55

95.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 155

$2.72 A$3.89

-63.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 364

$2.96 A$4.24

-22.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 ETB 136

$4.31 A$6.17

-80.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 106

$2.47 A$3.53

-72.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ETB 301

$2.10 A$3.00

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 109

$2.19 A$3.14

-68.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ETB 98.8

$1.53 A$2.19

-59.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ETB 628

$31.29 A$44.80

-87.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 ETB 813

$13.94 A$19.96

-63.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ETB 132

$4.46 A$6.39

-81.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ETB 285

$5.01 A$7.17

-64.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ETB 42.30

$3.00 A$4.30

-91.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.55 ETB 1,989

$96.0 A$137

-86.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ETB 235

$3.56 A$5.10

-58.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ETB 49.29

$1.75 A$2.50

-82.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ETB 309

$37.88 A$54.2

-94.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ETB 200

$1.15 A$1.65

9.57%

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

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

$29.4K A$42.0K

82.09%

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

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

$23.1K A$33.0K

131.66%

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

$131 ETB 20.7K

$174 A$248

-24.67%

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

$12.13 ETB 1,923

$26.88 A$38.49

-54.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$159 ETB 25.3K

$52.7 A$75.5

202.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 ETB 9,884

$47.69 A$68.3

30.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.87 ETB 5,845

$16.51 A$23.64

123.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ETB 803

$13.73 A$19.66

-63.07%

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

$78.5 ETB 12.4K

$1,555 A$2,226

-94.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.7K ETB 6.4M

$12.7K A$18.1K

220.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.76 ETB 7,412

$69.6 A$99.6

-32.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.5 ETB 12.0K

$51.2 A$73.4

47.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 ETB 15.5K

$102 A$145

-3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ETB 19.0K

$112 A$161

6.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 ETB 109.1K

$1,359 A$1,946

-49.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 ETB 59.9K

$1,080 A$1,546

-65.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 ETB 216.4K

$2,300 A$3,294

-40.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ETB 137.7K

$1,751 A$2,507

-50.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,785 ETB 282.9K

$7,618 A$10.9K

-76.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,009 ETB 159.8K

$5,762 A$8,249

-82.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.2K

$4,023 A$5,760

-94.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

167.72%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: July 14, 2026

Last update for Australia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $206 in Ethiopia vs $1,231 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $732 in Addis Ababa and $1,549 in Canberra.

Average salary: $182 in Ethiopia vs $3,775 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 498% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 285% more in Australia.

Public transport is 1575% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1974% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Ethiopia vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ethiopia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 208% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Ethiopia, contributing to the overall 208% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Ethiopia, but in Australia 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.