For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $1,213 in Ethiopia, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ethiopia and in Brazil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,213 per month in Ethiopia vs $865 in Brazil, rent included.
Ethiopia $1,213
Brazil $865
A couple spends around $1,821 per month in Ethiopia vs $1,373 in Brazil, rent included.
Ethiopia $1,821
Brazil $1,373
A family of three spends $2,429 per month in Ethiopia vs $1,880 in Brazil, rent included.
Ethiopia $2,429
Brazil $1,880
📏
Cost ranges are similar: Ethiopia spans $374–$1,300, Brazil $569–$1,349. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.
🌍
The cost of living in Ethiopia is about 40% higher than in Brazil on average.
📊
Both Ethiopia and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – Ethiopia 11% lower, Brazil 36% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Ethiopia
Brazil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.11ETB 662
$6.55R$35.08
-37.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.65ETB 6,857
$30.71R$164
38.88%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.45ETB 1,037
$7.45R$39.89
-13.42%
Cappuccino
$0.86ETB 138
$1.91R$10.22
-54.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57ETB 92.4
$1.15R$6.18
-50.43%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56ETB 90.5
$0.76R$4.04
-26.32%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.89ETB 143
$1.85R$9.90
-51.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94ETB 312
$2.86R$15.28
-32.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ethiopia
Brazil
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.03ETB 166
$1.03R$5.52
-
White Bread(500g)
$0.90ETB 145
$1.57R$8.38
-42.68%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.74ETB 279
$1.24R$6.61
40.32%
Eggs
$1.79ETB 288
$2.10R$11.26
-14.76%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.49ETB 1,205
$8.87R$47.45
-15.56%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.49ETB 1,686
$3.99R$21.37
162.91%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.97ETB 1,604
$7.76R$41.51
28.48%
Apples(1kg)
$4.43ETB 712
$2.15R$11.53
106.05%
Banana(1kg)
$0.78ETB 125
$1.27R$6.80
-38.58%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.45ETB 394
$1.16R$6.18
111.21%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.67ETB 108
$1.53R$8.18
-56.21%
Potato(1kg)
$0.55ETB 88.2
$1.16R$6.21
-52.59%
Onion(1kg)
$1.34ETB 216
$1.02R$5.46
31.37%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.77ETB 124
$0.74R$3.97
4.05%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57ETB 91.2
$0.72R$3.84
-20.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.86ETB 1,263
$2.25R$12.06
249.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.38ETB 864
$7.65R$40.94
-29.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.76ETB 122
$1.30R$6.97
-41.54%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49ETB 240
$2.16R$11.58
-31.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Ethiopia
Brazil
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.35ETB 55.7
$0.94R$5.03
-62.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$16.78ETB 2,698
$44.00R$235
-61.86%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.36ETB 218
$1.23R$6.58
10.57%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.27ETB 43.16
$0.96R$5.11
-71.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.97ETB 316
$7.42R$39.70
-73.45%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.00ETB 161
$1.21R$6.49
-17.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$53.5KETB 8.6M
$22.1KR$118.5K
141.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$55.1KETB 8.9M
$31.6KR$168.9K
74.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ethiopia
Brazil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$142ETB 22.9K
$77.2R$413
84.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.63ETB 1,549
$12.44R$66.6
-22.59%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$236ETB 37.9K
$19.80R$106
1091.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ethiopia
Brazil
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$42.81ETB 6,885
$24.36R$130
75.74%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.60ETB 5,725
$25.46R$136
39.83%
Cinema Ticket
$4.96ETB 798
$6.98R$37.37
-28.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ethiopia
Brazil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$628ETB 100.9K
$316R$1,690
98.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$30.1KETB 4.8M
$8,298R$44.4K
263.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ethiopia
Brazil
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.35ETB 5,845
$49.37R$264
-26.37%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.8ETB 10.1K
$45.73R$245
37.26%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$78.3ETB 12.6K
$83.4R$446
-6.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6ETB 14.3K
$65.6R$351
35.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ethiopia
Brazil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$654ETB 105.2K
$373R$1,996
75.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$346ETB 55.6K
$251R$1,341
38.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,818ETB 292.3K
$719R$3,847
152.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$723ETB 116.2K
$490R$2,624
47.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,825ETB 293.4K
$1,795R$9,605
1.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,031ETB 165.7K
$1,269R$6,791
-18.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ethiopia
Brazil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$203ETB 32.7K
$496R$2,657
-59.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
17
11.17
52.19%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Ethiopia: October 25, 2026
Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ethiopia
$388 32%
Brazil
$109 12.6% ↓ 71.8%$278
🏠Accommodation & Living
Ethiopia
$346 28.5%
Brazil
$251 29% ↓ 27.6%$95
🛒Groceries & Markets
Ethiopia
$210 17.3%
Brazil
$183 21.2% ↓ 12.8%$27
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Ethiopia
$120 9.9%
Brazil
$110 12.7% ↓ 8.2%$9.9
🍽Eating Out
Ethiopia
$75 6.2%
Brazil
$120 13.9% ↑ 59.4%$45
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Ethiopia
$53 4.4%
Brazil
$38 4.4% ↓ 27.3%$14
🚌Getting Around
Ethiopia
$21 1.7%
Brazil
$54 6.2% ↑ 158%$33
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ethiopia
$397 16.4%
Brazil
$122 6.5% ↓ 69.3%$275
🏠Accommodation & Living
Ethiopia
$723 29.7%
Brazil
$490 26.1% ↓ 32.2%$232
🛒Groceries & Markets
Ethiopia
$498 20.5%
Brazil
$420 22.3% ↓ 15.6%$78
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Ethiopia
$266 11%
Brazil
$244 13% ↓ 8.2%$22
🍽Eating Out
Ethiopia
$362 14.9%
Brazil
$392 20.9% ↑ 8.4%$30
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Ethiopia
$141 5.8%
Brazil
$102 5.4% ↓ 27.6%$39
🚌Getting Around
Ethiopia
$42 1.8%
Brazil
$109 5.8% ↑ 158%$67
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $421 in Ethiopia vs $335 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $707 in Addis Ababa and $517 in Brasilia.
💰Average salary: $180 in Ethiopia vs $468 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 26% higher in Ethiopia.
⭐Dining out costs 48% more in Ethiopia.
⭐Public transport is 153% more expensive in Brazil.
⭐Salaries are about 2.6 times higher in Brazil, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brazil.
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
Ethiopia vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Brazil and Ethiopia compare in cost of living?
Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 29% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Brazil and Ethiopia?
Housing costs more in Ethiopia: a central one-bedroom averages $421 versus $335 in Brazil.
How do I choose between living in Brazil and in Ethiopia?
Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.