Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ethiopia: $1,213 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Ethiopia
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Ethiopia Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index

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🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,213

/mo nomad

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ethiopia and in Canada

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 Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,213 per month in Ethiopia vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.

Ethiopia $1,213
Canada $2,310

A couple spends around $1,821 per month in Ethiopia vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.

Ethiopia $1,821
Canada $3,356

A family of three spends $2,429 per month in Ethiopia vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.

Ethiopia $2,429
Canada $4,403

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Ethiopia ($374–$1,300), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Ethiopia is roughly 48% lower than in Canada on average.

Ethiopia sits 11% below the global median, while Canada is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 ETB 662

$18.16 CA$25.52

-77.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.65 ETB 6,857

$71.2 CA$100

-40.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 ETB 1,037

$10.81 CA$15.19

-40.33%

Cappuccino

$0.86 ETB 138

$3.78 CA$5.31

-77.25%

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

$0.57 ETB 92.4

$2.11 CA$2.97

-72.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ETB 90.5

$1.66 CA$2.33

-66.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.89 ETB 143

$5.62 CA$7.89

-84.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ETB 312

$5.72 CA$8.04

-66.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ETB 166

$2.17 CA$3.06

-52.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ETB 145

$2.60 CA$3.66

-65.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ETB 279

$3.65 CA$5.13

-52.33%

Eggs

$1.79 ETB 288

$3.63 CA$5.10

-50.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 ETB 1,205

$10.76 CA$15.12

-30.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 ETB 1,686

$11.90 CA$16.72

-11.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 ETB 1,604

$15.42 CA$21.67

-35.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 ETB 712

$4.03 CA$5.66

9.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 ETB 125

$1.38 CA$1.95

-43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ETB 394

$3.88 CA$5.44

-36.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 108

$4.08 CA$5.74

-83.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ETB 88.2

$2.57 CA$3.61

-78.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ETB 216

$2.48 CA$3.48

-45.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 ETB 124

$2.65 CA$3.72

-70.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ETB 91.2

$1.71 CA$2.41

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 ETB 1,263

$14.32 CA$20.12

-45.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 ETB 864

$13.49 CA$18.95

-60.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ETB 122

$2.84 CA$3.99

-73.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ETB 240

$3.30 CA$4.64

-54.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ETB 55.7

$2.55 CA$3.59

-86.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 ETB 2,698

$71.9 CA$101

-76.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ETB 218

$3.18 CA$4.47

-57.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 43.16

$1.54 CA$2.16

-82.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 ETB 316

$26.69 CA$37.50

-92.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ETB 161

$1.24 CA$1.75

-19.35%

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

$53.5K ETB 8.6M

$27.9K CA$39.2K

91.91%

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

$55.1K ETB 8.9M

$21.1K CA$29.6K

161.32%

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

$142 ETB 22.9K

$147 CA$207

-3.53%

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

$9.63 ETB 1,549

$41.80 CA$58.7

-76.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$236 ETB 37.9K

$60.2 CA$84.6

291.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.81 ETB 6,885

$39.01 CA$54.8

9.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.60 ETB 5,725

$19.06 CA$26.78

86.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ETB 798

$11.21 CA$15.75

-55.75%

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

$628 ETB 100.9K

$721 CA$1,013

-12.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

$14.8K CA$20.9K

103.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.35 ETB 5,845

$55.3 CA$77.7

-34.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 ETB 10.1K

$38.95 CA$54.7

61.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ETB 12.6K

$87.4 CA$123

-10.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ETB 14.3K

$101 CA$142

-12.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 ETB 105.2K

$1,290 CA$1,813

-49.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ETB 55.6K

$1,130 CA$1,588

-69.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 ETB 292.3K

$2,036 CA$2,861

-10.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 ETB 116.2K

$1,731 CA$2,432

-58.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,825 ETB 293.4K

$4,769 CA$6,700

-61.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,031 ETB 165.7K

$3,730 CA$5,240

-72.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.7K

$3,070 CA$4,313

-93.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

249.08%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: October 25, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ethiopia

$388 32%

Canada

$249 10.8% 35.7% $138

Accommodation & Living

Ethiopia

$346 28.5%

Canada

$1.1K 48.9% 227% $784

Groceries & Markets

Ethiopia

$210 17.3%

Canada

$371 16.1% 76.6% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Ethiopia

$120 9.9%

Canada

$127 5.5% 6.3% $7.6

Eating Out

Ethiopia

$75 6.2%

Canada

$278 12% 268% $202

Sport & Entertainment

Ethiopia

$53 4.4%

Canada

$61 2.7% 16.5% $8.7

Getting Around

Ethiopia

$21 1.7%

Canada

$93 4% 346% $72

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $421 in Ethiopia vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $707 in Addis Ababa and $1,434 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $180 in Ethiopia vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 197% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 49% more in Canada.

Public transport is 288% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 16 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

🇨🇦 Canada

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

00:41 12:41 AM

7 h behind Ethiopia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,691,692

36,991,981

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.58 EUR

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 179 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.58 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ethiopia Canada 11,130 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Ethiopia
Canada

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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ethiopia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 48% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $421 in Ethiopia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Ethiopia, adding to the overall 90% price gap.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Ethiopia, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Ethiopia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.