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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $786 in Ethiopia versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Ethiopia versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,584 in Ethiopia versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Ethiopia is roughly 10% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Ethiopia 41% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ETB 693

$2.81 ¥18.98

56.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.21 ETB 5,548

$23.30 ¥158

51.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 ETB 1,046

$5.01 ¥33.87

32.53%

Cappuccino

$1.16 ETB 183

$3.01 ¥20.38

-61.46%

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

$0.60 ETB 94.4

$0.45 ¥3.03

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ETB 73.0

$0.29 ¥1.97

58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ETB 160

$0.95 ¥6.41

7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ETB 321

$2.05 ¥13.87

-0.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ETB 224

$1.76 ¥11.87

-19.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ETB 203

$1.62 ¥10.98

-20.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 ETB 264

$0.95 ¥6.45

76.84%

Eggs

$2.48 ETB 391

$1.56 ¥10.55

58.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 ETB 1,138

$13.06 ¥88.3

-44.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 ETB 1,976

$3.28 ¥22.17

282.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 ETB 2,062

$10.65 ¥72.0

22.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 ETB 985

$1.78 ¥12.03

251.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 155

$1.24 ¥8.42

-20.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 363

$1.50 ¥10.12

53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 ETB 134

$1.15 ¥7.79

-26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ETB 100

$0.75 ¥5.07

-14.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ETB 296

$0.86 ¥5.81

118.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ETB 115

$0.62 ¥4.17

17.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ETB 106

$0.56 ¥3.81

19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ETB 618

$3.51 ¥23.76

11.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.37 ETB 847

$11.66 ¥78.9

-53.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ETB 133

$0.80 ¥5.40

5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ETB 290

$1.66 ¥11.25

10.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ETB 42.41

$0.43 ¥2.93

-37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 ETB 1,957

$20.86 ¥141

-40.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ETB 233

$1.37 ¥9.26

8.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ETB 49.27

$0.35 ¥2.38

-11.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ETB 308

$6.63 ¥44.82

-70.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ETB 197

$1.14 ¥7.69

9.65%

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

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

$19.2K ¥129.7K

177.92%

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

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

$16.8K ¥113.4K

218.01%

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

$135 ETB 21.2K

$51.2 ¥346

163.47%

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

$11.93 ETB 1,880

$10.16 ¥68.7

17.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$155 ETB 24.4K

$11.51 ¥77.9

1247.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 ETB 9,791

$40.53 ¥274

53.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.89 ETB 5,813

$15.05 ¥102

145.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ETB 807

$6.10 ¥41.26

-16.07%

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

$77.2 ETB 12.2K

$402 ¥2,719

-80.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

$17.7K ¥119.5K

125.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.27 ETB 7,607

$45.57 ¥308

5.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.6 ETB 12.1K

$33.26 ¥225

130.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ETB 15.6K

$72.6 ¥491

36.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ETB 18.4K

$74.5 ¥503

56.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 ETB 107.4K

$429 ¥2,903

58.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ETB 59.8K

$257 ¥1,739

47.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 ETB 221.6K

$895 ¥6,055

57.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 ETB 140.4K

$541 ¥3,660

64.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,790 ETB 282.1K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-64.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,005 ETB 158.4K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-59.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.0K

$1,055 ¥7,132

-80.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

318.72%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: June 1, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $212 in Ethiopia, $286 in China. Capital cities: $758 in Addis Ababa vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $184 in Ethiopia, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 35% higher in China.

Public transport is 350% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 368% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $692 in Ethiopia, there's a 25% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Ethiopia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.