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: $776 in Ethiopia versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,155 in Ethiopia versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,534 in Ethiopia versus $1,576 in China.

Living in Ethiopia is roughly 8% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Ethiopia 44% lower, China 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 ETB 632

$2.93 ¥19.60

34.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.71 ETB 6,865

$22.72 ¥152

87.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 ETB 1,052

$5.07 ¥33.95

29.19%

Cappuccino

$0.87 ETB 139

$2.94 ¥19.70

-70.41%

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

$0.56 ETB 90.6

$0.48 ¥3.21

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ETB 89.7

$0.30 ¥2.02

86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 ETB 134

$1.06 ¥7.10

-21.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ETB 327

$2.25 ¥15.07

-9.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ETB 173

$1.79 ¥11.99

-39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ETB 156

$1.70 ¥11.35

-42.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ETB 277

$0.96 ¥6.45

79.17%

Eggs

$1.81 ETB 291

$1.61 ¥10.79

12.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 ETB 1,213

$13.60 ¥91.1

-44.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.39 ETB 1,671

$3.41 ¥22.84

204.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 ETB 1,667

$11.07 ¥74.2

-6.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.49 ETB 721

$1.81 ¥12.09

148.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 ETB 117

$1.30 ¥8.74

-43.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ETB 388

$1.48 ¥9.91

62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 108

$1.30 ¥8.72

-48.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ETB 88.4

$0.72 ¥4.82

-23.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 ETB 226

$0.94 ¥6.31

48.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ETB 121

$0.61 ¥4.08

22.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ETB 99.5

$0.56 ¥3.73

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 ETB 1,292

$3.67 ¥24.58

118.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.23 ETB 841

$11.90 ¥79.7

-56.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ETB 120

$0.83 ¥5.56

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ETB 238

$1.65 ¥11.08

-10.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ETB 55.8

$0.29 ¥1.92

20.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.38 ETB 2,794

$22.61 ¥151

-23.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ETB 218

$1.45 ¥9.72

-6.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 47.23

$0.34 ¥2.31

-14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ETB 323

$7.27 ¥48.72

-72.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ETB 160

$1.23 ¥8.26

-19.51%

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

$55.6K ETB 8.9M

$19.5K ¥130.9K

184.36%

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

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

$17.2K ¥115.5K

220.26%

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

$145 ETB 23.3K

$55.5 ¥371

161.88%

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

$9.42 ETB 1,515

$8.51 ¥57.0

10.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$230 ETB 37.0K

$10.81 ¥72.4

2029.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.94 ETB 7,063

$40.02 ¥268

9.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.43 ETB 5,856

$14.80 ¥99.1

146.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 ETB 791

$6.73 ¥45.09

-26.89%

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

$120 ETB 19.3K

$454 ¥3,042

-73.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

$19.5K ¥130.8K

56.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.02 ETB 5,789

$44.95 ¥301

-19.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 ETB 10.3K

$35.81 ¥240

78.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ETB 12.3K

$76.8 ¥514

-0.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.1 ETB 13.8K

$77.3 ¥518

11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 ETB 104.1K

$385 ¥2,581

68.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ETB 56.0K

$242 ¥1,623

43.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 ETB 293.6K

$837 ¥5,603

118.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 ETB 114.0K

$474 ¥3,177

49.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,831 ETB 294.3K

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-60.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,023 ETB 164.5K

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-55.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 ETB 32.3K

$1,062 ¥7,110

-81.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

389.91%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: September 5, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $181 in Ethiopia, $295 in China. Capital cities: $703 in Addis Ababa vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $185 in Ethiopia, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 63% higher in China.

Dining out costs 14% more in Ethiopia.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 368% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $852 per month in China and $655 in Ethiopia, there's a 30% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Ethiopia: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.