Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and Egypt Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and Egypt

Name: Egypt
Address: EG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $786 in Ethiopia versus $453 in Egypt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Ethiopia versus $729 in Egypt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,584 in Ethiopia versus $1,005 in Egypt.

Living in Ethiopia is roughly 74% more expensive than Egypt on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Ethiopia 41% lower, Egypt 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ETB 693

$4.03 E£209

9.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.21 ETB 5,548

$19.90 E£1,031

76.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 ETB 1,046

$5.08 E£263

30.71%

Cappuccino

$1.16 ETB 183

$1.45 E£75.0

-20.00%

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

$0.60 ETB 94.4

$0.35 E£18.26

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ETB 73.0

$0.14 E£7.20

228.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ETB 160

$1.42 E£73.4

-28.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ETB 321

$2.90 E£150

-30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ETB 224

$0.91 E£47.07

56.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ETB 203

$0.62 E£32.26

108.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 ETB 264

$0.67 E£34.55

150.75%

Eggs

$2.48 ETB 391

$1.51 E£78.0

64.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 ETB 1,138

$3.13 E£162

130.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 ETB 1,976

$4.34 E£225

188.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 ETB 2,062

$8.74 E£453

49.66%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 ETB 985

$1.53 E£79.1

308.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 155

$0.56 E£29.24

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 363

$0.44 E£22.79

422.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 ETB 134

$0.40 E£20.98

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ETB 100

$0.44 E£22.79

45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ETB 296

$0.44 E£23.01

327.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ETB 115

$0.24 E£12.43

204.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ETB 106

$0.21 E£11.06

219.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ETB 618

$1.92 E£99.2

104.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.37 ETB 847

$6.82 E£353

-21.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ETB 133

$1.27 E£66.0

-33.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ETB 290

$1.85 E£96.0

-0.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ETB 42.41

$0.27 E£13.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 ETB 1,957

$5.94 E£307

109.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ETB 233

$0.38 E£19.70

289.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ETB 49.27

$0.29 E£14.82

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ETB 308

$1.30 E£67.2

50.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ETB 197

$0.31 E£15.93

303.23%

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

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

$34.3K E£1.8M

55.35%

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

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

$31.6K E£1.6M

68.63%

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

$135 ETB 21.2K

$21.84 E£1,131

517.31%

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

$11.93 ETB 1,880

$7.09 E£367

68.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$155 ETB 24.4K

$11.91 E£617

1202.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 ETB 9,791

$14.50 E£751

328.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.89 ETB 5,813

$6.81 E£353

441.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ETB 807

$2.93 E£152

74.74%

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

$77.2 ETB 12.2K

$87.8 E£4,546

-12.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

$1,934 E£100.2K

1957.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.27 ETB 7,607

$26.08 E£1,351

85.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.6 ETB 12.1K

$43.77 E£2,267

74.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ETB 15.6K

$109 E£5,627

-8.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ETB 18.4K

$51.8 E£2,684

125.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 ETB 107.4K

$163 E£8,434

318.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ETB 59.8K

$101 E£5,237

275.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 ETB 221.6K

$320 E£16.6K

338.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 ETB 140.4K

$188 E£9,729

374.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,790 ETB 282.1K

$741 E£38.4K

141.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,005 ETB 158.4K

$453 E£23.5K

121.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.0K

$148 E£7,642

37.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.38

3.79%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Egypt: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $212 in Ethiopia, $183 in Egypt. Capital cities: $758 in Addis Ababa vs $205 in Cairo.

National salary averages: $184 in Ethiopia, $145 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in Ethiopia.

Dining out costs 25% more in Ethiopia.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in Ethiopia.

Salaries are 27% higher in Ethiopia.

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 Egypt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $500 per month in Egypt and $692 in Ethiopia, there's a 38% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Egypt 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 Ethiopia beats Egypt across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Egypt, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In Ethiopia, 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. Egypt wins on affordability; Ethiopia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.