Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $786 in Ethiopia versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Ethiopia versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,584 in Ethiopia versus $846 in India.

Living in Ethiopia is roughly 103% more expensive than India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Ethiopia 41% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ETB 693

$2.49 ₹237

76.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.21 ETB 5,548

$14.20 ₹1,353

147.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 ETB 1,046

$3.98 ₹379

66.83%

Cappuccino

$1.16 ETB 183

$1.88 ₹179

-38.30%

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

$0.60 ETB 94.4

$0.44 ₹41.98

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ETB 73.0

$0.19 ₹18.57

142.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ETB 160

$2.02 ₹192

-49.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ETB 321

$3.45 ₹329

-41.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ETB 224

$0.72 ₹68.3

97.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ETB 203

$0.52 ₹49.26

148.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 ETB 264

$0.72 ₹68.7

133.33%

Eggs

$2.48 ETB 391

$0.93 ₹88.8

166.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 ETB 1,138

$5.24 ₹499

37.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 ETB 1,976

$3.07 ₹292

308.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 ETB 2,062

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 ETB 985

$2.17 ₹207

188.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 155

$0.76 ₹72.2

28.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 363

$1.05 ₹100

119.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 ETB 134

$0.53 ₹50.7

60.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ETB 100

$0.39 ₹37.53

64.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ETB 296

$0.49 ₹46.81

283.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ETB 115

$0.52 ₹49.35

40.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ETB 106

$0.33 ₹31.13

103.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ETB 618

$4.05 ₹386

-3.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.37 ETB 847

$7.39 ₹704

-27.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ETB 133

$1.84 ₹175

-54.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ETB 290

$2.90 ₹277

-36.55%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ETB 42.41

$0.36 ₹34.59

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 ETB 1,957

$9.74 ₹928

27.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ETB 233

$0.95 ₹90.6

55.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ETB 49.27

$0.30 ₹28.64

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ETB 308

$1.73 ₹165

13.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ETB 197

$1.23 ₹117

1.63%

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

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

284.80%

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

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

$22.6K ₹2.2M

135.87%

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

$135 ETB 21.2K

$40.88 ₹3,894

229.79%

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

$11.93 ETB 1,880

$3.91 ₹372

205.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$155 ETB 24.4K

$7.81 ₹744

1885.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 ETB 9,791

$16.15 ₹1,538

284.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.89 ETB 5,813

$7.49 ₹713

392.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ETB 807

$3.42 ₹326

49.71%

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

$77.2 ETB 12.2K

$69.9 ₹6,660

10.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

$1,793 ₹170.8K

2119.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.27 ETB 7,607

$25.83 ₹2,460

86.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.6 ETB 12.1K

$26.61 ₹2,535

187.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ETB 15.6K

$45.24 ₹4,309

118.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ETB 18.4K

$33.68 ₹3,208

246.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 ETB 107.4K

$178 ₹17.0K

282.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ETB 59.8K

$115 ₹10.9K

230.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 ETB 221.6K

$407 ₹38.8K

245.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 ETB 140.4K

$264 ₹25.1K

238.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,790 ETB 282.1K

$1,240 ₹118.1K

44.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,005 ETB 158.4K

$631 ₹60.1K

59.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.0K

$432 ₹41.2K

-52.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

88.47%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: June 1, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $212 in Ethiopia, $127 in India. Capital cities: $758 in Addis Ababa vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $184 in Ethiopia, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in Ethiopia.

Dining out costs 82% more in Ethiopia.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 116% higher in India, giving India 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $692 per month in Ethiopia and $576 in India, there's a 20% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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

In India, $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. India wins on affordability; Ethiopia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.