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: $792 in Ethiopia versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,183 in Ethiopia versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,573 in Ethiopia versus $846 in India.

Living in Ethiopia is roughly 104% more expensive than in India on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 ETB 717

$2.53 ₹244

78.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.26 ETB 5,589

$13.73 ₹1,322

156.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 ETB 1,010

$4.00 ₹385

59.25%

Cappuccino

$1.20 ETB 191

$1.91 ₹184

-37.17%

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

$0.63 ETB 99.1

$0.43 ₹41.85

46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ETB 73.7

$0.17 ₹16.11

170.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ETB 154

$1.93 ₹186

-49.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ETB 315

$3.54 ₹341

-43.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ETB 227

$0.73 ₹69.9

95.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ETB 198

$0.52 ₹50.1

140.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 ETB 266

$0.73 ₹69.9

130.14%

Eggs

$2.41 ETB 381

$0.95 ₹91.4

153.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.97 ETB 1,105

$5.32 ₹512

31.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.59 ETB 1,995

$3.10 ₹299

306.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 ETB 2,087

Apples (1kg)

$6.19 ETB 981

$2.16 ₹208

186.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 155

$0.70 ₹67.7

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 364

$1.05 ₹101

119.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 ETB 136

$0.53 ₹50.8

62.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 106

$0.39 ₹37.66

71.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ETB 301

$0.48 ₹46.64

295.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 109

$0.52 ₹49.78

32.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ETB 98.8

$0.36 ₹34.33

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ETB 628

$4.02 ₹387

-1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 ETB 813

$7.28 ₹701

-29.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ETB 132

$1.90 ₹183

-56.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ETB 285

$3.03 ₹292

-40.59%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ETB 42.30

$0.36 ₹34.66

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.55 ETB 1,989

$9.84 ₹948

27.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ETB 235

$0.95 ₹91.8

55.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ETB 49.29

$0.30 ₹29.03

3.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ETB 309

$1.79 ₹172

8.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ETB 200

$1.21 ₹117

4.13%

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

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

285.96%

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

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

$22.4K ₹2.2M

138.27%

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

$131 ETB 20.7K

$40.16 ₹3,867

225.50%

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

$12.13 ETB 1,923

$3.76 ₹362

222.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$159 ETB 25.3K

$8.04 ₹774

1883.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 ETB 9,884

$16.25 ₹1,565

283.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.87 ETB 5,845

$7.56 ₹728

387.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ETB 803

$3.43 ₹330

47.81%

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

$78.5 ETB 12.4K

$69.7 ₹6,713

12.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.7K ETB 6.4M

$1,852 ₹178.3K

2095.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.76 ETB 7,412

$25.59 ₹2,463

82.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.5 ETB 12.0K

$26.30 ₹2,532

187.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 ETB 15.5K

$44.89 ₹4,322

118.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ETB 19.0K

$33.20 ₹3,197

260.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 ETB 109.1K

$174 ₹16.8K

294.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 ETB 59.9K

$112 ₹10.8K

235.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 ETB 216.4K

$405 ₹39.0K

237.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ETB 137.7K

$258 ₹24.8K

237.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,785 ETB 282.9K

$1,263 ₹121.6K

41.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,009 ETB 159.8K

$653 ₹62.8K

54.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.2K

$424 ₹40.8K

-52.05%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $206 in Ethiopia, $127 in India. Capital cities: $732 in Addis Ababa vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $182 in Ethiopia, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 62% higher in Ethiopia.

Dining out costs 82% more in Ethiopia.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 119% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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 $715 per month in Ethiopia and $589 in India, there's a 21% 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 India: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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: India wins on affordability; Ethiopia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.