Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

For one person, living is cheaper in Ethiopia: $1,213 a month against $1,843 in Italy, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Ethiopia
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Ethiopia Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Italy
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Italy Living Index

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🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,213

/mo nomad

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ethiopia and in Italy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ethiopia and in Italy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,213 in Ethiopia versus $1,843 in Italy.

Ethiopia $1,213
Italy $1,843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,821 in Ethiopia versus $2,816 in Italy.

Ethiopia $1,821
Italy $2,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,429 in Ethiopia versus $3,788 in Italy.

Ethiopia $2,429
Italy $3,788

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,038 to $2,555, compared to $374–$1,300 in Ethiopia. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Living in Ethiopia costs about 34% less than in Italy on average.

Ethiopia (11% below) and Italy (35% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 ETB 662

$20.46 €18.38

-79.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.65 ETB 6,857

$79.5 €71.4

-46.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 ETB 1,037

$11.15 €10.02

-42.15%

Cappuccino

$0.86 ETB 138

$2.04 €1.83

-57.84%

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

$0.57 ETB 92.4

$3.10 €2.79

-81.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ETB 90.5

$1.40 €1.26

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.89 ETB 143

$5.51 €4.95

-83.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ETB 312

$5.74 €5.16

-66.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ETB 166

$1.57 €1.41

-34.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ETB 145

$2.38 €2.14

-62.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ETB 279

$2.90 €2.60

-40.00%

Eggs

$1.79 ETB 288

$4.07 €3.66

-56.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 ETB 1,205

$17.44 €15.67

-57.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 ETB 1,686

$12.56 €11.28

-16.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 ETB 1,604

$20.17 €18.12

-50.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 ETB 712

$2.58 €2.32

71.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 ETB 125

$2.19 €1.97

-64.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ETB 394

$2.68 €2.41

-8.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 108

$3.27 €2.94

-79.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ETB 88.2

$1.90 €1.71

-71.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ETB 216

$1.82 €1.63

-26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 ETB 124

$1.57 €1.41

-50.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ETB 91.2

$0.55 €0.49

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 ETB 1,263

$6.69 €6.01

17.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 ETB 864

$7.99 €7.18

-32.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ETB 122

$1.77 €1.59

-57.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ETB 240

$2.35 €2.11

-36.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ETB 55.7

$1.91 €1.72

-81.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 ETB 2,698

$43.44 €39.03

-61.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ETB 218

$5.62 €5.05

-75.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 43.16

$1.71 €1.54

-84.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 ETB 316

$33.64 €30.22

-94.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ETB 161

$2.03 €1.82

-50.74%

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

$53.5K ETB 8.6M

$35.3K €31.7K

51.52%

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

$55.1K ETB 8.9M

$36.7K €33.0K

49.81%

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

$142 ETB 22.9K

$227 €204

-37.24%

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

$9.63 ETB 1,549

$11.59 €10.41

-16.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$236 ETB 37.9K

$30.38 €27.30

676.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.81 ETB 6,885

$51.8 €46.52

-17.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.60 ETB 5,725

$23.70 €21.29

50.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ETB 798

$10.60 €9.53

-53.21%

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

$628 ETB 100.9K

$568 €510

10.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

$11.5K €10.4K

161.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.35 ETB 5,845

$90.5 €81.3

-59.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 ETB 10.1K

$38.55 €34.64

62.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ETB 12.6K

$103 €92.2

-23.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ETB 14.3K

$131 €118

-32.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 ETB 105.2K

$826 €742

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ETB 55.6K

$646 €581

-46.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 ETB 292.3K

$1,400 €1,258

29.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 ETB 116.2K

$1,054 €947

-31.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,825 ETB 293.4K

$3,662 €3,290

-50.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,031 ETB 165.7K

$2,301 €2,068

-55.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.7K

$1,886 €1,695

-89.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.56

377.53%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: October 25, 2026

Last update for Italy: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ethiopia

$388 32%

Italy

$269 14.6% 30.7% $119

Accommodation & Living

Ethiopia

$346 28.5%

Italy

$646 35.1% 86.7% $300

Groceries & Markets

Ethiopia

$210 17.3%

Italy

$348 18.9% 65.7% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Ethiopia

$120 9.9%

Italy

$163 8.9% 36.3% $43

Eating Out

Ethiopia

$75 6.2%

Italy

$279 15.1% 269% $203

Sport & Entertainment

Ethiopia

$53 4.4%

Italy

$73 4% 38.4% $20

Getting Around

Ethiopia

$21 1.7%

Italy

$65 3.5% 213% $44

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $421 in Ethiopia, $729 in Italy. Capital cities: $707 in Addis Ababa vs $1,297 in Rome.

National salary averages: $180 in Ethiopia, $1,890 in Italy. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 73% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 70% more in Italy.

Public transport is 153% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are about 11 times higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

🇮🇹 Italy

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

2 h behind Ethiopia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,691,692

58,850,717

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.59 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 179 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.59 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ethiopia Italy 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ethiopia
Italy

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,213 per month in Ethiopia and $1,843 in Italy, there’s a 52% 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 cheaper in Ethiopia: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $729 in Italy and $421 in Ethiopia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Ethiopia, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Italy 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; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.