Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $786 in Ethiopia versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,185 in Ethiopia versus $1,598 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,584 in Ethiopia versus $2,175 in South Africa.

Living in Ethiopia costs about 23% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Ethiopia 41% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ETB 693

$9.05 R 147

-51.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.21 ETB 5,548

$39.48 R 642

-10.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.64 ETB 1,046

$4.94 R 80.3

34.41%

Cappuccino

$1.16 ETB 183

$2.06 R 33.47

-43.69%

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

$0.60 ETB 94.4

$0.95 R 15.40

-36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ETB 73.0

$0.81 R 13.13

-43.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ETB 160

$2.21 R 35.90

-53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ETB 321

$2.48 R 40.33

-18.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ETB 224

$1.11 R 18.07

27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ETB 203

$1.02 R 16.64

26.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 ETB 264

$1.56 R 25.28

7.69%

Eggs

$2.48 ETB 391

$2.34 R 38.05

5.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 ETB 1,138

$7.73 R 126

-6.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 ETB 1,976

$4.49 R 73.1

179.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 ETB 2,062

$6.73 R 109

94.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 ETB 985

$1.56 R 25.40

300.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 155

$1.43 R 23.22

-31.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 363

$1.44 R 23.48

59.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 ETB 134

$1.51 R 24.55

-43.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ETB 100

$1.22 R 19.81

-47.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ETB 296

$1.28 R 20.74

46.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ETB 115

$1.04 R 16.89

-29.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ETB 106

$0.94 R 15.21

-28.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ETB 618

$2.99 R 48.55

31.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.37 ETB 847

$5.16 R 83.8

4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ETB 133

$1.39 R 22.55

-39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ETB 290

$1.66 R 26.93

10.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ETB 42.41

$1.63 R 26.48

-83.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 ETB 1,957

$45.05 R 732

-72.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ETB 233

$1.13 R 18.41

30.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ETB 49.27

$1.10 R 17.93

-71.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ETB 308

$4.86 R 78.9

-59.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ETB 197

$1.24 R 20.15

0.81%

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

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

$20.3K R 330.2K

162.34%

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

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

$23.5K R 381.4K

127.17%

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

$135 ETB 21.2K

$113 R 1,843

18.86%

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

$11.93 ETB 1,880

$32.36 R 526

-63.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$155 ETB 24.4K

$41.45 R 674

274.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.1 ETB 9,791

$31.59 R 513

96.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.89 ETB 5,813

$9.61 R 156

283.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ETB 807

$6.83 R 111

-25.04%

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

$77.2 ETB 12.2K

$187 R 3,039

-58.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

$4,362 R 70.9K

812.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.27 ETB 7,607

$49.50 R 804

-2.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.6 ETB 12.1K

$30.42 R 494

151.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 ETB 15.6K

$91.7 R 1,489

7.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 ETB 18.4K

$78.9 R 1,281

47.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$682 ETB 107.4K

$442 R 7,175

54.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ETB 59.8K

$367 R 5,963

3.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 ETB 221.6K

$884 R 14.4K

59.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 ETB 140.4K

$723 R 11.8K

23.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,790 ETB 282.1K

$1,090 R 17.7K

64.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,005 ETB 158.4K

$780 R 12.7K

28.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.0K

$1,558 R 25.3K

-86.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

47.19%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: June 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $212 in Ethiopia, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $758 in Addis Ababa vs $765 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $184 in Ethiopia, $1,520 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 74% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 726% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa 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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $692 per month in Ethiopia and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 56% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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