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: $776 in Ethiopia versus $1,143 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,155 in Ethiopia versus $1,781 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,534 in Ethiopia versus $2,419 in South Africa.

Living in Ethiopia costs about 32% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Ethiopia 44% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 ETB 632

$11.30 R 182

-65.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.71 ETB 6,865

$44.51 R 717

-4.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 ETB 1,052

$5.90 R 95.0

11.02%

Cappuccino

$0.87 ETB 139

$2.44 R 39.22

-64.34%

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

$0.56 ETB 90.6

$1.16 R 18.64

-51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ETB 89.7

$0.96 R 15.39

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 ETB 134

$2.56 R 41.29

-67.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ETB 327

$3.08 R 49.60

-33.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 ETB 173

$1.28 R 20.57

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ETB 156

$1.13 R 18.15

-14.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 ETB 277

$1.83 R 29.55

-6.01%

Eggs

$1.81 ETB 291

$2.55 R 41.12

-29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 ETB 1,213

$8.35 R 134

-9.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.39 ETB 1,671

$5.44 R 87.6

90.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 ETB 1,667

$7.88 R 127

31.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.49 ETB 721

$1.90 R 30.61

136.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 ETB 117

$1.70 R 27.36

-57.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ETB 388

$1.81 R 29.14

33.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 108

$1.88 R 30.23

-64.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ETB 88.4

$1.54 R 24.76

-64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 ETB 226

$1.49 R 24.03

-6.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ETB 121

$1.33 R 21.45

-43.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ETB 99.5

$1.19 R 19.09

-47.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 ETB 1,292

$3.41 R 55.0

135.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.23 ETB 841

$5.08 R 81.7

2.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ETB 120

$1.51 R 24.28

-50.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ETB 238

$2.03 R 32.64

-27.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ETB 55.8

$1.76 R 28.39

-80.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.38 ETB 2,794

$63.1 R 1,016

-72.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ETB 218

$1.12 R 17.97

21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 47.23

$1.01 R 16.33

-71.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ETB 323

$8.07 R 130

-75.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ETB 160

$1.46 R 23.53

-32.19%

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

$55.6K ETB 8.9M

$36.8K R 592.8K

50.93%

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

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

$32.5K R 523.6K

69.88%

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

$145 ETB 23.3K

$136 R 2,185

7.05%

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

$9.42 ETB 1,515

$35.72 R 575

-73.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$230 ETB 37.0K

$41.40 R 667

456.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.94 ETB 7,063

$34.96 R 563

25.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.43 ETB 5,856

$12.46 R 201

192.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 ETB 791

$7.62 R 123

-35.43%

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

$120 ETB 19.3K

$231 R 3,725

-48.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

$5,726 R 92.2K

432.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.02 ETB 5,789

$56.4 R 908

-36.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 ETB 10.3K

$33.91 R 546

89.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ETB 12.3K

$102 R 1,639

-24.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.1 ETB 13.8K

$93.0 R 1,497

-7.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 ETB 104.1K

$506 R 8,154

27.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ETB 56.0K

$418 R 6,727

-16.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 ETB 293.6K

$979 R 15.8K

86.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 ETB 114.0K

$838 R 13.5K

-15.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,831 ETB 294.3K

$1,151 R 18.5K

59.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,023 ETB 164.5K

$800 R 12.9K

27.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 ETB 32.3K

$1,554 R 25.0K

-87.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

51.25%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: September 5, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $181 in Ethiopia, $445 in South Africa. Capital cities: $703 in Addis Ababa vs $324 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $185 in Ethiopia, $1,553 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 146% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 67% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 739% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 $655 per month in Ethiopia and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 88% 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 Ethiopia: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 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; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.