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: $792 in Ethiopia versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,183 in Ethiopia versus $1,587 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,573 in Ethiopia versus $2,154 in South Africa.

Living in Ethiopia costs about 22% 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

$4.52 ETB 717

$9.14 R 150

-50.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.26 ETB 5,589

$39.14 R 643

-9.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 ETB 1,010

$5.19 R 85.3

22.74%

Cappuccino

$1.20 ETB 191

$1.98 R 32.50

-39.39%

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

$0.63 ETB 99.1

$1.00 R 16.45

-37.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ETB 73.7

$0.79 R 12.92

-41.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ETB 154

$2.21 R 36.36

-56.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ETB 315

$2.57 R 42.28

-22.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ETB 227

$1.12 R 18.43

27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ETB 198

$0.97 R 15.90

28.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 ETB 266

$1.54 R 25.37

9.09%

Eggs

$2.41 ETB 381

$2.25 R 36.96

7.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.97 ETB 1,105

$7.86 R 129

-11.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.59 ETB 1,995

$4.58 R 75.3

174.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 ETB 2,087

$6.68 R 110

97.16%

Apples (1kg)

$6.19 ETB 981

$1.57 R 25.88

294.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 155

$1.47 R 24.18

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ETB 364

$1.52 R 25.00

51.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 ETB 136

$1.51 R 24.81

-43.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 106

$1.26 R 20.71

-46.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ETB 301

$1.27 R 20.96

49.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ETB 109

$1.09 R 17.86

-36.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ETB 98.8

$0.97 R 15.93

-36.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ETB 628

$2.84 R 46.62

39.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 ETB 813

$5.20 R 85.5

-1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ETB 132

$1.38 R 22.74

-39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ETB 285

$1.72 R 28.24

4.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ETB 42.30

$1.72 R 28.30

-84.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.55 ETB 1,989

$44.22 R 727

-71.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ETB 235

$1.15 R 18.93

28.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ETB 49.29

$1.07 R 17.51

-71.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ETB 309

$4.74 R 77.8

-58.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ETB 200

$1.28 R 21.09

-1.56%

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

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

$20.4K R 334.8K

162.51%

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

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

$24.0K R 394.3K

122.94%

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

$131 ETB 20.7K

$113 R 1,856

15.75%

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

$12.13 ETB 1,923

$32.35 R 532

-62.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$159 ETB 25.3K

$41.46 R 682

284.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 ETB 9,884

$31.04 R 510

100.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.87 ETB 5,845

$9.72 R 160

279.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ETB 803

$6.67 R 110

-23.99%

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

$78.5 ETB 12.4K

$186 R 3,051

-57.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.7K ETB 6.4M

$4,399 R 72.3K

824.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.76 ETB 7,412

$50.2 R 824

-6.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.5 ETB 12.0K

$30.37 R 499

148.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 ETB 15.5K

$93.4 R 1,535

4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ETB 19.0K

$80.4 R 1,322

48.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 ETB 109.1K

$439 R 7,210

56.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 ETB 59.9K

$372 R 6,112

1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 ETB 216.4K

$903 R 14.8K

51.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 ETB 137.7K

$705 R 11.6K

23.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,785 ETB 282.9K

$1,116 R 18.3K

59.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,009 ETB 159.8K

$793 R 13.0K

27.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.2K

$1,506 R 24.8K

-86.49%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $206 in Ethiopia, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $732 in Addis Ababa vs $292 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $182 in Ethiopia, $1,513 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 79% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 731% 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 $715 per month in Ethiopia and $1,083 in South Africa, 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 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.