Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ethiopia and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living costs are similar in Ethiopia and in South Africa: $1,213 and $1,203 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Ethiopia
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Ethiopia Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,213

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ethiopia and in South Africa

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 South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,213 in Ethiopia versus $1,203 in South Africa.

Ethiopia $1,213
South Africa $1,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,821 in Ethiopia versus $1,893 in South Africa.

Ethiopia $1,821
South Africa $1,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,429 in Ethiopia versus $2,583 in South Africa.

Ethiopia $2,429
South Africa $2,583

Ethiopia ($374–$1,300) and South Africa ($618–$1,556) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Ethiopia is roughly 1% more expensive than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Ethiopia 11% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 ETB 662

$10.67 R 177

-61.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.65 ETB 6,857

$41.66 R 693

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.45 ETB 1,037

$5.80 R 96.5

11.21%

Cappuccino

$0.86 ETB 138

$2.36 R 39.23

-63.56%

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

$0.57 ETB 92.4

$1.12 R 18.56

-49.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ETB 90.5

$0.90 R 15.00

-37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.89 ETB 143

$2.42 R 40.20

-63.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ETB 312

$3.06 R 50.9

-36.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 ETB 166

$1.18 R 19.58

-12.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ETB 145

$1.13 R 18.83

-20.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 ETB 279

$1.74 R 28.90

Eggs

$1.79 ETB 288

$2.57 R 42.80

-30.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 ETB 1,205

$8.43 R 140

-11.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 ETB 1,686

$5.12 R 85.1

104.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 ETB 1,604

$7.59 R 126

31.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 ETB 712

$1.77 R 29.52

150.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 ETB 125

$1.74 R 28.90

-55.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ETB 394

$1.77 R 29.43

38.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 ETB 108

$1.76 R 29.26

-61.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ETB 88.2

$1.49 R 24.81

-63.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ETB 216

$1.47 R 24.38

-8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 ETB 124

$1.23 R 20.52

-37.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ETB 91.2

$1.10 R 18.25

-48.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 ETB 1,263

$3.24 R 54.0

142.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.38 ETB 864

$5.00 R 83.2

7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ETB 122

$1.50 R 24.90

-49.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ETB 240

$1.94 R 32.26

-23.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ETB 55.7

$1.48 R 24.58

-76.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.78 ETB 2,698

$59.3 R 986

-71.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ETB 218

$1.09 R 18.21

24.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 43.16

$0.99 R 16.46

-72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 ETB 316

$7.46 R 124

-73.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ETB 161

$1.43 R 23.76

-30.07%

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

$53.5K ETB 8.6M

$35.3K R 587.4K

51.54%

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

$55.1K ETB 8.9M

$32.4K R 539.7K

69.73%

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

$142 ETB 22.9K

$133 R 2,208

7.11%

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

$9.63 ETB 1,549

$34.83 R 580

-72.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$236 ETB 37.9K

$39.76 R 662

493.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.81 ETB 6,885

$33.09 R 551

29.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.60 ETB 5,725

$11.65 R 194

205.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ETB 798

$7.18 R 119

-30.92%

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

$628 ETB 100.9K

$224 R 3,728

180.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

$5,462 R 90.9K

451.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.35 ETB 5,845

$54.2 R 902

-32.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 ETB 10.1K

$34.13 R 568

83.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ETB 12.6K

$102 R 1,699

-23.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ETB 14.3K

$88.5 R 1,472

0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 ETB 105.2K

$492 R 8,189

32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ETB 55.6K

$398 R 6,617

-13.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 ETB 292.3K

$946 R 15.7K

92.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 ETB 116.2K

$827 R 13.8K

-12.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,825 ETB 293.4K

$1,099 R 18.3K

66.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,031 ETB 165.7K

$769 R 12.8K

34.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 ETB 32.7K

$1,502 R 25.0K

-86.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

51.38%

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

Last update for Ethiopia: October 25, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ethiopia

$388 32%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 46.5% $180

Accommodation & Living

Ethiopia

$346 28.5%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 15% $52

Groceries & Markets

Ethiopia

$210 17.3%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 6.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Ethiopia

$120 9.9%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 4.8% $5.8

Eating Out

Ethiopia

$75 6.2%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 108% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Ethiopia

$53 4.4%

South Africa

$47 4% 10% $5.3

Getting Around

Ethiopia

$21 1.7%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 242% $50

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $421 in Ethiopia, $422 in South Africa. Capital cities: $707 in Addis Ababa vs $450 in Pretoria.

National salary averages: $180 in Ethiopia, $1,488 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 10% more in Ethiopia.

Public transport is 259% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 8.3 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

11:30 11:30 AM

1 h behind Ethiopia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

128,691,692

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.59 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ethiopia South Africa 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ethiopia
South Africa

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,213 per month in Ethiopia and $1,203 in South Africa, there’s a 1% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, South Africa is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: South Africa wins on affordability; Ethiopia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.