Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawassa and Adama

For one person, living is cheaper in Hawassa: $838 a month against $1,024 in Adama, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Adama outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

40

Cost of Living Index in Hawassa
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Hawassa Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Adama
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Adama Living Index

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Hawassa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$838

/mo nomad

Adama

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hawassa and in Adama

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

A single person spends $838 per month in Hawassa vs $1,024 in Adama, rent included.

Hawassa $838
Adama $1,024

A couple spends around $1,202 per month in Hawassa vs $1,683 in Adama, rent included.

Hawassa $1,202
Adama $1,683

A family of three spends $1,566 per month in Hawassa vs $2,341 in Adama, rent included.

Hawassa $1,566
Adama $2,341

Hawassa is about 18% cheaper than Adama.

Both Hawassa and Adama are more affordable than the global median – Hawassa 38% lower, Adama 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ETB 625

$3.08 ETB 495

25.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.15 ETB 6,777

$43.10 ETB 6,931

-2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 ETB 1,061

$4.92 ETB 791

34.15%

Cappuccino

$0.88 ETB 142

$0.89 ETB 143

-1.12%

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

$0.63 ETB 101

$0.59 ETB 95.1

6.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ETB 109

$0.31 ETB 50.4

119.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 ETB 125

$0.82 ETB 131

-4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ETB 355

$2.30 ETB 370

-3.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 ETB 169

$0.77 ETB 124

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 ETB 189

$1.21 ETB 194

-3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ETB 165

$2.11 ETB 340

-51.18%

Eggs

$1.58 ETB 254

$1.74 ETB 280

-9.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 ETB 1,186

$7.60 ETB 1,222

-2.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 ETB 1,612

$10.14 ETB 1,630

-1.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.27 ETB 1,491

$9.37 ETB 1,506

-1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 ETB 841

$5.48 ETB 882

-4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ETB 101

$0.64 ETB 103

-1.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ETB 361

$2.21 ETB 356

1.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 ETB 112

$0.67 ETB 107

2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ETB 75.0

$0.49 ETB 79.2

-4.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ETB 175

$1.05 ETB 169

3.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ETB 106

$0.64 ETB 103

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ETB 91.7

$0.57 ETB 92.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 ETB 1,272

$7.85 ETB 1,262

0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 ETB 908

$5.47 ETB 880

3.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ETB 108

$0.68 ETB 109

-1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ETB 197

$1.26 ETB 203

-3.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ETB 218

$1.29 ETB 207

5.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 43.39

$0.29 ETB 46.98

-6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 ETB 325

$1.97 ETB 317

2.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ETB 153

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

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

0.31%

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

$55.5K ETB 8.9M

$55.7K ETB 9.0M

-0.34%

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

$205 ETB 33.0K

$204 ETB 32.8K

0.53%

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

$7.48 ETB 1,202

$7.15 ETB 1,150

4.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$216 ETB 34.8K

$209 ETB 33.7K

3.44%

Cinema Ticket

$3.81 ETB 613

$3.68 ETB 592

3.53%

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

$616 ETB 99.1K

$625 ETB 100.4K

-1.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

0.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.38 ETB 5,368

$33.64 ETB 5,409

-0.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.6 ETB 11.2K

$71.0 ETB 11.4K

-1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 ETB 12.4K

$79.4 ETB 12.8K

-2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 ETB 13.4K

$82.0 ETB 13.2K

1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 ETB 56.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ETB 32.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 ETB 163.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 ETB 127.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$500 ETB 80.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$101 ETB 16.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

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

Last update for Hawassa: November 1, 2026

Last update for Adama: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hawassa

$429 51.2%

Adama

$420 41.1% 2% $8.6

Groceries & Markets

Hawassa

$205 24.5%

Adama

$210 20.5% 2.4% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Hawassa

$119 14.2%

Adama

$120 11.7% 0.8% $0.9

Eating Out

Hawassa

$75 8.9%

Adama

$62 6.1% 16.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Hawassa

$7.6 * 0.9%

Adama

$7.4 * 0.7% 3.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Hawassa

$2.7 * 0.3%

Adama

$2.8 * 0.3% 1.5% $0

Accommodation & Living

Hawassa

- * 0%

Adama

$201 19.7%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Hawassa versus $43 in Adama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $210 – making Hawassa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Hawassa

🇪🇹 Adama

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

Same time as Hawassa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,000

228,623

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hawassa Adama 190 km

From you

Hawassa
Adama

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

Hawassa vs Adama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Adama costs about 22% more than Hawassa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,258 per month in Hawassa and $1,536 in Adama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $838 in Hawassa and $1,024 in Adama. That makes Hawassa about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $616 per month in Hawassa and $625 in Adama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $838 in Hawassa and $1,024 in Adama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.