Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawassa and Addis Ababa

For one person, living is cheaper in Hawassa: $837 a month against $1,300 in Addis Ababa, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Hawassa
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Hawassa Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
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Addis Ababa Living Index

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Hawassa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$837

/mo nomad

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hawassa and in Addis Ababa

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 Addis Ababa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $837 in Hawassa versus $1,300 in Addis Ababa.

Hawassa $837
Addis Ababa $1,300

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in Hawassa versus $1,914 in Addis Ababa.

Hawassa $1,203
Addis Ababa $1,914

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,569 in Hawassa versus $2,528 in Addis Ababa.

Hawassa $1,569
Addis Ababa $2,528

Living in Hawassa costs roughly 36% less than in Addis Ababa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hawassa 38% lower, Addis Ababa 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 ETB 639

$4.07 ETB 655

-2.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.89 ETB 6,906

$42.77 ETB 6,885

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 ETB 1,070

$6.63 ETB 1,068

0.30%

Cappuccino

$0.88 ETB 142

$0.88 ETB 141

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

$0.58 ETB 94.2

$0.58 ETB 93.8

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ETB 104

$0.64 ETB 103

1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 ETB 133

$0.77 ETB 124

6.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ETB 367

$2.23 ETB 359

2.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 ETB 171

$1.07 ETB 172

-0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ETB 196

$1.16 ETB 187

5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 157

$2.17 ETB 349

-54.84%

Eggs

$1.53 ETB 246

$1.79 ETB 287

-14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.34 ETB 1,182

$7.51 ETB 1,210

-2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 ETB 1,608

$10.28 ETB 1,655

-2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.38 ETB 1,510

$9.49 ETB 1,528

-1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 ETB 849

$5.25 ETB 845

0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ETB 105

$0.64 ETB 102

1.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 ETB 347

$2.12 ETB 341

1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.66 ETB 107

$0.65 ETB 105

1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 ETB 79.7

$0.50 ETB 81.1

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ETB 176

$1.08 ETB 174

1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ETB 105

$0.69 ETB 111

-5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ETB 99.2

$0.58 ETB 92.8

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 ETB 1,270

$8.01 ETB 1,290

-1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.48 ETB 882

$5.68 ETB 915

-3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ETB 115

$0.67 ETB 108

7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ETB 204

$1.22 ETB 196

3.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ETB 82.7

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.05 ETB 3,390

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ETB 209

$1.29 ETB 208

0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ETB 46.86

$0.29 ETB 47.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 ETB 317

$1.96 ETB 315

0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 ETB 156

$0.96 ETB 155

1.04%

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

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

$55.7K ETB 9.0M

-0.92%

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

$56.1K ETB 9.0M

-0.08%

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

$207 ETB 33.3K

$202 ETB 32.5K

2.36%

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

$7.40 ETB 1,191

$7.50 ETB 1,207

-1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$213 ETB 34.3K

-0.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.97 ETB 7,240

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.87 ETB 5,936

Cinema Ticket

$3.65 ETB 587

$3.77 ETB 607

-3.18%

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

$628 ETB 101.1K

$633 ETB 102.0K

-0.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K ETB 4.9M

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

-0.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.89 ETB 5,295

$32.81 ETB 5,282

0.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 ETB 11.4K

$69.5 ETB 11.2K

1.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ETB 12.4K

$77.5 ETB 12.5K

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 ETB 13.1K

$82.9 ETB 13.3K

-2.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 ETB 113.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 ETB 63.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 ETB 370.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 ETB 124.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 ETB 318.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$502 ETB 80.8K

$1,025 ETB 165.1K

-51.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$200 ETB 32.2K

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: October 27, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hawassa

$428 51.1%

Addis Ababa

$423 32.5% 1.1% $4.6

Groceries & Markets

Hawassa

$206 24.6%

Addis Ababa

$213 16.4% 3.3% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Hawassa

$118 14.1%

Addis Ababa

$118 9.1% 0.3% $0.3

Eating Out

Hawassa

$76 9.1%

Addis Ababa

$76 5.9% 0.4% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Hawassa

$7.3 * 0.9%

Addis Ababa

$53 4% 619% $45

Getting Around

Hawassa

$2.8 * 0.3%

Addis Ababa

$26 2% 841% $23

Accommodation & Living

Hawassa

- * 0%

Addis Ababa

$392 30.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43 in Hawassa vs $43 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $213 per month, with Hawassa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Hawassa

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

Same time as Hawassa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,000

3,500,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.21 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.21 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hawassa Addis Ababa 220 km

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Hawassa
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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 Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $837 in Hawassa and $1,300 in Addis Ababa, so Hawassa is about 36% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,256 in Hawassa and $1,950 in Addis Ababa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $628 in Hawassa versus $633 in Addis Ababa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $837 per month in Hawassa versus $1,300 in Addis Ababa – Hawassa is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $837 in Hawassa versus $1,300 in Addis Ababa, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hawassa but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Hawassa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.