Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hawassa and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Hawassa: $837 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hawassa, Ethiopia
Lisbon, Portugal
Hawassa
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
$837
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hawassa and in Lisbon

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

A single person spends $837 per month in Hawassa vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Hawassa $837
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,203 per month in Hawassa vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Hawassa $1,203
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $1,569 per month in Hawassa vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Hawassa $1,569
  • Lisbon $4,341

Hawassa is about 62% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hawassa sits 38% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hawassa
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.97 ETB 639
$16.65 €14.92
-76.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.89 ETB 6,906
$61.7 €55.3
-30.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.65 ETB 1,070
$11.36 €10.18
-41.46%
Cappuccino
$0.88 ETB 142
$2.97 €2.66
-70.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 ETB 94.2
$2.29 €2.05
-74.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 ETB 104
$1.74 €1.56
-62.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.82 ETB 133
$3.40 €3.05
-75.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 ETB 367
$3.31 €2.97
-31.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hawassa
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 ETB 171
$1.16 €1.04
-8.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.22 ETB 196
$1.91 €1.71
-36.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.98 ETB 157
$1.51 €1.36
-35.10%
Eggs
$1.53 ETB 246
$4.02 €3.60
-61.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.34 ETB 1,182
$12.94 €11.59
-43.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.99 ETB 1,608
$7.77 €6.97
28.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.38 ETB 1,510
$17.76 €15.92
-47.18%
Apples (1kg)
$5.27 ETB 849
$2.30 €2.06
129.13%
Banana (1kg)
$0.65 ETB 105
$1.73 €1.55
-62.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.16 ETB 347
$1.86 €1.66
16.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.66 ETB 107
$2.59 €2.32
-74.52%
Potato (1kg)
$0.50 ETB 79.7
$1.82 €1.63
-72.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 ETB 176
$1.97 €1.76
-44.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.65 ETB 105
$1.47 €1.32
-55.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 ETB 99.2
$0.72 €0.65
-13.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.89 ETB 1,270
$6.58 €5.90
19.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.48 ETB 882
$5.61 €5.02
-2.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 ETB 115
$1.36 €1.22
-47.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 ETB 204
$2.14 €1.91
-41.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Hawassa
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.33 €2.09
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.04
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.30 ETB 209
$3.85 €3.45
-66.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 ETB 46.86
$1.07 €0.96
-72.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.97 ETB 317
$16.46 €14.75
-88.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 ETB 156
$2.20 €1.97
-55.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$55.2K ETB 8.9M
$34.2K €30.6K
61.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$56.1K ETB 9.0M
$38.7K €34.7K
44.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hawassa
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 ETB 33.3K
$161 €144
28.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.40 ETB 1,191
$18.41 €16.50
-59.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$213 ETB 34.3K
$32.74 €29.34
551.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hawassa
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$44.55 €39.92
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.11
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.65 ETB 587
$9.60 €8.60
-61.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hawassa
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 ETB 101.1K
$668 €598
-5.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.4K ETB 4.9M
$17.6K €15.8K
72.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hawassa
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.89 ETB 5,295
$102 €91.4
-67.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.7 ETB 11.4K
$44.46 €39.85
58.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.1 ETB 12.4K
$98.5 €88.3
-21.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.3 ETB 13.1K
$124 €111
-34.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hawassa
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,608 €1,441
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,190 €1,066
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,812 €2,520
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,013 €1,804
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €7,025
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$502 ETB 80.8K
$4,576 €4,100
-89.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hawassa
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,575 €1,411
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
18.5
3.85
380.52%

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

Last update for Hawassa: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hawassa
$428
Lisbon
$212 50.3% $215
Groceries & Markets
Hawassa
$206
Lisbon
$272 32.3% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Hawassa
$118
Lisbon
$166 40.7% $48
Eating Out
Hawassa
$76
Lisbon
$243 220% $167
Sport & Entertainment
Hawassa
$7.3 *
Lisbon
$64 773% $56
Getting Around
Hawassa
$2.8 *
Lisbon
$63 2198% $60
Accommodation & Living
Hawassa
- *
Lisbon
$1.2K

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 $43 in Hawassa versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $272 – making Hawassa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇹 Hawassa
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
09:27 9:27 AM
06:27 6:27 AM
3 h behind Hawassa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
160,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.21 USD). 1 EUR = 179 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.58 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hawassa Lisbon 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hawassa
  • Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hawassa and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $837 in Hawassa, $2,210 in Lisbon – Hawassa comes out roughly 62% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Hawassa compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,256 per month in Hawassa and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Hawassa and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 32% more in Lisbon, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Hawassa, where all-in costs run around $837, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Hawassa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Hawassa and Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $837 in Hawassa to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Hawassa vs other spots: cost of living compared

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