Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jimma and Athens

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,028 a month against $1,779 in Athens, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Athens
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Athens Living Index

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Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,028

/mo nomad

Athens

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jimma and in Athens

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Jimma versus $1,779 in Athens.

Jimma $1,028
Athens $1,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Jimma versus $2,721 in Athens.

Jimma $1,414
Athens $2,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,800 in Jimma versus $3,663 in Athens.

Jimma $1,800
Athens $3,663

Living in Jimma costs roughly 42% less than in Athens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jimma is 24% below, Athens is 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 ETB 740

$16.83 €14.99

-72.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 €58.8

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 €9.99

Cappuccino

$1.15 ETB 185

$4.08 €3.64

-71.81%

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

$0.58 ETB 94.0

$2.77 €2.47

-79.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ETB 69.6

$0.54 €0.48

-20.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 ETB 452

$5.70 €5.08

-50.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ETB 221

$6.26 €5.58

-78.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ETB 185

$1.84 €1.64

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 ETB 57.4

$1.43 €1.27

-74.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ETB 183

$2.67 €2.38

-57.30%

Eggs

$4.12 ETB 662

$4.95 €4.41

-16.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 €13.45

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.28 ETB 1,815

$10.99 €9.79

2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ETB 1,783

$19.77 €17.61

-43.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ETB 368

$2.12 €1.89

8.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ETB 183

$1.98 €1.76

-42.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 ETB 534

$1.33 €1.19

149.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 ETB 92.2

$2.16 €1.92

-73.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 ETB 87.0

$1.06 €0.94

-49.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ETB 554

$1.15 €1.02

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ETB 87.2

$0.85 €0.75

-36.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 €4.86

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 ETB 1,095

$10.03 €8.93

-32.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ETB 185

$2.04 €1.82

-43.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ETB 223

$2.38 €2.12

-41.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ETB 37.09

$1.35 €1.20

-82.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.36 ETB 2,148

$30.52 €27.19

-56.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.63 ETB 263

$16.49 €14.68

-90.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 ETB 264

$2.34 €2.09

-29.91%

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

$49.6K ETB 8.0M

$27.8K €24.7K

78.79%

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

$55.7K ETB 9.0M

$26.6K €23.7K

109.52%

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

$62.4 ETB 10.0K

$202 €180

-69.15%

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

$35.05 ETB 5,637

$26.81 €23.88

30.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$308 ETB 49.6K

$30.49 €27.16

911.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.99 ETB 5,305

$54.1 €48.17

-38.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.40 €24.41

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €9.30

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

$568 €506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 €80.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.1 ETB 14.2K

$39.32 €35.03

124.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 ETB 21.5K

$105 €93.7

27.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ETB 18.0K

$129 €115

-13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 ETB 33.7K

$742 €661

-71.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 ETB 25.1K

$648 €578

-75.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ETB 65.5K

$1,271 €1,132

-67.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ETB 49.3K

$1,122 €999

-72.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,254 ETB 362.5K

$3,999 €3,562

-43.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,104 ETB 177.5K

$3,281 €2,923

-66.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$226 ETB 36.4K

$1,245 €1,109

-81.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

102.70%

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

Last update for Jimma: November 3, 2026

Last update for Athens: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jimma

–

Athens

$648 36.4%

Groceries & Markets

Jimma

–

Athens

$316 17.8%

Eating Out

Jimma

–

Athens

$272 15.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jimma

–

Athens

$260 14.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Jimma

–

Athens

$164 9.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Jimma

–

Athens

$75 4.2%

Getting Around

Jimma

–

Athens

$45 2.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $209 in Jimma and $742 in Athens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays about 5.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Good to know

🇪🇹 Jimma

🇬🇷 Athens

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

02:14 2:14 AM

1 h behind Jimma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,573

3,090,508 Capital

💱 Currency

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr (Br)

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 181 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ETB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jimma Athens 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Jimma
Athens

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

Jimma vs Athens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jimma wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jimma the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Jimma. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $209 in Jimma versus $742 in Athens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,028 per month in Jimma versus $1,779 in Athens – Jimma is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Athens. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Jimma versus $1,779 in Athens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jimma but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Jimma 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.

It comes down to priorities – Jimma wins on affordability, Athens on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.