Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Addis Ababa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Addis Ababa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,310 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,940 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,571 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 73% more expensive than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Addis Ababa is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.93 ETB 632

346.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$41.97 ETB 6,747

53.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.40 ETB 1,028

82.03%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$0.96 ETB 155

239.58%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.63 ETB 102

295.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.69 ETB 110

142.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$0.78 ETB 125

344.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.21 ETB 355

61.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.05 ETB 169

12.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.21 ETB 195

61.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.10 ETB 337

-25.71%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.74 ETB 279

130.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$7.32 ETB 1,177

81.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$10.07 ETB 1,618

-16.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$9.13 ETB 1,467

99.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$5.30 ETB 852

-56.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$0.68 ETB 110

154.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.15 ETB 346

-10.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.66 ETB 106

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.49 ETB 79.5

287.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.10 ETB 176

91.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.68 ETB 110

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.56 ETB 90.8

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$7.82 ETB 1,256

-10.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.52 ETB 887

7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.72 ETB 116

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.21 ETB 195

77.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.51 ETB 82.5

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$21.23 ETB 3,413

117.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.34 ETB 216

212.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.29 ETB 47.08

279.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$2.01 ETB 323

758.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.94 ETB 152

139.36%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$55.7K ETB 9.0M

-38.11%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$56.5K ETB 9.1M

-26.37%

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

$171 €147

$204 ETB 32.8K

-16.18%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$7.41 ETB 1,191

156.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$209 ETB 33.6K

-83.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$43.33 ETB 6,965

14.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$36.34 ETB 5,842

-46.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$3.81 ETB 612

165.09%

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

$699 €603

$135 ETB 21.6K

419.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$30.2K ETB 4.9M

-41.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$33.41 ETB 5,371

213.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$70.5 ETB 11.3K

-31.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$78.8 ETB 12.7K

29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$81.9 ETB 13.2K

56.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$703 ETB 113.0K

136.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$396 ETB 63.7K

209.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$2,262 ETB 363.6K

28.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$764 ETB 122.8K

164.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,975 ETB 317.5K

311.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,016 ETB 163.3K

356.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$201 ETB 32.4K

703.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

18.5

-79.57%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $703 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 704% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $210 per month, with Addis Ababa cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Addis Ababa differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,310 including rent). Addis Ababa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 704% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $703 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,310 in Addis Ababa – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 118% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,310 in Addis Ababa versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Addis Ababa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Addis Ababa 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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Addis Ababa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Addis Ababa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.