Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Massawa and Asmara

67

Cost of Living Index in Asmara
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Asmara Living Index

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Massawa

🇪🇷 Eritrea

/mo nomad

Asmara

🇪🇷 Eritrea

$1,374

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.76 ERN 312

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.78 ERN 507

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 ERN 90.5

Cappuccino

$0.77 ERN 11.61

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

$1.02 ERN 15.37

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 ERN 14.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 ERN 9.20

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ERN 23.41

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ERN 33.95

Eggs

$4.48 ERN 67.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 ERN 43.95

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.11 ERN 407

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ERN 149

Apples (1kg)

$12.25 ERN 184

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ERN 18.86

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ERN 30.53

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ERN 17.18

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ERN 26.31

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ERN 14.27

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 ERN 33.78

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 ERN 180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ERN 14.71

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ERN 15.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ERN 2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.98 ERN 120

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ERN 8.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 ERN 153

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 ERN 38.23

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

$67.7K ERN 1.0M

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

$70.9K ERN 1.1M

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

$25.48 ERN 383

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

$68.1 ERN 1,023

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 ERN 3,012

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.63 ERN 400

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.86 ERN 73.1

Cinema Ticket

$1.22 ERN 18.28

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

$24.87 ERN 374

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,595 ERN 39.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 ERN 2,060

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$122 ERN 1,837

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 ERN 2,964

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 ERN 2,229

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ERN 3,781

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ERN 2,984

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 ERN 6,824

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ERN 6,305

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 ERN 18.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,481 ERN 37.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Massawa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Asmara: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Massawa

–

Asmara

$364 * 26.5%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Massawa

–

Asmara

$294 21.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Massawa

–

Asmara

$272 19.8%

Eating Out

Massawa

–

Asmara

$204 * 14.9%

Accommodation & Living

Massawa

–

Asmara

$199 14.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Massawa

–

Asmara

$29 2.1%

Getting Around

Massawa

–

Asmara

$11 * 0.8%

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

Good to know

🇪🇷 Massawa

🇪🇷 Asmara

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

Same time as Massawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,975

579,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Eritrean Nakfa ERN ናቕፋ

📈 Exchange rate

100 ERN = 6.66 USD

100 ERN = 5.92 EUR

100 ERN = 6.66 USD

100 ERN = 5.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Massawa Asmara 64 km

From you

Massawa
Asmara

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

Massawa vs Asmara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For families, Massawa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Asmara, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

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