Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Ethiopia Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Ethiopia

Name: Ethiopia
Address: ET

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in South Africa versus $792 in Ethiopia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in South Africa versus $1,183 in Ethiopia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,154 in South Africa versus $1,573 in Ethiopia.

Living in South Africa is roughly 29% more expensive than in Ethiopia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 24% lower, Ethiopia 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 150

$4.52 ETB 717

102.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 643

$35.26 ETB 5,589

11.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.3

$6.37 ETB 1,010

-18.52%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.50

$1.20 ETB 191

65.00%

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

$1.00 R 16.45

$0.63 ETB 99.1

58.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.92

$0.46 ETB 73.7

71.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.36

$0.97 ETB 154

127.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.28

$1.99 ETB 315

29.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.43

$1.43 ETB 227

-21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 15.90

$1.25 ETB 198

-22.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.37

$1.68 ETB 266

-8.33%

Eggs

$2.25 R 36.96

$2.41 ETB 381

-6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 129

$6.97 ETB 1,105

12.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.3

$12.59 ETB 1,995

-63.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 110

$13.17 ETB 2,087

-49.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.88

$6.19 ETB 981

-74.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.18

$0.98 ETB 155

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.00

$2.30 ETB 364

-33.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.81

$0.86 ETB 136

75.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.71

$0.67 ETB 106

88.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 20.96

$1.90 ETB 301

-33.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.86

$0.69 ETB 109

57.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.93

$0.62 ETB 98.8

56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.62

$3.96 ETB 628

-28.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 85.5

$5.13 ETB 813

1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.74

$0.83 ETB 132

66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.24

$1.80 ETB 285

-4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.30

$0.27 ETB 42.30

537.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 727

$12.55 ETB 1,989

252.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.93

$1.48 ETB 235

-22.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.51

$0.31 ETB 49.29

245.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 77.8

$1.95 ETB 309

143.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.09

$1.26 ETB 200

1.59%

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

$20.4K R 334.8K

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

-61.91%

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

$24.0K R 394.3K

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

-55.15%

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

$113 R 1,856

$131 ETB 20.7K

-13.61%

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

$32.35 R 532

$12.13 ETB 1,923

166.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 682

$159 ETB 25.3K

-74.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 510

$62.4 ETB 9,884

-50.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 160

$36.87 ETB 5,845

-73.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$5.07 ETB 803

31.56%

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

$186 R 3,051

$78.5 ETB 12.4K

136.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.3K

$40.7K ETB 6.4M

-89.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 824

$46.76 ETB 7,412

7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 499

$75.5 ETB 12.0K

-59.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,535

$97.9 ETB 15.5K

-4.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,322

$120 ETB 19.0K

-32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,210

$689 ETB 109.1K

-36.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,112

$378 ETB 59.9K

-1.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.8K

$1,366 ETB 216.4K

-33.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.6K

$869 ETB 137.7K

-18.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.3K

$1,785 ETB 282.9K

-37.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.0K

$1,009 ETB 159.8K

-21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.8K

$203 ETB 32.2K

640.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

-32.06%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $206 in Ethiopia. Capital cities: $292 in Bloemfontein vs $732 in Addis Ababa.

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $182 in Ethiopia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 79% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 731% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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

South Africa vs Ethiopia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $715 per month in Ethiopia and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 52% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Ethiopia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Africa is consistently higher than in Ethiopia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Ethiopia, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in South Africa it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Ethiopia wins on affordability; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.