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: $1,143 in South Africa versus $776 in Ethiopia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,781 in South Africa versus $1,155 in Ethiopia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,419 in South Africa versus $1,534 in Ethiopia.

Living in South Africa is roughly 47% more expensive than in Ethiopia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: South Africa 17% lower, Ethiopia 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.30 R 182

$3.93 ETB 632

187.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.51 R 717

$42.71 ETB 6,865

4.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 R 95.0

$6.55 ETB 1,052

-9.92%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.22

$0.87 ETB 139

180.46%

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

$1.16 R 18.64

$0.56 ETB 90.6

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.39

$0.56 ETB 89.7

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 R 41.29

$0.83 ETB 134

208.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 49.60

$2.04 ETB 327

50.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 R 20.57

$1.08 ETB 173

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.15

$0.97 ETB 156

16.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.55

$1.72 ETB 277

6.40%

Eggs

$2.55 R 41.12

$1.81 ETB 291

40.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R 134

$7.55 ETB 1,213

10.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.6

$10.39 ETB 1,671

-47.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 R 127

$10.37 ETB 1,667

-24.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.61

$4.49 ETB 721

-57.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$0.73 ETB 117

132.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.14

$2.41 ETB 388

-24.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.23

$0.67 ETB 108

180.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.76

$0.55 ETB 88.4

180.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.03

$1.40 ETB 226

6.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.45

$0.75 ETB 121

77.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.09

$0.62 ETB 99.5

91.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 55.0

$8.03 ETB 1,292

-57.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 R 81.7

$5.23 ETB 841

-2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.28

$0.75 ETB 120

101.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 32.64

$1.48 ETB 238

37.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 R 28.39

$0.35 ETB 55.8

402.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 R 1,016

$17.38 ETB 2,794

263.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R 17.97

$1.36 ETB 218

-17.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.33

$0.29 ETB 47.23

248.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.07 R 130

$2.01 ETB 323

301.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.53

$0.99 ETB 160

47.47%

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

$36.8K R 592.8K

$55.6K ETB 8.9M

-33.74%

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

$32.5K R 523.6K

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

-41.14%

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

$136 R 2,185

$145 ETB 23.3K

-6.58%

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

$35.72 R 575

$9.42 ETB 1,515

279.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.40 R 667

$230 ETB 37.0K

-82.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 R 563

$43.94 ETB 7,063

-20.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 R 201

$36.43 ETB 5,856

-65.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R 123

$4.92 ETB 791

54.88%

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

$231 R 3,725

$120 ETB 19.3K

93.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,726 R 92.2K

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

-81.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 R 908

$36.02 ETB 5,789

56.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.91 R 546

$64.1 ETB 10.3K

-47.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,639

$76.6 ETB 12.3K

32.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.0 R 1,497

$86.1 ETB 13.8K

8.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 R 8,154

$648 ETB 104.1K

-21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R 6,727

$348 ETB 56.0K

20.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 R 15.8K

$1,826 ETB 293.6K

-46.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 R 13.5K

$709 ETB 114.0K

18.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,151 R 18.5K

$1,831 ETB 294.3K

-37.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$800 R 12.9K

$1,023 ETB 164.5K

-21.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,554 R 25.0K

$201 ETB 32.3K

674.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

-33.88%

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

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $445 in South Africa, $181 in Ethiopia. Capital cities: $324 in Bloemfontein vs $703 in Addis Ababa.

National salary averages: $1,553 in South Africa, $185 in Ethiopia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 146% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 67% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 739% 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 $655 per month in Ethiopia and $1,231 in South Africa, there's a 88% 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.