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 $786 in Ethiopia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $1,185 in Ethiopia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $1,584 in Ethiopia.

Living in South Africa is roughly 30% more expensive than Ethiopia on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$4.40 ETB 693

105.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$35.21 ETB 5,548

12.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$6.64 ETB 1,046

-25.60%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$1.16 ETB 183

77.59%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.60 ETB 94.4

58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.46 ETB 73.0

76.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.02 ETB 160

116.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$2.03 ETB 321

22.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$1.42 ETB 224

-21.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$1.29 ETB 203

-20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.68 ETB 264

-7.14%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$2.48 ETB 391

-5.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$7.22 ETB 1,138

7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$12.54 ETB 1,976

-64.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$13.08 ETB 2,062

-48.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$6.25 ETB 985

-75.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$0.98 ETB 155

45.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.30 ETB 363

-37.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$0.85 ETB 134

77.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$0.64 ETB 100

90.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$1.88 ETB 296

-31.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.73 ETB 115

42.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.67 ETB 106

40.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$3.92 ETB 618

-23.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$5.37 ETB 847

-3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$0.84 ETB 133

65.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.84 ETB 290

-9.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.27 ETB 42.41

503.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$12.42 ETB 1,957

262.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$1.48 ETB 233

-23.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$0.31 ETB 49.27

254.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$1.96 ETB 308

147.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$1.25 ETB 197

-0.80%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

-61.88%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

-55.98%

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

$113 R 1,843

$135 ETB 21.2K

-15.87%

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

$32.36 R 526

$11.93 ETB 1,880

171.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$155 ETB 24.4K

-73.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$62.1 ETB 9,791

-49.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$36.89 ETB 5,813

-73.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$5.12 ETB 807

33.40%

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

$187 R 3,039

$77.2 ETB 12.2K

142.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

-89.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$48.27 ETB 7,607

2.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$76.6 ETB 12.1K

-60.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$98.9 ETB 15.6K

-7.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$117 ETB 18.4K

-32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$682 ETB 107.4K

-35.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$379 ETB 59.8K

-3.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$1,406 ETB 221.6K

-37.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$891 ETB 140.4K

-18.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$1,790 ETB 282.1K

-39.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$1,005 ETB 158.4K

-22.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$203 ETB 32.0K

666.46%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $212 in Ethiopia. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $758 in Addis Ababa.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $184 in Ethiopia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 74% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 300% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 726% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 $692 per month in Ethiopia and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 56% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Ethiopia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.