Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Ethiopia Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Ethiopia

Name: Ethiopia
Address: ET

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,643 in United States versus $786 in Ethiopia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,185 in Ethiopia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in United States versus $1,584 in Ethiopia.

Living in United States is roughly 236% more expensive than Ethiopia on average.

United States (97% above) and Ethiopia (41% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$4.40 ETB 693

355.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$35.21 ETB 5,548

115.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 $11.42

$6.64 ETB 1,046

71.99%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$1.16 ETB 183

364.66%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$0.60 ETB 94.4

325.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.46 ETB 73.0

343.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$1.02 ETB 160

501.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$2.03 ETB 321

253.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.42 ETB 224

-26.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.29 ETB 203

182.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.68 ETB 264

181.55%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$2.48 ETB 391

76.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$7.22 ETB 1,138

76.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$12.54 ETB 1,976

-0.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$13.08 ETB 2,062

25.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$6.25 ETB 985

-13.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.98 ETB 155

68.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.30 ETB 363

99.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$0.85 ETB 134

477.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.64 ETB 100

356.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.88 ETB 296

66.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.73 ETB 115

209.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.67 ETB 106

243.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$3.92 ETB 618

152.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$5.37 ETB 847

181.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.84 ETB 133

127.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.84 ETB 290

98.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.27 ETB 42.41

818.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$12.42 ETB 1,957

421.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.48 ETB 233

159.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.31 ETB 49.27

467.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$1.96 ETB 308

1460.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.25 ETB 197

-23.20%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

-42.82%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$53.3K ETB 8.4M

-50.53%

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

$204 $204

$135 ETB 21.2K

51.44%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$11.93 ETB 1,880

380.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$155 ETB 24.4K

-54.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 $46.67

$62.1 ETB 9,791

-24.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.12 $22.12

$36.89 ETB 5,813

-40.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$5.12 ETB 807

170.31%

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

$1,384 $1,384

$77.2 ETB 12.2K

1692.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

-42.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$48.27 ETB 7,607

9.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

$76.6 ETB 12.1K

-43.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$98.9 ETB 15.6K

-8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$117 ETB 18.4K

-2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$682 ETB 107.4K

159.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$379 ETB 59.8K

284.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$1,406 ETB 221.6K

101.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 $2,411

$891 ETB 140.4K

170.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$1,790 ETB 282.1K

83.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,005 ETB 158.4K

163.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$203 ETB 32.0K

2054.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

-61.71%

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

Last update for United States: May 30, 2026

Last update for Ethiopia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,637 in United States, $212 in Ethiopia. Capital cities: $2,591 in Washington, DC vs $758 in Addis Ababa.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $184 in Ethiopia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 672% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 265% more in United States.

Public transport is 525% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 2346% higher in United States, giving United States 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

United States vs Ethiopia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $692 per month in Ethiopia and $3,212 in United States, there's a 364% 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 United States 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 United States, 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; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.