Addis Ababa at a glance
- Addis Ababa is the most expensive of Ethiopia's 2 priced cities: $1,075 a month in essentials, 45% above Jimma at $740.
- The average net salary of $204 covers that 0.2×.
- 89.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at woreda level.
- PM2.5 averages 16.3 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,075 |
|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $356 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $707 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $114 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $124 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $460 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $21 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $204 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $700 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,270 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Addis Ababa, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.00 |
|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $42.50 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.50 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $0.92 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $0.80 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $2.25 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.61 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.66 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.08 |
|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.19 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.16 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.77 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $7.39 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $10.11 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $5.38 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.66 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.68 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.48 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.07 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.59 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.50 |
|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $21.11 |
| Taxi start | $1.32 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.28 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.93 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $205.00 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $255.25 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $7.31 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $44.15 |
|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $3.75 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Addis Ababa has 89.7 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (woreda level). That is the lowest of the 9 Ethiopia cities we track. Ethiopia's national figure is 100.9, so Addis Ababa runs 11 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Addis Ababa ranks against every city we track
Addis Ababa sits ahead of 92% of the 892 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On cost of living it is ahead of 51% of 542. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 1% of 534.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Addis Ababa sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Abshewaga, CC BY-SA 4.0.
