Dessie at a glance
- Dessie ranks 4th of 10 priced cities in Ethiopia on cost: $929 a month in essentials, 26% above Jimma, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $163 covers that 0.2×.
- 97.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at woreda level.
- PM2.5 averages 18.7 µg/m³ a year, 4× 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. The middle column is the median across the 10 Ethiopia cities we track, so every row says whether Dessie is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $929 | $929 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $267 | $267 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $530 | $530 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $100 | $100 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $109 | $109 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $433 | $433 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $20 | $20 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $163 | $163 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $525 | $525 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,702 | $1,702 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Dessie, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $3.52 | $3.52 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $37.40 | $37.40 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.72 | $5.72 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $0.81 | $0.81 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $0.70 | $0.70 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $1.98 | $1.98 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.54 | $0.54 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.58 | $0.58 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $0.95 | $0.95 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.05 | $1.05 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.90 | $1.90 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.56 | $1.56 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $6.50 | $6.50 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $8.90 | $8.90 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.73 | $4.73 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $0.58 | $0.58 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $0.60 | $0.60 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $0.42 | $0.42 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.94 | $0.94 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.52 | $0.52 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.47 | $0.47 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $19.84 | $19.84 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.24 | $1.24 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.26 | $0.26 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.87 | $0.87 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $192.70 | $192.70 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $239.93 | $239.93 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $6.87 | $6.87 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $38.85 | $38.85 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $3.30 | $3.30 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Dessie has 97.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (woreda level). That is the 5th-highest of 9 Ethiopia cities we track. Ethiopia's national figure is 100.9, so Dessie runs 3 below the country as a whole.
Every Ethiopia region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Dessie ranks against every city we track
Dessie sits ahead of 66% of the 1001 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 53% of 1010. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 2% of 991.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Dessie sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Dessie on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Dessie beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Dessie in the research deskOr unlock the Ethiopia deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Asrade, Public domain.
Data updated