Dire Dawa at a glance
- Dire Dawa ranks 5th 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×.
- 102.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at woreda level.
- PM2.5 averages 25.1 µg/m³ a year, 5× 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 Dire Dawa 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 Dire Dawa, 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
Dire Dawa has 102.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (woreda level). That is the 2nd-highest of 9 Ethiopia cities we track. Ethiopia's national figure is 100.9, so Dire Dawa runs 1 above 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 Dire Dawa ranks against every city we track
Dire Dawa sits ahead of 53% of the 1010 cities we track on city-centre rent. On cost of living it is ahead of 45% of 998. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 2% of 991.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Dire Dawa sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Dire Dawa on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Dire Dawa beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Dire Dawa in the research deskOr unlock the Ethiopia deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Sailko, CC BY 3.0.
Data updated