Cairo vs Addis Ababa Cost of Living

Cairo (Egypt) · Overall index 19.8Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) · Overall index 24.9

Summary

  • Overall, Addis Ababa is 26% more expensive than Cairo.
  • Rent in Addis Ababa is 46% more expensive than in Cairo.
  • Transport in Addis Ababa is 39% more expensive than in Cairo.
ItemCairoAddis AbabaDiff
Rent+46%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$280$455+63%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$221$295+33%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$613$802+31%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$376$588+56%
Groceries+21%
Milk (1L)$0.41$0.43+5%
White bread (500g)$1.11$1.26+14%
Rice (1kg)$1.36$1.61+18%
Eggs (12)$1.44$1.69+17%
Local cheese (1kg)$3.69$5.37+46%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.49$4.11+18%
Beef round (1kg)$5.77$6.76+17%
Apples (1kg)$1.44$1.79+24%
Bananas (1kg)$0.53$0.65+23%
Oranges (1kg)$1.24$1.79+44%
Tomatoes (1kg)$1.62$1.77+9%
Potatoes (1kg)$0.86$1.07+24%
Onions (1kg)$0.77$1.02+32%
Lettuce (1 head)$0.76$0.97+28%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.73$0.84+15%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$4.67$5.2+11%
Transport+39%
Public transport, one-way ticket$0.5$0.8+60%
Public transport, monthly pass$25$33.3+33%
Taxi, base fare$0.85$1.13+33%
Taxi, per km$0.38$0.49+29%
Gasoline (1L)$0.19$0.24+26%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$5,001$7,935+59%
Dining out+26%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$4.94$7.12+44%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$29.7$38.1+28%
Fast food combo meal$2.86$3.31+16%
Cappuccino$1.34$1.64+22%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$0.65$0.75+15%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$1.51$1.96+30%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$1.73$2.54+47%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$0.52$0.56+8%
Telecom+14%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$24.5$27.5+12%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$22.8$28.4+25%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.13$0.15+15%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$5.67$5.94+5%
Utilities & household+29%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$47.7$64.5+35%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.06$0.08+33%
Tap water (1m³)$1.21$1.49+23%
Natural gas (1m³)$0.44$0.56+27%
Waste collection (monthly)$5.67$7.53+33%
Fitness club (monthly)$25.3$31.3+24%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$4.67$4.98+7%
Men's haircut$8.23$11.4+39%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$7.37$9.7+32%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$560$759+36%

3,229 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

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