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Addis Ababa vs Cairo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ช๐น Addis Ababa
๐ช๐ฌ Cairo
At a glance
- Where Cairo is clearly cheaper: Restaurant dinner (25%โ), Entry ticket (22%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (17%โ)
- Where Addis Ababa is clearly cheaper: Beer (72%โ), Coffee (62%โ), Transit (60%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Cairo is easier to travel (3.4 vs 3.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Addis Ababa 4 vs Cairo 5. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Addis Ababa | Cairo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Br 500$3.07 | Eยฃ 220$4.49 | Addis Ababa โ32% |
| Street food1 item | Br 100$0.61 | Eยฃ 60$1.22 | Addis Ababa โ50% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Br 2,000$12.3 | Eยฃ 450$9.18 | Cairo โ25% |
| Coffeeone cup | Br 150$0.92 | Eยฃ 120$2.45 | Addis Ababa โ62% |
| Beerone bottle | Br 120$0.74 | Eยฃ 130$2.65 | Addis Ababa โ72% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Br 550$3.38 | Eยฃ 350$7.14 | Addis Ababa โ53% |
| Bottled water | Br 30$0.18 | Eยฃ 12$0.24 | Addis Ababa โ25% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Br 50$0.31 | Eยฃ 20$0.41 | Addis Ababa โ25% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Br 300$1.84 | Eยฃ 80$1.63 | Cairo โ11% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Br 200$1.23 | Eยฃ 50$1.02 | Cairo โ17% |
| Transitone ride | Br 20$0.12 | Eยฃ 15$0.31 | Addis Ababa โ60% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Br 1,500$9.21 | Eยฃ 600$12.2 | Addis Ababa โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | Br 11,000$67.6 | Eยฃ 3,000$61.2 | Cairo โ9% |
| Studio rent (month) | Br 45,000$276 | Eยฃ 12,000$245 | Cairo โ11% |
| Laundry | Br 150$0.92 | Eยฃ 50$1.02 | Addis Ababa โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | Br 600$3.69 | Eยฃ 350$7.14 | Addis Ababa โ48% |
| Haircutcut | Br 300$1.84 | Eยฃ 150$3.06 | Addis Ababa โ40% |
| Massage1 hour | Br 2,000$12.3 | Eยฃ 800$16.3 | Addis Ababa โ25% |
| Half-day tourper person | Br 5,000$30.7 | Eยฃ 1,500$30.6 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Br 3,000$18.4 | Eยฃ 700$14.3 | Cairo โ22% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Addis Ababa or Cairo?
Addis Ababa and Cairo cost about the same. Daily budget $99.3 vs $93.8; a month $1,042 vs $1,117.
Which is easier to travel, Addis Ababa or Cairo?
Cairo is easier: Cairo 3.4/5 vs Addis Ababa 3.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Addis Ababa and Cairo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Addis Ababa is about $1,042 and Cairo about $1,117 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.