Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Dahab is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.6). Biggest gap: safety โ Addis Ababa 4 vs Dahab 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Addis Ababa | Dahab | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Br 500$3.07 | Eยฃ 120$2.45 | Dahab โ20% |
| Street food1 item | Br 100$0.61 | Eยฃ 50$1.02 | Addis Ababa โ40% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Br 2,000$12.3 | Eยฃ 350$7.14 | Dahab โ42% |
| Coffeeone cup | Br 150$0.92 | Eยฃ 70$1.43 | Addis Ababa โ36% |
| Beerone bottle | Br 120$0.74 | Eยฃ 80$1.63 | Addis Ababa โ55% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Br 550$3.38 | Eยฃ 240$4.9 | Addis Ababa โ31% |
| Bottled water | Br 30$0.18 | Eยฃ 10$0.2 | Addis Ababa โ10% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Br 50$0.31 | Eยฃ 25$0.51 | Addis Ababa โ40% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Br 300$1.84 | Eยฃ 80$1.63 | Dahab โ11% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Br 200$1.23 | Eยฃ 50$1.02 | Dahab โ17% |
| Transitone ride | Br 20$0.12 | Eยฃ 20$0.41 | Addis Ababa โ70% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Br 1,500$9.21 | Eยฃ 200$4.08 | Dahab โ56% |
| Hotel night3-star | Br 11,000$67.6 | Eยฃ 1,800$36.7 | Dahab โ46% |
| Studio rent (month) | Br 45,000$276 | Eยฃ 8,000$163 | Dahab โ41% |
| Laundry | Br 150$0.92 | Eยฃ 50$1.02 | Addis Ababa โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | Br 600$3.69 | Eยฃ 300$6.12 | Addis Ababa โ40% |
| Haircutcut | Br 300$1.84 | Eยฃ 100$2.04 | Addis Ababa โ10% |
| Massage1 hour | Br 2,000$12.3 | Eยฃ 700$14.3 | Addis Ababa โ14% |
| Half-day tourper person | Br 5,000$30.7 | Eยฃ 1,400$28.6 | Dahab โ7% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Br 3,000$18.4 | Eยฃ 500$10.2 | Dahab โ45% |
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%+.
Dahab is 32% cheaper than Addis Ababa. Daily budget $99.3 vs $59.4; a month $1,042 vs $802.
Dahab is easier: Dahab 2.8/5 vs Addis Ababa 3.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Addis Ababa is about $1,042 and Dahab about $802 per month.
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.