🇪🇹Cost of Living in Dire Dawa

Ethiopia · Population: 500,000 · Cost Index: 18/100

Cost of Living in Dire Dawa

Ethiopia · Africa

Ethiopia's second-largest city, Dire Dawa is a historic railway town situated in the eastern lowlands near the Somali border. Its warm climate, multicultural population, and bustling Kefira Market offer an authentic Ethiopian experience at some of the lowest living costs in Africa.

500,000

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $450 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Dire Dawa

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$450

per month

Couple

$680

per month

Family of 4

$950

per month

Student

$340

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Dire Dawa, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $217.50

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$180.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$90.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$400.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$200.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $2.65

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$1.50

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$10.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$4.00

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$0.90

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$0.50

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$1.10

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$1.60

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.50

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$2.80

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$0.60

Transportation

Avg: $1.99

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$8.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$0.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$0.60

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$0.30

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$0.95

Utilities

Avg: $19.00

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$28.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$7.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$22.00

Healthcare

Avg: $7.67

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$8.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$12.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$3.00

Entertainment

Avg: $4.73

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$15.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$2.00

Cappuccino(per cup)

$0.90

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$1.00

Clothing

Avg: $29.00

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$22.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$15.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$50.00

Popular Dire Dawa comparisons

Dire Dawa vs Addis Ababa Dire Dawa vs New York Dire Dawa vs London Dire Dawa vs Tokyo Dire Dawa vs Singapore Dire Dawa vs Dubai Dire Dawa vs Paris Dire Dawa vs Berlin

Frequently asked questions about Dire Dawa

Is Dire Dawa expensive to live in?

Dire Dawa has a cost of living index of 18 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This makes it one of the more affordable cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Dire Dawa?

A single person needs an estimated $450 per month to live in Dire Dawa, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Dire Dawa?

Dire Dawa's cost of living index is 18 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Dire Dawa?

Dire Dawa scores 32 out of 100 for quality of life and 48 out of 100 for safety in our index.

Data & sources

As an independent cross-check, the World Bank puts the overall price level in Ethiopia at 33 relative to the United States (=100) in 2024. View source

Cost figures on this site are independent estimates, cross-referenced with public data sources including World Bank, Numbeo, Eurostat, OECD.