Cost of Living: New York vs Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)
How expensive is Ethiopia compared with New York City? The national price level of everyday spending versus the New York metro area, and the salary — in US dollars and ETB — that buys the same standard of living.
Salary converter
Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.
The numbers
- Cities
- Addis Ababa
- Price level vs US average
- 29.7 (New York metro: 112.6)
- Exchange rate (2024 avg.)
- 1 USD = 82.6 ETB
- Purchasing-power parity
- 1 USD of US-average spending ≈ 24.5 ETB
- Source
- World Bank, PPP conversion factor for private consumption ÷ exchange rate (2024); New York: BEA 2024
⚠️ This is Ethiopia’s national average. Major cities — especially Addis Ababa — are usually more expensive, mostly because of rent, so treat this as a lower bound for big-city living.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ethiopia cheaper than New York?
Yes. Ethiopia is 74% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 26, New York = 100).
What salary in Ethiopia equals $100,000 in New York?
About $26,344 a year (about ETB 2,176,021 at purchasing-power parity) buys the same standard of living in Ethiopia as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.
Is Addis Ababa more expensive than Ethiopia’s national average?
Usually, yes. The comparison here uses Ethiopia’s national average price level; large cities such as Addis Ababa typically cost more than the national figure, especially for rent.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank price levels of household consumption for 2024 (purchasing power parity conversion factor divided by the market exchange rate), compared with BEA’s 2024 figure for the New York metro area.