Which place is cheaper, Chicago or Addis Ababa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Addis Ababa or Chicago?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Chicago, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or Chicago?
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.
Chicago
Located in the Midwest, Chicago is the third largest city in the United States. It has a population of almost 3 million and a metropolitan area that covers more than 10,000 square kilometers. It is also a hub for music, comedy and theater. It's skyline is beautiful with modern skyscrapers and Lake Michigan as a backdrop. It is easy to stay entertained in Chicago for weeks. There are world class museums, upscale or eclectic shopping opportunities, and impressive architecture.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United States of America, and The Best Wildlife Tours to United States of America.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAddis Ababa $67Chicago $288
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $67, while the average daily cost in Chicago is $288. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Addis Ababa and Chicago in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAddis Ababa $43Chicago $198
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAddis Ababa $86Chicago $396
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Chicago
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Chicago? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices and Chicago Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Addis Ababa $7.78Chicago $37
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:
-
Short Taxi Ride$0.52
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $44
- Addis Shuttles: On-Time & Reliable, Airport Transfers: $19
- City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $22
- Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
- Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $110
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Chicago
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Chicago:
-
Parking$19
-
Taxi Ride$10
-
Taxi from Airport$45
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chicago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chicago:
- Meet and Greet Private SUV Transfer from MDW to Downtown Chicago: $300
- Meet and Greet Private SUV Transfer from ORD to Downtown Chicago: $300
- RoundTrip transfer in private car from-to Chicago Airport (ORD)- Chicago City: $276
- Private SUV Transfer from Chicago Downtown to O'Hare airport: $240
- Meet and Greet Private Sedan Transfer from MDW to Downtown Chicago: $240
- Private SUV Transfer from Chicago Downtown to Midway airport: $240
- Meet and Greet Private Sedan Transfer from ORD to Downtown Chicago: $240
- Arrival Private Transfer: O'Hare Airport ORD to Chicago in Luxury Car: $234
- Private Sedan Transfer from Chicago Downtown to O'Hare airport: $220
- Arrival Private Transfer: O'Hare Airport ORD to Chicago in Luxury SUV: $203
- Chicago Airport Transfer: O'Hare Airport ORD to Chicago in Luxury SUV: $203
- Chicago Airport Transfer: Chicago to O'Hare Airport ORD in Luxury SUV: $203
Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Chicago?
Prices for flights to both Chicago and Addis Ababa change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
-
Food Meals for one dayAddis Ababa $17Chicago $49
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:
-
Slice of Cake$0.12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa
For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
- Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $70
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour: $75
- Unique Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis Ababa: $116
- Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $120
- Private Ethiopian Home Cooking Class in Addis Ababa with Transfer: $124
- HALF DAY + DINNER Addis Ababa City Tour: $140
- Half Day + Dinner Addis Ababa City Tour: $150
- Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis with transfers: $154
- Market Tour and Cooking Class with a Coffee Ceremony at a Home in Addis Ababa: $168
- Cooking Class and City Tour in Addis Ababa: $193
- Food Tour in Addis Ababa: $205
Typical Food Prices in Chicago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Chicago:
-
Dinner for 1$24
-
Dinner for 3$118
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chicago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chicago.
- Traveling Spoon Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Private Online Cooking Class : $40
- Downtown Pizza Guided Walking Tour with Tastings: $58
- Chicago's Delicious Donut Adventure and Walking Food Tour: $63
- Chicago Small Group Food Tour: $69
- Lake Michigan Gourmet Brunch/Lunch/Dinner Cruise: $72
- Chicago Pizza Tour: $75
- Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Self-Guided Tour: $75
- Chicago Bucktown-Wicker Park Pizza Crawl: $79
- Chicago West Loop Pizza Crawl: $79
- Downtown Family Food Tour by Bike with Sightseeing: $80
- Nitti's Supper Club Dinner and Show: $80
- Lake Michigan Buffet Brunch, Lunch or Dinner Cruise: $86
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Addis Ababa $8.03Chicago $47
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- Addis ababa:Highlight tour with tasting coffee and our Food.: $52
- Addis Ababa Tour: $53
- Addis Ababa City - Half Day Tour: $55
- Addis Ababa highlight city tour: $56
- Addis Ababa highlights of the city tour: $59
- Addis Food Tasting Tour : $59
- Guided City Tour / Addis Ababa Guided City Tour: $59
- Half Day City Tour of Addis Ababa : $60
- Addis Abeba's Market and Shopping Tour: $60
- Addis Ababa city Tour: $60
- Addis Ababa Guided City Tours: $62
- Addis Ababa Guided City Tour With Airport & Hotel Pick Up: $63
Typical Entertainment Prices in Chicago
Here are a few typical costs in Chicago for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
-
Sears Tower (family of 4)$102
-
Aquarium for 4$118
-
Water Taxi (family of 4)$22
-
IMAX Movie for Two$35
-
Shakespeare Play (2)$116
-
Art Institute (2)$36
-
U-Boat Tour (2)$8.00
Tours and Activities in Chicago
Here are a few actual costs in Chicago for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Chicagoland Sightseeing in Style Luxury Private Sedan: $190
- Field Museum of Natural History Early Access Ticket : $73
- Windy City Ghosts: Hauntings of Chicago Walking Tour: $28
- 2 Hour Pier Fireworks and Evening Segway Tour in Chicago: $78
- 2-Hour Chicago Fireworks Segway Tour: $80
- 2-Hour Chicago Lakefront and Museum Campus Segway Tour: $72
- 2-Hour Guided Segway Tour of Chicago: $65
- 2-Hour Haunted Segway Tour of Chicago: $78
- 3 Hours Chicago Architecture Tour - Skyscrapers and Photo Ops: $135
- Adults Party Art Experience: $66
- Amazing Lakefront Segway Tour of Chicago: $79
- App Chicago self-guided tours with multilingual audioguides: $9.69
For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Free Things to Do in Chicago, Chicago Bucket List: The Best Places to See, and The Best Museums in Chicago.
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayAddis Ababa $6.63Chicago $25
Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:
- Pub crawl Addis Ababa: $55
- Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $58
- The Pub Crawl Royale: A Battle of the Best Drinks: $65
- Locally crafted beer and wine tasting and nightlife in Addis tour: $65
- Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $69
Sample the Local Flavors in Chicago
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Chicago:
- Malt Row Walking Brewery Tour: $30
- Walking tour to Chicago dive bars: $41
- Chicago Craft Brewery Barrel Bus Tour: $100
- Craft Brewery Tour by Barrel Bus: $100
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Chicago, we can see that Chicago is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Addis Ababa is in Africa and Chicago is in North America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Chicago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chicago than you might in Addis Ababa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is Chicago Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Chicago?
Chicago has a larger population, and is about 3% larger than the population of Addis Ababa. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Chicago, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.