Which place is cheaper, Chicago or Addis Ababa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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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 2-Week Tours from San Francisco, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles.
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Addis Ababa Prices
Ethiopia PricesChicago Prices
USA Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAddis Ababa $29Chicago $323
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $29, while the average daily cost in Chicago is $323. 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
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAddis Ababa $16Chicago $198
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAddis Ababa $32Chicago $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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Addis Ababa $2.81Chicago $37
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:
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Short Taxi Ride$0.19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 4 Hours Addis Airport Transfer with Ethiopian Cultural Tour: $299
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
- Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $23
- Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $23
- Bole International Airport to Addis Ababa Private Transfer: $30
- City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $35
- City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $40
- Private Addis Ababa Airport Transfer: $55
- Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport: $23
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Chicago
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Chicago:
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Parking$19
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Taxi Ride$10
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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
- Group Van Transfers from Chicago O'Hare and Midway Airports: $300
- SUV transfer from downtown Chicago to O'hare or Midway Airport: $260
- Curbside SUV Transfer from ORD & MDW to Downtown Chicago: $260
- Arrival Private Transfer: O'Hare Airport ORD to Chicago in Luxury Car: $249
- Departure Private Transfer: Chicago to O'Hare Airport ORD in Luxury Car: $249
- Curbside SUV Transfer from ORD to Downtown Chicago: $240
- Meet and Greet Private Sedan Transfer from MDW to Downtown Chicago: $240
- Private SUV Transfer from Chicago Downtown to O'Hare airport: $240
- Private SUV Transfer from Chicago Downtown to Midway airport: $240
- Meet and Greet Private Sedan Transfer from ORD to Downtown Chicago: $240
- Private Sedan Transfer from Chicago Downtown to Midway airport: $220
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
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Food Meals for one dayAddis Ababa $11Chicago $85
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:
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Slice of Cake$0.04
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:
- Berbere Bites Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $49
- Addis Eats Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $49
- Totot Cultural Feast & Rhythm Show With Dinner: $54
- Flavors of Ethiopia: Hands-On Cooking Class in Addis Ababa: $55
- Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
- Addis Ababa Ethiopian cooking class Airport & hotel pick up: $68
- Addis Ababa Food Tour: Eat Like a Local: $70
- Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $70
- Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $76
- Private City Tour with Folkloric Dinner: $77
- Addis Ababa Private City Tour with Immersive Cooking Class Lunch: $85
- Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $90
Typical Food Prices in Chicago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Chicago:
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Dinner for 1$24
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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.
- Pizza Walking or Bus Tour: $59
- Tamales and Tacos with Margarita Cooking Class at Su Casa: $59
- City Cruises Lake Michigan Lunch or Dinner Cruise: $63
- Downtown Pizza Guided Walking Tour with Tastings: $73
- City Cruises Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner River Cruise: $74
- Pasta Making Cooking Class at a Local Distillery in Chicago: $75
- Sushi Making Cooking Class at a Local Distillery in Chicago: $75
- Sushi Making Cooking Class at a Local Distillery: $75
- Pasta Making Cooking Class at a Local Distillery: $75
- Immersive Potsticker Cooking Class in Chicago: $75
- Chicago Loop Food Walk: Pizza, Dogs & Local Flavor: $77
- Friday Night Pizza Crawl - River North, Chicago: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Addis Ababa $2.90Chicago $47
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony Tour: $30
- 5 hours Addis Ababa Layover city tour: $36
- Layover in Addis Ababa 5 hours tour: $38
- Sightseeing Walking Tour: $40
- Open-bus Tour and Cycling: $41
- Local Food Open Market, City Tours & More.: $42
- 4 Hours Addis Ababa Cultural Discovery Tour: $42
- Merkato Addis Ababa Guided Tour: $42
- Mercato Market Guided Tour with Coffee Tasting: $43
- Entoto hill and Mercato Market layover tour: $45
- Addis Ababa DayTours with Hotel/Airport pick up and drop off: $45
- Best of Addis Ababa Tour: $45
Typical Entertainment Prices in Chicago
Here are a few typical costs in Chicago for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Sears Tower (family of 4)$102
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Aquarium for 4$118
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Water Taxi (family of 4)$22
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IMAX Movie for Two$35
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Shakespeare Play (2)$116
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Art Institute (2)$36
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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:
- 2 Hour Bridgeport /Stockyard Chicago Tour: $45
- 2 Hour Bronzeville, Chicago Tour: $45
- 2 Hour Chicago Landmarks & Lakefront E-Bike Tour: $72
- 2 Hour Chicago Pier Fireworks & Evening Segway Tour: $78
- 2 Hour Pilsen and Little Village, Chicago Tour: $45
- 2 Hour Private Chicago Soul House Tour: $65
- 2 Hours Chicago Architecture Tour - Skyscrapers and Photo Ops: $89
- 2-Hour Chicago Lakefront & Museum Campus Segway Tour: $64
- 2-Hour Chicago's Chinatown History and Culture Tour: $30
- 2-Hour Guided Segway Tour of Chicago: $65
- 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck & Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour: $84
- 360 Chicago Observation Deck Sip and View Ticket: $44
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
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAddis Ababa $2.40Chicago $25
Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:
- Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $58
- Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $65
Sample the Local Flavors in Chicago
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Chicago:
- Astounding Chicago Bar Crawl: Chi-Town Showdown: $15
- Burlesque Peep Show Ticket in Chicago: $32
- Burning Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $35
- Chicago Local Brewery Expedition with Homemade Guacamole: $63
- Chicago Local Brewery Expedition with Homemade Guacamole: $63
- Chicago Craft Brewery Barrel Bus Tour: $100
- Craft Brewery Tour by Barrel Bus: $100
- Chicago to Milwaukee: 1-Day City Highlights w/Miller Brewery: $125
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.