Which place is cheaper, Addis Ababa or Athens?
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 Athens or Addis Ababa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Athens and Addis Ababa. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Athens or Addis Ababa?
Athens
Athens is the capital city of Greece and is home to a population of over 3.7 million people. It's most famous as the birthplace of Classical Greece and the history in the city is incomparable to that found anywhere. It became the national capital of the modern Greek State in the 1830s, before which it was just a small village with a very impressive history. The city was redesigned by architects and city planners and incorporated large public squares, lots of green space, and wide avenues. The city has had its ups and downs both economically and politically, but it remains a beautiful and impressive place to explore.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece.
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Athens Prices
Greece PricesAddis Ababa Prices
Ethiopia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAthens €154Addis Ababa €24
The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is €154, while the average daily cost in Addis Ababa is €24. 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 Athens and Addis Ababa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAthens €63Addis Ababa €13
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAthens €126Addis Ababa €26
Compare Hotels in Athens and Addis Ababa
Looking for a hotel in Athens or Addis Ababa? 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: Athens Hotel Prices and Addis Ababa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Athens €27Addis Ababa €2.37
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Athens:
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Airport Bus for Two€6.40
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Metro€1.50
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Metro€2.00
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Metro from Airport to City Center€8.00
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Taxi from Airport€35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Athens
Also for Athens, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer to/from Volos: $575
- Private Transfer From Athens To Meteora - Kalabaka: $296
- Private Transfer through Athens Attractions at Night: $295
- Private Return Transfer to Cape Sounio: $295
- Private Transfer from Athens Airport to Epidaurus: $295
- Private Transfer from Athens Airport to Nafplio: $295
- Athens city Tour (4hrs) combined with Marine of Alimos transfers: $283
- Private Transfer from Athens Airport (ATH) to Nafplio Cruise Port: $276
- VIP Ferry Ticket From Piraeus Port To Santorini & Private Transfer Included: $270
- Athens Airport Transfer From/To Nafplio: $259
- ATHENS HOTEL transfer to/from Piraeus Cruise Port (up to 14 pax): $259
- Athens Airport Transfer Service: $256
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€0.16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $152
- Private Addis Ababa Airport Transfer: $55
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
- City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $40
- Bole International Airport to Addis Ababa Private Transfer: $30
- Addis Ababa Airport transfer and shuttle service(privet): $23
- Addis Ababa Airport pickup and Transfer: $23
Is it cheaper to fly into Athens or Addis Ababa?
Prices for flights to both Addis Ababa and Athens 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 dayAthens €64Addis Ababa €9.18
Typical Food Prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Athens:
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Ice cream€3.00
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Souvlaki€2.20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Athens
For Athens, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hard Rock Cafe Athens with Set Lunch or Dinner: $31
- Athens Food Tour (5+ Stops) - Full Meal Included by Do Eat Better: $65
- Classic Athens Food Tour with Local Drink & Market Visit: $70
- Acropolis Food Tour with a Local Friend: $77
- Athens's original vegan food tour: $77
- Athens Traditional Food Tour: $80
- Athens Street Food Tour: Taste the best street food: $80
- Athens at Night Enchanting Walking Tour and Dinner Delights: $82
- Taste of Athens Small-Group Food Tour: $83
- Small Group Greek Traditional Food Tour in Athens 20+ Tastings: $83
- Quick Greek Street Food Cooking Class in Athens: $88
- Greek Cooking Class near Poseidon’s Temple in Sounio with Antonia: $90
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:
- 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
- Half Day Food Tour Addis Ababa With Airport pickUp And Drop-Off: $75
- Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $76
- Private City Tour with Folkloric Dinner: $77
- Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $90
- Cooking class in Addis Ababa: $95
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Athens €36Addis Ababa €2.45
Tours and Activities in Athens
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.
- "All day tour of Athens-8h:Exploring its most popular landmarks": $256
- "Athens Highlights Tour : Acropolis, Acropolis Museum and more.": $176
- "Athens Night Experience - 4Hours": $168
- "Olive Oil Tasting Experience & Tour in Corinth": $200
- 2 Day Meteora Monasteries Tour with Sunset Off Road Buggy: $206
- 2 Day Tour To The Best Places Of Peloponnese: $295
- 2 Hour Express Athens City Tour (Private): $171
- 2 days Spanish guided tour in Delphi and Meteora: $295
- 2-Day Delphi & Meteora Tour from Athens with Hotel & Guided Tour: $271
- 2-Day Tour to Delphi & Meteora with Guide and Tickets From Athens: $271
- 3 Hour Private Scuba Diving Experience: $151
- 3 Island Cruise from Athens Unlimited Food Wine and Scenic Views: $206
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- "Awash National Park Safari Experience": $280
- 1 Day Addis Ababa City Tour: $180
- 2 Days Awash National Park Safari Tours: $315
- 2-Night 3-Day Danakil Depression Tour without Flights: $300
- 3 Day Private Meskel Festival, Addis Ababa City and Debre Libanos Monastery Tour: $300
- 3 Days Rock Hewn Churches Cultural Tour in Lalibela: $300
- 3-Day Wild Wonders and Nature, Awash National Park Tour: $490
- 4 Hour Addis Cuisine Tasting Tour: $65
- 4 Hours Addis Ababa Cultural Discovery Tour: $42
- 5 hours Addis Ababa Layover city tour: $36
- 8 Hours Tour to Taste the Authentic Flavours of Ethiopia: $200
- A Guided Tour of Addis Ababa That Includes a City Viewpoint: $65
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAthens €23Addis Ababa €2.02
Sample the Local Flavors in Athens
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Athens:
- The Original Athens Pub Crawl: $12
- Greek Honey Tasting Experience at our Old Distillery: $13
- Polykala Distillery: 128 years of history & liqueur tasting.: $17
- The NightCrawlers | Athens Bar Hopping | Pub Crawl: $22
- Athens Olive Oil and Herbs Tasting at Athens Oldest Distillery: $24
- Thursday & Friday Night Pub Crawl for Professionals in Athens: $25
- Experience Ouzo Tasting at Athens Oldest Distillery: $28
- Athens Exclusive Hellenic Wine Tasting Experience at Brettos: $37
- Organic and Vegan Indigenous Wine Tasting Private Experience: $47
- Greek Wine Tasting with Acropolis view: $58
- 2 Hours Wine Tasting Odyssey in Athens: $58
- Athens Ultimate Bar Crawl: $59
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Athens and Addis Ababa, we can see that Athens is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Athens is in Europe and Addis Ababa is in Africa, 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 Athens would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Athens 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 Athens Expensive? and Is Addis Ababa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Athens or Addis Ababa?
Addis Ababa has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Athens. When comparing the sizes of Athens and Addis Ababa, 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.