How expensive is Addis Ababa? How much money do I need for Addis Ababa?
How much does a trip to Addis Ababa cost? Is Addis Ababa expensive? The average Addis Ababa trip cost is broken down by category here. All of these Addis Ababa prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.
Accommodation Budget in Addis Ababa
Calculated from travelers like you
The average price for one person for accommodation in Addis Ababa is ETB1,980. For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price for a hotel room in Addis Ababa is ETB3,959.
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.
Transportation Budget in Addis Ababa
Calculated from travelers like you
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The cost of a taxi ride in Addis Ababa is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent ETB356 per person, per day, on local transportation in Addis Ababa.
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Transportation1
Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
ETB356
How much does it cost to go to Addis Ababa? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.
The price of renting a car in Addis Ababa will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.
Typical prices for Transportation in Addis Ababa are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Addis Ababa, but your costs will vary based on your travel style.
Food Budget in Addis Ababa
Calculated from travelers like you
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While meal prices in Addis Ababa can vary, the average cost of food in Addis Ababa is ETB797 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Addis Ababa should cost around ETB319 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Addis Ababa is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food2
Meals for one day
ETB797
Typical prices for Food in Addis Ababa are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Addis Ababa, but your costs will vary based on your travel style.
Entertainment Budget in Addis Ababa
Calculated from travelers like you
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Entertainment and activities in Addis Ababa typically cost an average of ETB368 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
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Entertainment1
Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
ETB368
Tips and Handouts Budget in Addis Ababa
Calculated from travelers like you
Typical prices for Tips and Handouts in Addis Ababa are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Addis Ababa, but your costs will vary based on your travel style.
Scams, Robberies, and Mishaps Budget in Addis Ababa
Calculated from travelers like you
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Unfortunately, bad things can happen on a trip. Well, you've just got to deal with it! The average price for a scam, robbery, or mishap in Addis Ababa is ETB15.
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Scams, Robberies, and Mishaps1
ETB15
Alcohol Budget in Addis Ababa
Calculated from travelers like you
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The average person spends about ETB304 on alcoholic beverages in Addis Ababa per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
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Alcohol2
Drinks for one day
ETB304
Water Budget in Addis Ababa
Calculated from travelers like you
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On average, people spend ETB13 on bottled water in Addis Ababa per day. The public water in Addis Ababa is not usually considered safe to drink.
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Water2
Bottled water for one day
ETB13
Typical prices for Water in Addis Ababa are listed below. These actual costs are from real travelers and can give you an idea of the prices in Addis Ababa, but your costs will vary based on your travel style.
Last Updated: Jun 14, 2021
Addis Ababa On a Budget
Injera, typical Ethiopian food
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.
As it's the transportation hub of the country, you won't be able to skip it unless you fly in and out right away.
Sights
Meskel Square serves as a central gathering place to Addis Ababa. It is often used as a location for festivals and political demonstrations and is a good point of reference for local transportation. Also in the square is the official Ethiopian Tourism office, and nearby are two museums: The Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum (a small and modern museum showing and explaining the period of "Red Terror" in Ethiopia) and the Addis Ababa Museum (which focuses solely on artifacts and exhibits from Addis Ababa). Other museums worth visiting include the Ethiopian National Museum, which features artifacts from all over Ethiopia spanning thousands of years, as well as the Ethiopian Ethnological Museum, which showcases exhibits relating to the ethnic history and culture of Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa is also home to a selection of impressive landmarks and monuments. Tiglachan Monument, for example, located on Churchill Avenue, is a memorial of the Ogaden War with Somalia, while the Statue of the Lion of Judah, in front of the old Railway Station in Addis Ababa, represents the Ethiopian pride and the emperor. There is also another Statue of the Lion of Judah made from black stone that sits outside the National Theater. As far as religious landmarks go, St. George's Cathedral and museum is the most famous place of worship in the city, featuring memorabilia from the ancient church and a collection of religious writings, Ethiopian crosses, and clothing. Alternatively, the Holy Trinity Cathedral is the most sacred Ethiopian Orthodox church in the city, and one of the most sacred sites of worship in Ethiopia after the churches of Lalibela.
Neighborhoods
Areas like CMC, Ayat, Gerji, and Lebu are mostly quiet residential neighborhoods. Bole Road (also called Airport Road) and the Haya Hulet area are fairly high standard with plenty of cafes, restaurants, accommodations, and opportunities for shopping. Besides Bole and Haya Hulet another popular hub for tourists is the Mercato, an open air market still in use that dates from the colonial administration of the late 1930s. It is also one of the largest outdoor markets in the world, featuring items from tourist t-shirts and souvenirs to handcrafted goods made with wood, metal, fabric, and more. Other shopping centers include a string of souvenir shops on Churchill Avenue going downhill from Tomoca cafe as well as Shiromeda Market between Sidist Kilo & Mt Entoto which offers a calmer alternative to the bustle of Mercato. Haggling is widely practiced in most shopping areas of the city.
Activities
Walking around and exploring Addis Ababa on foot is one of the best ways to experience the life and character of the city. An especially popular place to do so is at the Mercato market where visitors can get a taste of the culture of Addis from crowds of people going about their daily bustle to a large selection of street food, local crafts, and souvenirs. Another great place to explore is the Bole sub-city of Addis Ababa - a modern trendy district of town, packed with shopping centers, the Edna Mall cinema, condos, hotels, and plenty of both international and upscale Ethiopian restaurants.
Food and Dining
Central to Ethiopian cuisine is a bread-like food called
Injera. It is a yeast-risen flat bread with a unique, slightly spongy texture and mildly sour taste, traditionally made out of tef flour. The Injera is typically laid out on a platter and accompanied by a smattering of spicy stews, cooked vegetables, and salads for dipping. Other common mixed platters include Maheberawi (meat mixed plate) which usually combines several stews like key wat (beef stew), tibs (lamb, beef or goat cubes stir-fried with herbs and spices), and kitfo (raw ground beef) as well as Yetsom Beyaynetu (vegetarian mixed plate) which usually includes several types of lentil and split pea stews with kale (gomen) and a spicy tomato stew (sils). A few additional meat dishes include Doro Wat (chicken stew), Minchet (spicy ground beef stew), and Gomen Be Sega (meat with vegetables), while vegetarian selections include Shiro (chickpea stew), Mesir Wat (red lentil stew), and Kik Wat (split pea stew). Coffee in Ethiopia is also of the highest quality, and is often served in a ceremonial process which involves three rounds of coffee that proceed from strong (abol) to medium (tona) to weak (baraka), with the final round considered as bestowing a blessing on the coffee drinker.
Transportation
Bole International Airport, the busiest airport in East Africa and the hub of Ethiopian Airlines, is located at the southeast end of the city. It is serviced by several international airlines with daily flights to Europe, United States, and Asia as well as inter-African destinations including Accra, Bamako, Brazzaville, Cairo, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Khartoum, Harare, Johannesburg, Nairobi, and many other cities in Africa. There are two terminals-one for domestic flights and one for international.
