Living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa is a large inland city in Ethiopia (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 15°C over the year with about 1,042 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,061 a month to live centrally, and Ethiopia sits in our low to medium tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in Ethiopia is possible, with conditions.
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- Est. cost
- €2,061
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 15°C
- 1,042 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 45/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~20 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Addis Ababa
- More affordable than 86% of the cities we compare
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Ethiopia runs at about 20 Mbps, faster than 1% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Healthcare
Ethiopia scores 40 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 1% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Ethiopia.
Safety and stability
Ethiopia scores 45 out of 100 on safety, safer than 9% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 3.3 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Ethiopia. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,061 a month to live centrally in Addis Ababa, 24% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 86% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions. Long-term residency is realistic mainly through investment, where a USD 150,000 residential-property purchase or company investment grants a renewable multi-year residence permit, or through an employer-sponsored work permit; there is no passive-income, retirement, or points-based route.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Ethiopia:
- Investment: about $150k (Ethiopia foreign-national residential property ownership (Proclamation 1388/2025), USD 150,000 per unit, paid in foreign currency, grants a residence permit/multiple-entry visa up to 5 years; figure already in USD; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 2 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 195 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 1 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Climate
Addis Ababa averages 15°C across the year with about 1,042 mm of rain, which makes it mild and wet. It is warmer than 29% of the 1225 cities we track.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Language and culture
Main languages: Amharic. English proficiency: limited. Social openness scores 45 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Ethiopia sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Addis Ababa in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Questions couples ask about Addis Ababa
Is Addis Ababa a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Addis Ababa scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety, healthcare, internet speed, English, political stability and social openness. Expect a mild, wet climate (15°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Addis Ababa and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Addis Ababa?
We estimate about €2,061 a month for a couple living centrally, 24% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Addis Ababa?
Ethiopia is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Addis Ababa in their results.
Can foreigners live in Ethiopia long term?
Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Long-term residency is realistic mainly through investment, where a USD 150,000 residential-property purchase or company investment grants a renewable multi-year residence permit, or through an employer-sponsored work permit; there is no passive-income, retirement, or points-based route. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $150k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Addis Ababa?
Addis Ababa averages 15°C across the year with about 1,042 mm of rain, which makes it mild and wet. It is warmer than 29% of the cities we track.
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