Ethiopia
Rock-hewn churches and highlands unlike anywhere else in Africa.
Flat. The exchange rate moved +6.9%; local prices rose +11.9%.
- Lean
- $24
- Comfort
- $156
Ranked 31 of 65. Capped at 62 by a Level 3 advisory.
What your money buys there
30 monthsThe dashed line is what a currency converter shows. The solid line is the same thing after prices in both countries are taken into account. When they part, the solid one is telling the truth.
How the score is built
- Dislocation ×0.36
- 86
- Price floor ×0.30
- 78
- Safety ×0.20
- 38
- Ease ×0.14
- 32
Real price drop vs last year and vs the five-year norm
How low the daily cost is in absolute terms
From the current travel advisory
How well set up the country is for visitors
The full reading
| Real change, 3 months | −0.2% | Is the move still going, or already reversing? |
|---|---|---|
| Real change, 12 months | −1.1% | The headline: what your money buys versus a year ago. |
| Exchange rate alone, 12 months | +6.9% | What a currency converter would tell you. |
| Local inflation, 12 months | +11.9% | How much of that the destination's own prices took back. |
| Versus five-year average | +47.3% | Cheap or dear against its own recent history. |
| Advisory | Level 3 | Reconsider travel |
| Ease of travel | 2.3 / 5 | Expedition-grade |
- Lalibela
- The Simien Mountains
- Coffee ceremonies and a singular cuisine
Armed conflict in several regions drives the advisory, and conditions change quickly. Check which areas are open.
The birr was floated in July 2024 and lost more than half its value, closing most of the black-market gap.
When to go
November is peak season- Janpeak
- Febpeak
- Marshoulder
- Aproff
- Mayoff
- Junoff
- Juloff
- Augoff
- Sepshoulder
- Octpeak
- Novpeak
- Decpeak
Safety and ease
- US State Department
- Level 3: Reconsider travel · updated 26 August 2026
- Read the full advisory ↗
- Advisories are often regional. A country-wide level can hide both safe areas and no-go zones, and other governments may judge differently.
- Tourism infrastructure
- Expedition-grade · 2.3 / 5
Elsewhere in Africa
Reading of 12 November 2026. In US dollars, Ethiopia reads −1.1% over twelve months in real terms with a mid-range day near $64. Costs are modelled, not quoted: see the method.