Moving to Ethiopia in September 2011

I think you should look previous posts on renting house. As 1 dollar with 16 birr(local currency) your offer would be less. 500 dOllar would be good starting point to find houses with rooms you are demanding. You have good time to arrange things so I think you would find suggestions. Keep on looking and asking. GOOD luck

Having just returned 2 days ago from Addis I agree with the above response to your rental budget. Addis rental prices are increasing and Ethiopian inflation is on the up.  There is a large expat working community always looking for accomodation as well as the local population and wealthy disapora. For a good safe house in a compound with 3 beds in central Addis you should be looking at nearer $800-$1,500+ per month. Hope this helps all the best.

What is implied by safe? What should I be concerned about as far as safety? Where in Ethiopia can I find living quarters that aren't quite that expensive? Maybe about $100-250/month?
Thanks

Hi For safety if you are going to be living alone with 3 children it would be advised to find a house in its own compound with a secure wall and gate and would be good to also employ a night watchman.  For sure Addis is nothing like Lagos or Nairobi (very low risk of violent crime) but as an expat and where there is poverty there is always a risk of house breaking (although I am sure there are many expats living without watchmen and feel ok and housebreaking happens everywhere). In addition in terms of safety (I am also a mum) you will probably want a well built house with safe electrics and appliences as well as a well laid out garden/compound/space for children.

I am afraid I dont know the picture outside Addis in terms of rental prices. Keep plugging into this site and I am sure someone will respond from the other towns in Ethiopia.

I have to agree... I am renting a two-bedroom semi-furnished apartment in Old-Airport area at $800 per month and am happy to pay that.  Colleagues are renting 2/3 bedrooms for between $400 to $1,000 with varying degrees of success (one has returned from holiday to find the landlord has invited guests to stay in the house while she was gone, while another's landlord keeps revising the rental contract upward every month). For $100-$250 per month you'll get exactly what you are paying for.  Also please remember it is not strange to be expected to pay 6-12 months up front!

i agree that addis ababa is deifnitely out of that price range. how about bahir dar? a pleasant, quiet city and with a growing population of expat families (i taught several there in august). don't know about prices but i would guess much cheaper...

sophie

www.sophiemcgrath.wordpress.com

I am not sure what your work situation is, but if you do live out of the city but will commute, you will most likely need a car - and the prices for this are unbelievably expensive. Hence that is something you might want to keep in mind as well when you choose the area you live in.

I haven't heard of any expat living in a house within the range you indicate. Also considering you have young children, it may be better to expect to pay much more (something along the lines of what TandT suggested, possibly more), but live in a safe neighborhood.

I agree with the above posts
Also, what is not clear from your OP is where in Ethiopia you want to live, major city is Addis. The rest are towns, and even in a place like Gondar, a university town in the north, a 3 bedroom house will cost more than 200 US dollars, unless you want a rotten place, without proper bathroom etc. As a foreigner you will not get a cheaper place.
I have a friend speaks fluent Amharic and is an excellent bargainer, and she pays 4700 birr (I pay 6000 birr, 16,6 birr to a dollar) for a 2 bedroom with a garden in the Shola area.

only cheaper place could be an appartment in Gerji Sunshine condominiums in Addis, but again, not less than 250 to 300 USD for a three bedroom place.