Anyone Living/Recently visited in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) ?

My husband and I have been living in Addis for a month.  What do you need to know?

Hi thanks for responding..my wife and i want to visist Addis for about one month..just wondering how the vibe is right now..in light of the conflict with Somalia...we are not planning to do the " historic route " just want to hang out in and around Addis and maybe a quik trip to Langano or Sodere .

Did you have any problems with luggage/customes etc when arriving or leaving ? I know they have a lot of street beggers...was that a serious problem for you guys when walking around town ?

Ideally we would have preferred to share a house or rent a room from an expat, but not because we want to save money ( i know the cost of living is quite affordable especially with hard currency ) but more for the networking...did you guys stay in a Hotel ?

Sorry for so many Q.'s...its been hard to get direct info from people living there or others who recently came from Ethiopia.

Cheers
Zu.

The vibe in Addis and around is fine--at least as far as I can tell, in relation to the conflict with Somalia--it does not affect daily life here.

There was no problem with customs, coming in.  We got our visas at the airport when we got there, and even brought in laptops, which we were told might be taxed, but weren't.

Beggars don't seem to be any more of a problem than I have seen in other third-world countries.  For me, I've had to decide who I'm going to give to, and then be firm and walk away.  I did have to remove one man's hand from my arm.  More of an annoyance is the constant "Hey, you!  Hey, Ferengi!" that the guidebooks talk about.  A friend of ours has had good results with saying "Ente" (you in Amharic), back to the people.  I've been thinking of making a t-shirt that says in Amharic, "My name is not you!"

I am teaching here, so we are living in an apartment.  There are a wide variety of options for hotels--I met one Indian man who is living at a hotel for the year that he is here.  Where you want to stay probably depends on what kind of networking that you want to do.

There are some nice places that you can get to around Addis as well--we went to Debre Zeit, which is a good place to hang out by the lake, and is more laid-back than Addis.

Hope this helps!

-Sara

Zu wrote:

Hi thanks for responding..my wife and i want to visist Addis for about one month..just wondering how the vibe is right now..in light of the conflict with Somalia...we are not planning to do the " historic route " just want to hang out in and around Addis and maybe a quik trip to Langano or Sodere .

Did you have any problems with luggage/customes etc when arriving or leaving ? I know they have a lot of street beggers...was that a serious problem for you guys when walking around town ?

Ideally we would have preferred to share a house or rent a room from an expat, but not because we want to save money ( i know the cost of living is quite affordable especially with hard currency ) but more for the networking...did you guys stay in a Hotel ?

Sorry for so many Q.'s...its been hard to get direct info from people living there or others who recently came from Ethiopia.

Cheers
Zu.

Hey Sarah-

Ahh..didnt realize you are residing in Addis! How long have you been living there? ..if you dont mind me asking.

Ideally we would like to find a place in Bole ..i may have ommited to tell you earlier that we have actually been to Addis before..only its been more than 10 years ago so i can imagine the change would be quite drastic .

Have you ever heard of this place called something like " the german guest house " ? Its supposedly to be a place where a lot of short term expats are staying..i guess we would prefer something a bit more " homely " than a hotel room .

I have been scouring google to search for any " expats in Ethiopia " type of forums but so far its only you that i have been able to connect with .

Oh i was also wondering...is it difficult to rent a mobile phone in Addis for our one month duration ? We would only use it for local calls .

Sorry for so many Q's..its just that i have not been able to find any sites with any solid up to date info..the popular websites like "virtual tourist" etc are all full of Ethiopian hustlers looking to be guides for expats travelling to Ethiopia etc.

Any tried and tested tips would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
(Zu)

I was in Addis about four months ago and i am thinking of going there within the next couple of months to stay there for about 6 month.The hotels are cheap there is a great hospitality.You can either rent an appartment which i think wont cost much.
Addis is a beautiful city and i am sure you both gonna love it.

Hi!  I've been in Addis for a month now--about to take my first big trip, down to Arba Minch.  Bole would be a good place to stay--it's close to things.  I recall something about the German Guest House or something similar in my lonely planet book, but I'll have to look again to see what they say.  Have you tried the lonely planet website, thorn tree section?  They do have some posters who live/have lived in Ethiopia, so they might be a good place to ask.  Also, there are some English-language papers in Addis that advertise homes for sale or rent...you might be able to work out a deal with someone for a one-month rental.  There are also real-estate brokers in Addis, who might be able to help.

As for cell phones--technically, you're supposed to have a residence permit in order to get a sim card, but if you explain the situation to someone who sells sim cards and speaks English, you may get someone symapthetic enough to let you use their information to buy a card.  The sim cards come with like 25 Birr worth of minutes, and then after that, you recharge them by going to a local shop and buying more minutes.  In-country calls are reasonably cheap, from what I can tell, and according to colleagues, free after 8 pm and on Sundays.

Let me know if there's anything else I can tell you....I tend to write e-mail only on Saturdays, because the internet here is slow, and they don't like us to use the internet at work for personal reasons.

-Sara

Zu wrote:

Hey Sarah-

Ahh..didnt realize you are residing in Addis! How long have you been living there? ..if you dont mind me asking.

Ideally we would like to find a place in Bole ..i may have ommited to tell you earlier that we have actually been to Addis before..only its been more than 10 years ago so i can imagine the change would be quite drastic .

Have you ever heard of this place called something like " the german guest house " ? Its supposedly to be a place where a lot of short term expats are staying..i guess we would prefer something a bit more " homely " than a hotel room .

I have been scouring google to search for any " expats in Ethiopia " type of forums but so far its only you that i have been able to connect with .

Oh i was also wondering...is it difficult to rent a mobile phone in Addis for our one month duration ? We would only use it for local calls .

Sorry for so many Q's..its just that i have not been able to find any sites with any solid up to date info..the popular websites like "virtual tourist" etc are all full of Ethiopian hustlers looking to be guides for expats travelling to Ethiopia etc.

Any tried and tested tips would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Karina (Zu)

Hi Sara-

I understand about the delay..please take your time in responding.

Hope your trip to Arba Minch goes swimmingly...I remember reading somewhere that it was a lush and green place.

Today i gave my " 30 day notice " at my job and feel ever more envigorated to forge ahead with our Addis Plans . Thanks for the heads up on the Sim card thing...Who provides the actual phone though ? Do we need to bring our own or can we rent that too ?

Another thing i wanted to ask you was about getting Malaria shots..we dont plan on going out further than Sodere or Langano..although things might change depending on situation..do you think it would be alright if we got the shots in Addis..assuming we end up travelling further out of town ?

So how are you adjusting to life in Addis ? Are you going to be in Addis for a while ?
Oh sorry, one other thing, do you know what the official and unofficial exchange rate is right now ( i.e. USD=Birr ) ?

Kind regards
K

Hey Sarah...hope this email finds you well.
Just checking to see how your trip to Arba Minch ?

Cheers
K.

Hi!  Well, Arba Minch was fabulous...I was tempted to stay there and not go back to Addis!  We went to Nech Sar park, and saw baboons, hippos, zebras, gazelles, kudus, and colubus monkeys.  It was a lot of fun to see more of Ethiopia--I think if you go outside of Addis, you get a very different picture of life here.  We took local buses, and so it was quite and adventure, although not as much as the Japanese woman we met who had spent two weeks in the Omo Valley, traveling by local truck.  We also spent a day in Awassa, and found a very good pizza place.

I don't know anything about Malaria shots--did you mean Yellow Fever?  We got our shots before we left, but we have never been asked about them here at all...so in terms of getting into the country, you should be fine.  The mosquitos in Addis are supposed to be better, because we're at the higher altitude, but we don't have window screens in our apartment, so they still get in and bite at night.

Your cellular phone has to be a certain type to work here--I don't remember what the exact specifications are.  You can buy cell phones from many different stores, but not everyone sells the SIM cards--we got ours from a local internet cafe.  Then, you can buy minutes from almost anyone who has a little kiosk shop along the street.

So, when do you think you will be coming to Addis?  Are you looking to move here long-term, eventually?

I have heard good things about Sodere from the other teachers at school--I think that we'll try to get there one weekend.

-Sara

Hey Sarah-

Sorry for the delay in responding..i did not get email notification of your message this time around...BTW i thought i was sending you private messages...i was googling for more info about the weather in Addis etc and my messages to you came up..do you have my private email address ?
Anyway i'm glad to hear your excursion to Arba Minch/Nech Sar went so well..i am re-thinking the idea of stepping out of Addis to places like Arba Minch , Awash etc.
We are planning on being in Addis by Mid march (15th or 16th) for a total of one month . We would love to re-locate...ofcourse much will depend on a whole host of issues..so i guess it's more of an exploratory trip for us . You mentioned you are living in an apartment..may i ask you what the rent is like ?Just curious to know if its generally affordable . I am ( well was ) a designer in London , i guess i'm looking for new challenges in life. You mention you are a teacher, are you teaching in the goverment school system ?

If you happen to run into anyone that knows about which specific phones work in ET i would really be greatfull..i guess we could buy a phone for one months, but if we could use our own , it would be quie helpfull...and i will continue to google for any info but not much so far. But just incase..one if a SAMSUNG A300 and the other is a MOTOROLA V60 they are both the small flip phone style .

Also, if you dont mind, we are still trying to figure out if indeed they have ATM machines in Addis..we could always bring T.C.'s but if they have atm machines it may be easier as we are not going to feel safe leaving money or a bunch of travelers chek in whichever hotel room we end up at . Someone suggested the sheraton but they have not actually tried it themselves.

I think we will bypass the Malaria Pills for now and just get the Yellow Fever vaccination plus the stuff like Hept./TB/etc.

Cheers
K.

Hi, I live in AA for over a year.. I am jelous that you have manageed to go to arbaminch Sara! I was suppose to go this weekend and I apt not to for I was not sure that my 7 years old would have enjoyed the 8 hours car ride... and flights were not availabe on the dates I wanted ... but would like to have more info on  the hotel condition and the road etc...

As for Zu.. I am too late to provide info.. for now...
We need more site like this for Ethiopian Expats.. God know we have increased in numbers..
El

Hi El!  The bus ride to Arba Minch was quite an endurance test, but once we got there, it was worth the trip.  We stayed in the Bekele Molla hotel which has a wonderful view of the lake and decent beds and hot showers...I can't remember the exact price--something around 350 Birr.  If you have your own car, the trip to Arba Minch shouldn't be so hard...you could even break it up in Awassa for a day, which is what we did.

-Sara

Hi ZU.

I read your post about you not finding a website to search about Ethiopia and the information you need to get around Ethiopia. This web site has helped me do some research project for school paper and I hope this will be helpful to you too.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Ethiopia#Get_around.
Have fun

Hi
Are there any International schools in AA.I am a British teacher and would like to work there. What is the salary

Dear Sara,
I have finally found someone who lives in AA and can give me some help;)
I have received a job offer and I am thinking to move in AA for a 2 year contract. First I will come there by myself and have my family joining me later on. I have a daughter she is almost 2 years old...the thing I am most worried about is the health care although they will offer me the medical insurance through BUPA. Do you think is a problem especially for my daughter???Would it be safe to bring her over? What about private clinics/hospitals...is it true that there is a big lack of medicines? They will pay a house for me and my family so I do not have a problem with that...any international kindergardens/pre-schools available in AA? We are Italians and this would be our first experience in Africa and a good chance for my career. Any thought will be much appreciated.
Thanks, Luciano

Hi all, I was looking for English teaching jobs in Addis Ababa and was hoping someone could direct me to some schools that would be good to contact, a list of schools, or to a job board.  Was also hoping someone could fill me in on the cost of living and what a typical salary is as well.

-Will

hey for those of u who want teaching post there is ICS + ETHIOPI...community school check it....if u want any help drop me a line

I live in addis ababa and my name is Solomon. I am happy to show you around and also to teach you amharic language with easy way.
[email protected]

I have not read all the messages yet, but I hope I can add some value. I have been to Addis several times in the last two years. As for the cell phone, to make life easier, I purchased a quad band phone that accepts a sim card, and made sure it was unlocked. I bought it online, from n1wireless.com. Everytime I go to Addis people ask for phones and they have all worked well. I was able to give them a call and specify that I want the type of plug (european) used in addis to prevent the additional need of an electrical converter.

For those inquiring about international schools, there are two that I know of Sanford and ICS. There is also the Britsh School, not sure of the formal name...there are many private schools that accept teachers from abroad, you salary will depend on the school and your talents.

As for a place to stay, I stay with a friend at her guest house. It's called the British Restaurant/Guest house and I believe they have been written up in Lonely Planet. The setup is quite nice in that you get a private room, generally share a bath room with one other room, and then there is a common area, for TV, chatting with everyone who pops in for a visit etc. The prices are reasonable, and they usually modify for extended stays. It is near to Bole, which makes catching taxis and buses quite easy. As a woman who travels alone it is quite convenient. Should you like the phone and email, send me an email to [email protected]

hi,
we shall be hopefully being posted to addis soon, i was wondering what the cost of a litre of diesel would be and also domestic staff per month,eg a cook/cleaner and a guard.

i would also like to know the approximate cost of a desent 2nd hand landcruiser.

any help appreciated

agy

Last edited by agy.hill (Today 21:30:09)

Is there anyone who could provide information on living in Addis?  My wife, our 2 yo daughter and I are moving there for 3 years.  My wife and I would work in Addis and we are interested to know about French daycare for our daughter as well as places where we could live.

Is it safe to live in a house or apartments are better?  Is it easy to hire and trust house workers?  Where should we look for a place to rent?  How about buying a car there and driving?  Do we need a driver or can I easily drive ourselves?

Thank you very much for your help.
Emmanuel

Hi,
I am planning to go to Ethiopia to volunteer for a few months out of the year, specifically to start young women in self help program where I can set them up to generate  income so they can help support their families.
any advice would be appreciated...
thanks carole

Hi
I am planning to move to Addis with my family. Will be happy if someone can give me a good idea about the living conditions and expenses. A 3 bedroom house /villa or apartment rent. School for my 8 year old daughter and its expense  and other monthly approx living cost required for good living. How much a car might cost me there and what is the conditon of security situation  there .

Thanks

Afiz

Hi
I am planning  to move in to Addis for 2 years with my wife in July/August this year . I am looking for furnished apartments in Bole area,( this is the only area i know of which is convinient )I will have a car as well .Can someone advsie me about the  apartment and cost of living in Addis .
Sushil

Hi
I will move to Addis in August .I am looking for 3 bedroom houseand car ( both on rent) in Bole area. How much it is going to cost .

Hello all,

I am heading to Addis in September for about 4 months and am interested in finding out how much rent is -- I am looking for more budget accomodations. I also wanted to know how hard it would be for my husband to find temporary work as an ex-pat while I am there.

Thanks,
Daesha

Hi! My name is Regina. I will be traveling to Ethiopia after graduation in December 2008 and would like to make a few contacts before I enter the country. I have never been away from the United States, and am a bit hesitant about the trip to Addis Ababa. I've read the entries above, and feel more confident about my choice to teach in Addis Ababa, but would still feel much better if I were to meet a few people who knwo a little about the area.

Any information and/or suggestions will be appreciated.


Sincerely,


Ms. Regina Butler

Hello there

I am looking to hook up with any other South Africans living in Addis
Judes

Helllo ,
I got selected for a deputation for a tenure of 6 months in addis ababa and wud be staying there .
As u are already there please let me know the cst of living in ethiopia so that i can plan my trip in the same way and shud be prepared for any kind of expenditure .
Please reply
Sameer jain
[email protected]
your help wuold be gr8

Hello all, this is a general message to all those asking all the questions!

In many ways, this thread is a metaphor for life in Ethiopia - more questions than answers!

Finding out information in Ethiopia can be very difficult and very beurocratic. It's the nature of the country.

I've been living in Ethiopia for over a year as a volunteer development worker. I'm currently based in Awassa but am frequently in Addis Ababa.

Prices/Living Standard: Inflation is very high in Ethiopia at the moment. If you seen any prices from 2007, you can expect to add in 50% on top of that to get prices for today.

Addis is very expensive compared to the rest of Ethiopia. This is normal for capital cities but it is also probably a reflection of the large and ever increasing numbers of Expats living there either working for NGOs, Emabassies or the such.

The Bole Area in Addis is perhaps the most expensive and is also where most of the Expats live, work, play, shop etc. It's also where most of the richer Ethiopians, many who have been living outside of Ethiopia, live, work and play etc.

Mobile Phones: Don't worry about buying a mobile/cell phone before you come to Ethiopia. Phones are relatively cheap to buy here and you don't have to worry about all of this unlocking/quad-band nonsense. You can pick up the cheapest of Nokia phones for about 400Birr (approx $40). The whole gamut of phones are available ranging up to 5000birr etc.

The problem comes with getting a SIM card to use in your phone! Supply comes and goes for SIM cards and prices can be from 300-500Birr ($30-$50) depending on when the SIM cards are released.

Internet: Internet cafes are abundant in Addis Ababa and there are these days quite a few places with broad-band access. Wireless is also being offered in an increasing number of places especially in and around the Bole Area. At an Internet Cafe you can expect to pay 30-40Birr (approx $3-4) an hour.

You can get a dial-up internet account at home but it's a process that can take time - you have to deal with the government telecommunications monopoly, the ETC and due to the lack of competition they don't seem that bothered about levels of service. That's a whole other discussion....don't expect the level of service at restaurants, hotels, shops etc. that you may be used to in your home country. Especially if you are used to American standards!

ATMs: Over the last 12 months there has been an explosion of ATMs in Ethiopia thanks to the Dashen Bank. Most of the ATMs are located in Addis Ababa (about a dozen at last count). You can however go into most Dashen Banks around the country to use your card if there isn't a physical machine outside the bank. The ATMS are on the VISA network. Mastercard does not work but you can probably use your Mastercard at the Hilton and Sheratons in Addis Ababa.

There are at least 2 Dashen Bank i.e. VISA ATMS on Bole Road (one in Dembel City Centre Building and one in the Kaldis Building (next to Friendship Building). There are also a number of retail outlets that will accept your VISA card as they have terminals from Dashen bank at their cashiers. They don't always work though! Two of the main supermarkets: Novis and Friendship Supermarket accept these cards (when the machines work). Novis and a few other supermarkets in Addis Ababa cater mainly to Expats and richer Ethiopians. They even have Granny Smith apples and strawberries sometimes!

Voluntary Work: There are a number of development organisations in Ethiopia. VSO (www.vsointernational.org) and Peace Corp have their main offices in Addis Ababa and it doesn't hurt to go along to say hello. They are a friendly bunch and if you find a current volunteer (like me) they will be more than happy to show you around Addis Ababa and point you in the right direction. There are very very many volunteer teachers working with VSO working at all levels from schools to colleges to universities to the ministry of education. These are good people to make contacts with if you plan to work in these areas.

Networking: There are so many expats in Addis Now that it's difficult to walk around the Bole Area for more than a minute without seeing one.

Popular places for Expats to hang out are at the Lime Tree Cafe during the day. This also has notice boards for classified ads  - normally other Expats selling cars or advertising Houses for Rent.

Other notice board areas are to be found at Novis Supermarket on Bole Road and Bambi's Supermarket on the road between Meskel Square and Haya Hulet (I forget the exact name of the road).

Harlem Jazz is a "night club" at the bottom of Bole road that Expats like to frequent on Friday nights. You can meet random Expats there if it takes your fancy.

Housing Prices: I hesitate to give any prices here because they are constantly on the increase. Decent guest houses in Addis these days cost a minimum of 150Birr (Approx $15) a night. If you're staying for less than 2 months, it's probably best to go with a guest house rather than trying to find an apartment to rent.

For Awassa (which is another big town with lot's of NGOS) where I live, house rent for a newly built 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen, 1 salon house with service quarters at the back and a small garden in a fenced enclosure costs a minimum 2500Birr a month (approx $250) - unfurnished but with Hot Water boiler. For Addis this will be at least double for the same standard. For the Bole Road area you can look to increase further - possibly double again e.g. upto 75000Birr. Don't quote me on that as I haven't had to rent in Addis before. You can no doubt obtain much more modest living arrangements for around 2000Birr/month but still with hot water/decent security.

To be honest, travel in Addis is quite straightforward with public transport (mostly minibus affairs called Line Taxis). You're not likely to spend more than 7Birr a day on Line Taxis. If you go with contract taxis then you will pay on average 25Birr each way for your transport to and from work if you are living a reasonable distance away.

Domestic Staff: For a cleaner who comes 3-4 times a week and does laundry you can expect to pay around 150Birr (approx $15p/m) in Addis Ababa. To be honest, a cleaner isn't really necessary unless you are very messy! but most expats seem to hire one and it is a bit of a cultural norm too.

For Security Guards: Almost an essential item if you are living in a house. Decent English-speaking guards can be had for 450Birr a month. You will need at least 2 - one for night, one for day. NGOs etc. typically pay their guards a much much higher rate.

Cook: If you're happy to eat Ethiopian food, a cook would probably not cost more than 200Birr a month for someone full-time if they are living in service quarters in the compound. For a cook that can provide Expat cuisine, I have no idea. I do my own cooking so this is a bit of a guesstimate based on what I have heard in the past.

Expats that don't know the local market rates will easily be persuaded by the people they hire to pay much more than what I have just detailed - it's quite common. It's up to you whether you want to pay western rates or local rates and whether you demand fluent English or [Insert your native language here] speakers for the job. If you're on a western salary then you may not blink twice at paying way above market rates as it may still appear cheap to you.

Cost of Living: If you are cooking for yourself mostly, then the cost of living is pretty damned cheap. The price of all food has gone up substantially in the last 12 months but as an Expat it may not be that noticeable. The range of food to buy from supermarkets and the markets is very limited in terms of vegetables and fruit. So you may find yourself going to the "Ferengi Supermarkets" that cater to Expats and have a wider range of imported vegetables and food stuffs that you may be used to at your home.

For a can of oats that will last you two weeks if you have porridge for breakfast everyday, it will cost about 40Birr ($4). An imported box of corn flakes will also cost about 50Birr ($5).

(Safe) Milk is difficult to get unless you go to the Ferengi supermarkets. Powdered milk is common but the price has gone up in recent months. A 400g can of powdered milk that may last for 2-3 weeks costs about 50Birr ($5) these days. Cheese is hard to get outside of the Ferengi supermarkets and you can expect to pay a premium for it.

There are plenty of restaurants in Addis Ababa catering to a western taste. Many Italian, A few Indian and an ever growing number of Chinese restaurants (not the Cantonese style that you may be familiar with). Evening meals at a typical western restaurant in Addis will cost you anything from 50-150Birr/head ($5-$15)If you plan on buying imported wine with your meal, you can expect the price to go up significantly.

However, you can still get many decent western meals like Pizza for <30Birr ($3) and if you accustom yourself to Ethiopian fare you can enjoy a meal for as little as 5Birr(50cents).

Bottled soft drinks e.g. Coca Cola, Pepsi, Fanta, Sprite, 7up are anywhere from 3-5Birr (30-50cents) depending where you buy it. Bottled water is also anywhere from 3-10Birr (30c - 1$) depending on the size and where you buy it from. I think 1 litre is about 6Birr (60c) - don't quote me on that - I use a water filter at home normally.

Bottled Beer (sorry I forget the quantity but think it's 300ml) is around 7Birr (70c). Thats for the local beers. Imported beers are available at some Expat places in Addis but are much more expensive. A bottle of Jack Daniels for example will cost about 350Birr ($35).

You can buy chocolate bars like Twix and Snickers at some places...mostly the Ferengi Supermarkets. They go for around 8Birr each (80c).

Spices can be found easily and cheaply all over Ethiopia. Herbs can be found at the Ferengi supermarkets with notable exceptions like Basil. Actually most fresh herbs are not available for sale in shops.

Rice and pasta can be found easily around Ethiopia. Best bought outside of the Ferengi supermarkets unless money is not an issue. Expect to pay around 12-13Birr/Kilo

Potatoes, tomoatoes, onions and chillis are found easily almost everywhere in Ethiopia, year-round.

Oranges and Bananas are found most of the time in Addis ababa. You'll pay around 7Birr/Kilo.

Coffee is naturally ubiquitous in Ethiopia! Mostly it's "machiato's" that are served at a cost of 2-3Birr at most places. More if you are at a Ferengi place or more upmarket place on Bole. It used to be 1Birr most places a year ago so that should give you an idea of the kind of inflation that's going on.

Entertainment: Going to the new cinema at Edna Mall on Bole Tele costs about 20Birr or 30Birr ($3) at the weekend...something like that. It's mostly rich Ethiopians going here as an average Ethiopian simply cannot afford or justify spending 30 birr on a movie when their monthly salary might only be 400Birr.

Most nightclubs are free to get in. A notable exception is Platinum which is about 50Birr to get in and is mostly frequented by Expats and rich Ethiopians. The price of beer etc. goes up considerably once inside a nightclub. At a Ferengi nightclub like Harlem Jazz, soft drinks and beer go up to 25Birr each. At most "nightclubs" in Ethiopia the only women that frequent them are working girls. There are a few exeptions but they are only to be found in Addis, Dire Dawa and Awassa and perhaps some other big towns - but they are the exception not the norm.

Expat Community: Addis has a strange mix of Expats ranging from poorly paid volunteer development workers (like me) to very highly paid (western salaries) UN workers. If you have a western salary in Ethiopia you can live like a king/queen. However, there is still quite a lot of networking amongst all of the expats and you get to meet some interesting people working all kinds of areas.

That's it for now. I'll be happy to answer any further questions. I'll actually probably be in Addis next week some time so can find out more specifics then if anyone is interested.

You'll notice that I've done a rough 10:1 conversion of Birr:USD throughout. It's not particularly accurate...it's more like 9:1 last time I checked so bare that in mind. However, it's also difficult to trust official government rates as inflation is rampant. In that respect 10:1 may be more closer to the actual value.

Ciao for now.

thanks so much for that detailed info just_passing_through!

I'm heading to Gonder in Feb, opening an orphanage. Do you have any info whether there is much of an expat scene in Gonder? or whether I should expect to be able to find western groceries etc outside of Addis? I'm expecting it to be comparable to what detailed about Awassa re housing prices etc, but if you have any Gonder specific info that would be great. Also, any idea on vehicle prices, 2nd hand land rover or equivalent?

Thanks again

Hi gonder_girl,

Unfortunately, my knowledge of Gonder is limited to say the least. My understanding is that the facilities there are quite good as Gonder is a major tourist destination. I think you can get better groceries in Gonder than most other places outside of Addis. Due to the tourists, prices are pushed up a bit. Even if you are living and working there, if you look like a Ferengi (foreigner), it will be assumed that you are a tourist and will be asked tourist prices if you need to buy or do anything. So that's a negative but there are many positives about Gonder too.

I know a couple of people living in Gonder and I can ask them if they are happy to share some information with you. If they are, I'll send you their e-mail addresses.

I'm also trying to get some better information to post on the cost of groceries around different parts of the country.

As for vehicle prices, I couldn't even begin to guess. Most cars that are advertised on notice boards are normally second hand 4wd Land Rovers or Toyotas. I'll check for you when I'm in Addis this/next week.

Good luck with your orphanage. Do you have any other contacts of people that have done something similar in Ethiopia?

Starting an NGO at the moment in Ethiopia is extremely challenging. The government is currently trying to pass some new legislation that will effectively spell the end of most NGOs in Ethiopia. If the legislation is passed it will mean that NGOs will need to get 90% of their funding from local Ethiopian sources. This simply isn't realistic for virtually 100% of the NGOs that operate in Ethiopoia. I'm not up to date on the state of this new legislation but it is a big dark cloud over all NGOs that are currently here. The mood is not optimistic.

Once again, Good luck and feel free to ask any other questions. There aren't many places on the Internet where you can get decent information about living/working in Ethiopia so I'm going to try and change that here!

hi everybody, i m very pleased to have found this wonderful page.

i m planning to start my new life in addis next summer attending addis university and am calculating my approximate costs of living per month. as i m used to being broke (students life ain't easy ) my living standard shouldn t be that high in addis either.

i would be so grateful if those of you who have lived or are living in addis could give me their specific experience of the costs with the following categories considering one person and one month.

   
rent (i m thinking about sharing a place with another person)
electricity
telephone
health insurance
food (cooking on my own)
laundry (having no maid)

hope to hear from you soon.

cheers

Hi Stephie,

Lucky you! You are gonna love Addis. Addis is actually a great place for broke people to chill:lol:. Things are not that expensive, they were not at least when I was there 2 summers ago.

Electricity and water are really cheap in Ethiopia. Really rich Ethiopian families with really big houses and big families spend about $8.00 for water and about $25.00 for electricity per month. I am sure your expenses will be significantly lower than these. And the electricity cost might apear a little high and this is because Ethiopian cooking consume so much energy. Yours won't.

For rent: you can find a house like this: For only about $450 if you occupy it on your own. It will be even cheaper if you share it with someone else.
Sorry, No good info about the rest of you list but I am sure you will feel rich while livin in Addis

Hope this helps!

Dereje

Hi. I have a job offer at AA and i was wondering of the working conditions at AA. Peace and Order?

This would help me alot if I accept it or not. Thanks. Hope to hear from you soon.

hello all,

I am currently studying political science and international affairs at a university in Colorado,USA.  I am thinking about taking a semester off and working in ethiopia.  I was actaully born there but i havent been back since i left in 2002.  I am not intouch with my family and I really woulf like to locate them.  Will someone please tell me what Ethiopia is like now?  What kind of job or volunteer work i would be able to get? I am fluent in Amharic, tigrinya and English, and proficient in spanish.  I would greatly appreciate it if someone would replay back to me.  Thank you.

My husband and I are in and out of the country a lot and I have many great suggestions for you.  Addis is fine but please get out of the city!  Go to Kuriftu Resort and Spa at Debre Zeit to the south about 40k's.   Even if for the day.   To the north,they also have a brand new resort at Lake Tana which I hear is even better. That is at Bahir Dar.  You must go to Lalibela and Axum, too.  I can't imagine why you would want to NOT see more of the country!  In the south see Lake Langano and stay at Bishangari Lodge.  Must have a 4WD to go there.  If you need a drive we have one for about $100 U.S. a day that covers all gas and his food and lodging.  If you like trekking there is a man we know in Addis that has a really cool outfit going. It's not roughing it in the purest sense of the word. You do some hiking then stay in prearraged places.  Let me know if you want to take a look at that, as well.  I don't think you will be able to get a cell phone while here as the government controls the sim cards.  I don't know where you are from but my phone from the U.S. has service available that I can use for emergencies and it's only a little bit extra for a month.  A great expat place to eat/drink/hangout with really good food, especially pizza, is called Wim's.  It's just a block from the main train station.  Taxi's will know where the train is and from there just have him ask someone to direct you.  We also like the Beer Garden Inn, a microbrewery/restaurant.  Bambi's for grocery shopping is cheaper than Novis.  Children like to get sticks of gum.  I rarely give them birr.  Mom's will have the little ones approach you while she hides away.  Don't fall for it!  Even the locals are against begging!  Feel free to write with any questions and I'll be happy to help!

This is one of the few places I have found up to date info...thanks for sharing.

I visited Eth last year on hols and am now moving there for 2 years.

I was wondering what the news is on buying wine? My other tipple is gin?

What is the availability & cost of
Contact lens solution
Sunscreen
Mossie repellant for the skin
Mossie repellant for house...plug in or coils...

Wondering that the essentials are to take v what you can access at a reasonable cost

Thanks

M