For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $626 a month against $666 in Ariana, rent and utilities included – about $480 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ariana outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ariana and in Sfax actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $666 per month in Ariana vs $626 in Sfax, rent included.
Ariana $666
Sfax $626
A couple spends around $1,039 per month in Ariana vs $983 in Sfax, rent included.
Ariana $1,039
Sfax $983
A family of three spends $1,413 per month in Ariana vs $1,341 in Sfax, rent included.
Ariana $1,413
Sfax $1,341
😐
Ariana costs about 7% more than Sfax, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Ariana and Sfax are more affordable than the global median – Ariana51% lower, Sfax54% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Ariana
Sfax
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.44TND 13.29
$3.39TND 10.14
30.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.44TND 52.3
$20.15TND 60.3
-13.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.77TND 14.29
$4.98TND 14.92
-4.22%
Cappuccino
$1.11TND 3.33
$0.70TND 2.08
58.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66TND 1.97
$0.63TND 1.89
4.76%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33TND 1.00
$0.25TND 0.74
32.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.65TND 4.95
$1.62TND 4.85
1.85%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38TND 4.12
$1.95TND 5.83
-29.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ariana
Sfax
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.52TND 1.56
$0.46TND 1.38
13.04%
White Bread(500g)
$0.26TND 0.78
$0.22TND 0.66
18.18%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.77TND 5.30
$1.36TND 4.08
30.15%
Eggs
$1.55TND 4.64
$1.55TND 4.63
-
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.27TND 21.79
$12.52TND 37.51
-41.93%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.03TND 18.06
$5.52TND 16.53
9.24%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.19TND 33.52
$13.83TND 41.41
-19.09%
Apples(1kg)
$1.66TND 4.97
$1.81TND 5.43
-8.29%
Banana(1kg)
$2.65TND 7.93
$3.14TND 9.41
-15.61%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.12TND 3.34
$1.05TND 3.14
6.67%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.76TND 2.28
$0.68TND 2.04
11.76%
Potato(1kg)
$0.80TND 2.40
$0.81TND 2.42
-1.23%
Onion(1kg)
$0.71TND 2.11
$0.83TND 2.47
-14.46%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.52TND 1.57
$0.58TND 1.74
-10.34%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.33TND 0.99
$0.35TND 1.04
-5.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.43TND 10.28
$3.73TND 11.17
-8.04%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.78TND 20.30
$6.88TND 20.60
-1.45%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24TND 3.70
$1.13TND 3.39
9.73%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58TND 4.73
$1.09TND 3.26
44.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Ariana
Sfax
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.35TND 1.04
$0.18TND 0.53
94.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$10.04TND 30.07
$9.97TND 29.87
0.70%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.30TND 0.89
$0.33TND 0.99
-9.09%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.33TND 1.00
$0.31TND 0.94
6.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.75TND 5.25
$7.21TND 21.59
-75.73%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.82TND 2.44
$0.80TND 2.39
2.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3KTND 111.7K
$36.1KTND 108.0K
3.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3KTND 99.7K
$34.4KTND 103.1K
-3.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ariana
Sfax
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$59.8TND 179
$44.55TND 133
34.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.20TND 27.55
$9.71TND 29.09
-5.25%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.51TND 61.4
$14.70TND 44.02
39.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ariana
Sfax
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$31.26TND 93.6
$27.24TND 81.6
14.76%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.96TND 50.8
$7.12TND 21.32
138.20%
Cinema Ticket
$4.36TND 13.07
$4.65TND 13.91
-6.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ariana
Sfax
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$103TND 308
$98.6TND 295
4.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,289TND 9,850
$2,480TND 7,427
32.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ariana
Sfax
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.46TND 115
$41.87TND 125
-8.14%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2TND 174
$35.55TND 106
63.66%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$90.1TND 270
$112TND 337
-19.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$65.7TND 197
$67.2TND 201
-2.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ariana
Sfax
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$244TND 731
$195TND 584
25.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$160TND 479
$133TND 399
20.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$441TND 1,322
$335TND 1,002
31.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$292TND 876
$214TND 641
36.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,110TND 3,324
$1,014TND 3,037
9.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$732TND 2,193
$720TND 2,156
1.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ariana
Sfax
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$331TND 991
$333TND 996
-0.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.67
13.6
-21.54%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Ariana: October 11, 2026
Last update for Sfax: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Ariana
$172 25.8%
Sfax
$193 30.8% ↑ 12.1%$21
🏠Accommodation & Living
Ariana
$160 24%
Sfax
$133 21.3% ↓ 16.7%$27
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Ariana
$114 17%
Sfax
$116 18.5% ↑ 1.8%$2.1
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ariana
$89 13.4%
Sfax
$69 11% ↓ 22.9%$21
🍽Eating Out
Ariana
$78 11.7%
Sfax
$66 10.5% ↓ 15.7%$12
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Ariana
$40 6%
Sfax
$37 5.8% ↓ 8.7%$3.5
🚌Getting Around
Ariana
$13 2%
Sfax
$13 2% ↓ 6%$0.8
🛒Groceries & Markets
Ariana
$402 28.5%
Sfax
$456 34% ↑ 13.4%$54
🏠Accommodation & Living
Ariana
$292 20.7%
Sfax
$214 16% ↓ 26.8%$78
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Ariana
$252 17.9%
Sfax
$257 19.2% ↑ 1.8%$4.6
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ariana
$99 7%
Sfax
$79 5.9% ↓ 20.3%$20
🍽Eating Out
Ariana
$242 17.2%
Sfax
$229 17.1% ↓ 5.4%$13
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Ariana
$97 6.9%
Sfax
$80 6% ↓ 17.3%$17
🚌Getting Around
Ariana
$27 1.9%
Sfax
$26 1.9% ↓ 7.1%$1.9
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Ariana versus $195 in Sfax. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.
💰Salaries run about 1% higher in Sfax, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Ariana versus $20.00 in Sfax. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $172 vs $193 – making Ariana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Ariana vs Sfax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ariana and in Sfax compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $666 in Ariana, $626 in Sfax – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ariana compared to Sfax?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,000 per month in Ariana and $938 in Sfax. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ariana and Sfax?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sfax, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Ariana – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Ariana and $20.00 in Sfax. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $1,200 go in Ariana compared to Sfax?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $666 in Ariana and $626 in Sfax, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Ariana or Sfax?
Families tend to lean toward Sfax – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Ariana and Sfax?
If budget matters most, go with Sfax. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ariana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.