Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ben Arous

For one person, living is cheaper in Ben Arous: $698 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Ben Arous
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ben Arous

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Ben Arous actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $698 in Ben Arous.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Ben Arous $698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,098 in Ben Arous.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Ben Arous $1,098

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,497 in Ben Arous.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Ben Arous $1,497

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 282% more expensive than in Ben Arous, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Ben Arous is 48% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Ben Arous
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$5.31 TND 15.90
291.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$19.81 TND 59.3
327.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$5.06 TND 15.14
143.48%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$1.16 TND 3.48
385.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$0.65 TND 1.95
472.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.27 TND 0.81
825.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$1.65 TND 4.95
387.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.04 TND 6.12
341.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Ben Arous
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$0.52 TND 1.54
115.38%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$0.10 TND 0.29
3650.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.70 TND 5.08
91.76%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$1.48 TND 4.43
181.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$10.27 TND 30.76
25.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$5.91 TND 17.70
139.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$17.19 TND 51.5
-5.64%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.67 TND 5.01
159.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$4.47 TND 13.38
-67.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$0.95 TND 2.84
374.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$0.80 TND 2.41
442.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.90 TND 2.69
186.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.66 TND 1.97
256.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$0.52 TND 1.56
242.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.31 TND 0.93
616.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$3.49 TND 10.46
183.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$6.62 TND 19.82
127.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.00 TND 2.99
192.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.23 TND 3.68
181.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Ben Arous
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.38 TND 1.14
292.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$13.56 TND 40.61
207.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.31 TND 0.93
780.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.31 TND 0.92
435.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$1.75 TND 5.23
1917.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$0.86 TND 2.58
10.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$39.9K TND 119.6K
-9.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$23.0K TND 69.0K
17.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Ben Arous
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$53.9 TND 162
324.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$9.87 TND 29.56
501.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$20.83 TND 62.4
235.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Ben Arous
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$32.08 TND 96.1
78.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$16.52 TND 49.46
-1.15%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$5.11 TND 15.29
179.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Ben Arous
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$61.0 TND 183
2369.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$1,947 TND 5,830
1002.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Ben Arous
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$43.31 TND 130
21.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$60.2 TND 180
-27.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$85.8 TND 257
-1.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$46.95 TND 141
119.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Ben Arous
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$209 TND 626
812.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$156 TND 467
716.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$386 TND 1,155
850.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$267 TND 799
851.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$933 TND 2,795
715.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$415 TND 1,243
660.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Ben Arous
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$247 TND 739
1976.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
10.5
-35.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Ben Arous
$156 87.8% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Ben Arous
$204 49.5% $200
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Ben Arous
$85 76.4% $274
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Ben Arous
$88 75.2% $266
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Ben Arous
$106 16.9% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Ben Arous
$42 50.7% $43
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Ben Arous
$17 71.2% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $209 in Ben Arous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1976% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $20.00 in Ben Arous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $204 per month, with Ben Arous cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇹🇳 Ben Arous
🕒 Local time
17:42 5:42 PM
23:42 11:42 PM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
88,322
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Ben Arous 9,450 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Ben Arous

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
Austin, TX vs Ben Arous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Ben Arous?
Ben Arous wins on cost – living expenses run 282% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ben Arous the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Ben Arous?
Average pay runs 1976% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Ben Arous?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $209 in Ben Arous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Ben Arous?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $698 in Ben Arous – a 282% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Ben Arous?
A monthly transit pass in Ben Arous runs roughly 208% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Ben Arous?
At $698 in Ben Arous versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ben Arous but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ben Arous the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Ben Arous?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Ben Arous?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Ben Arous are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ben Arous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 282% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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