Cost of Living Comparison Between Ben Arous and Sfax Cost of Living Comparison Between Ben Arous and Sfax

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $660 per month in Ben Arous vs $618 in Sfax, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Ben Arous vs $997 in Sfax, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,456 per month in Ben Arous vs $1,375 in Sfax, rent included.

Ben Arous costs about 7% more than Sfax, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Ben Arous and Sfax are more affordable than the global median – Ben Arous 51% lower, Sfax 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 TND 9.87

$3.37 TND 9.74

1.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.63 TND 62.5

$19.94 TND 57.6

8.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.14 TND 11.97

$3.37 TND 9.73

22.85%

Cappuccino

$0.77 TND 2.24

$0.72 TND 2.09

6.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 TND 1.87

$0.64 TND 1.86

1.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 TND 0.74

$0.25 TND 0.73

4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 TND 4.29

$1.50 TND 4.33

-1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 TND 5.77

$1.99 TND 5.75

0.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 TND 1.40

$0.53 TND 1.54

-7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 TND 0.51

$0.19 TND 0.56

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 TND 4.72

$1.56 TND 4.51

4.49%

Eggs

$1.59 TND 4.59

$1.58 TND 4.56

0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 TND 32.27

$11.13 TND 32.18

0.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 TND 17.64

$5.84 TND 16.87

4.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 TND 42.66

$13.54 TND 39.13

9.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 TND 6.01

$2.15 TND 6.22

-3.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.96 TND 8.56

$3.09 TND 8.93

-4.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 TND 3.25

$1.05 TND 3.02

7.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 TND 2.08

$0.72 TND 2.09

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 TND 2.16

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 TND 2.08

$0.77 TND 2.23

-6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 TND 1.24

$0.48 TND 1.40

-10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 TND 0.86

$0.31 TND 0.89

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.53 TND 10.20

$3.48 TND 10.04

1.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 TND 22.62

$7.01 TND 20.25

11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 TND 3.30

$1.14 TND 3.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 TND 3.56

$1.10 TND 3.19

11.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 TND 1.22

$0.19 TND 0.56

121.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.62 TND 39.37

$10.35 TND 29.91

31.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 TND 0.94

$0.30 TND 0.87

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 TND 0.96

$0.31 TND 0.89

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 TND 9.54

$7.38 TND 21.32

-55.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 TND 2.39

$0.90 TND 2.60

-7.78%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.6K TND 117.2K

$35.6K TND 102.8K

14.01%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.4K TND 99.4K

$34.3K TND 99.1K

0.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$48.91 TND 141

$44.90 TND 130

8.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.89 TND 28.59

$9.49 TND 27.43

4.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.99 TND 60.7

$14.99 TND 43.32

40.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.32 TND 93.4

$27.95 TND 80.8

15.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.21 TND 49.74

$7.14 TND 20.64

141.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 TND 14.24

$4.65 TND 13.44

6.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$107 TND 308

0.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,513 TND 7,262

$2,437 TND 7,042

3.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.31 TND 128

$43.84 TND 127

1.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.45 TND 128

$44.33 TND 128

0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 TND 274

$103 TND 299

-8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 TND 226

$64.6 TND 187

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$185 TND 536

$193 TND 559

-4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 TND 398

$133 TND 385

3.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 TND 1,094

$338 TND 976

12.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$268 TND 774

$254 TND 734

5.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$942 TND 2,721

$980 TND 2,831

-3.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$434 TND 1,255

$650 TND 1,879

-33.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 TND 733

$322 TND 929

-21.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

13.6

-19.41%

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

Last update for Ben Arous: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sfax: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $185 in Ben Arous versus $193 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 27% 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 $22.00 in Ben Arous versus $20.00 in Sfax. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $191 – making Sfax the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Ben Arous vs Sfax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $660 in Ben Arous, $618 in Sfax – roughly 7% apart. Ben Arous costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $990 per month in Ben Arous and $928 in Sfax. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Ben Arous and $20.00 in Sfax. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $660 in Ben Arous and $618 in Sfax. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $660 in Ben Arous and $618 in Sfax, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sfax. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ben Arous makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.