Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Sousse

For one person, living is cheaper in Sousse: $778 a month against $1,568 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,568
/mo nomad
Sousse
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$778
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Sousse

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

A single person spends $1,568 per month in Cape Town vs $778 in Sousse, rent included.

  • Cape Town $1,568
  • Sousse $778

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Cape Town vs $1,256 in Sousse, rent included.

  • Cape Town $2,438
  • Sousse $1,256

A family of three spends $3,307 per month in Cape Town vs $1,733 in Sousse, rent included.

  • Cape Town $3,307
  • Sousse $1,733

Cape Town costs about 101% more than Sousse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cape Town sits 17% above the global median, while Sousse is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cape Town
Sousse
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.78 R 195
$4.94 TND 14.75
138.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 R 772
$23.57 TND 70.3
97.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.96 R 98.9
$6.76 TND 20.18
-11.83%
Cappuccino
$2.47 R 41.01
$1.05 TND 3.12
135.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 R 22.03
$0.75 TND 2.24
77.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 R 17.08
$0.37 TND 1.12
178.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.01 R 49.98
$1.71 TND 5.09
76.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 R 60.8
$1.65 TND 4.92
121.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
Sousse
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 R 23.08
$0.45 TND 1.34
208.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.19 R 19.70
$0.15 TND 0.46
693.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.11 R 35.02
$1.28 TND 3.83
64.84%
Eggs
$3.01 R 49.84
$1.66 TND 4.95
81.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.96 R 149
$13.80 TND 41.17
-35.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.65 R 110
$5.64 TND 16.83
17.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.29 R 154
$14.21 TND 42.39
-34.62%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 R 30.28
$2.05 TND 6.13
-10.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 R 31.47
$3.57 TND 10.64
-46.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.75 R 28.98
$0.98 TND 2.93
78.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.09 R 34.59
$0.70 TND 2.08
198.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.55 R 25.78
$0.86 TND 2.57
80.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.49 R 24.65
$0.68 TND 2.03
119.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 R 21.53
$0.43 TND 1.29
202.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 R 19.29
$0.30 TND 0.89
286.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.71 R 61.5
$3.75 TND 11.20
-1.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.06 R 101
$5.98 TND 17.85
1.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R 22.97
$1.08 TND 3.22
28.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 R 36.51
$1.17 TND 3.50
88.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Cape Town
Sousse
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.51 R 25.11
$0.34 TND 1.02
344.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$61.0 R 1,011
$9.92 TND 29.61
514.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.63 R 10.38
$0.31 TND 0.94
103.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 R 25.42
$0.64 TND 1.92
139.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.81 R 79.8
$3.98 TND 11.89
20.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.58 R 26.22
$0.87 TND 2.59
81.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K R 588.7K
$40.0K TND 119.4K
-11.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K R 526.6K
$36.8K TND 109.8K
-13.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
Sousse
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$116 R 1,930
$75.6 TND 226
53.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.37 R 471
$13.63 TND 40.67
108.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.69 R 675
$19.75 TND 58.9
106.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
Sousse
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.85 R 810
$28.30 TND 84.4
72.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.13 R 185
$26.72 TND 79.7
-58.35%
Cinema Ticket
$8.83 R 146
$6.45 TND 19.24
36.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cape Town
Sousse
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$261 R 4,336
$93.4 TND 279
179.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,702 R 111.2K
$3,224 TND 9,622
107.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
Sousse
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.4 R 919
$51.5 TND 154
7.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.27 R 535
$71.4 TND 213
-54.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 R 1,949
$150 TND 449
-21.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 R 1,775
$101 TND 300
6.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
Sousse
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,015 R 16.8K
$243 TND 727
316.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$715 R 11.9K
$159 TND 476
348.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,801 R 29.9K
$524 TND 1,563
243.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,330 R 22.1K
$341 TND 1,018
290.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,331 R 38.7K
$992 TND 2,959
135.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,513 R 25.1K
$635 TND 1,893
138.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cape Town
Sousse
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,636 R 27.1K
$381 TND 1,137
329.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.97
11.4
-3.77%

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

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sousse: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cape Town
$715
Sousse
$159 77.7% $556
Groceries & Markets
Cape Town
$222
Sousse
$198 11% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cape Town
$185
Sousse
$109 41.2% $76
Eating Out
Cape Town
$174
Sousse
$89 48.9% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Cape Town
$141
Sousse
$168 19.8% $28
Getting Around
Cape Town
$75
Sousse
$15 80.3% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Cape Town
$67
Sousse
$41 38.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,015 in Cape Town versus $243 in Sousse. 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 330% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Cape Town versus $24.00 in Sousse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $198 – making Sousse the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🇹🇳 Sousse
🕒 Local time
04:47 4:47 AM
03:47 3:47 AM
1 h behind Cape Town
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,740,026 Capital
221,530
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.98 TND (1 TND = 0.335 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.299 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cape Town Sousse 7,800 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cape Town
  • Sousse

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
Cape Town vs Sousse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cape Town or Sousse?
Cape Town costs about 101% more than Sousse, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cape Town and in Sousse?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,352 per month in Cape Town and $1,168 in Sousse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cape Town or Sousse?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sousse, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Cape Town compared to Sousse?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,568 in Cape Town and $778 in Sousse. That's a gap of about 101%.
How expensive is transport in Cape Town compared to Sousse?
Public transport costs about 515% less in Sousse. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Cape Town or in Sousse?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sousse, where all-in costs run around $778, than in Cape Town at $1,568. In Sousse it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cape Town or Sousse?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sousse costs $778 versus $1,568 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Cape Town or to Sousse?
If budget matters most, go with Sousse. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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