Cost of Living Comparison Between Carthage and Yiwu Cost of Living Comparison Between Carthage and Yiwu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $725 in Carthage versus $549 in Yiwu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in Carthage versus $1,296 in Yiwu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,567 in Carthage versus $2,044 in Yiwu.

Living in Carthage is roughly 32% more expensive than in Yiwu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Carthage 47% lower, Yiwu 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 TND 13.19

$2.81 ¥18.82

62.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.03 TND 63.7

$30.03 ¥201

-26.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 TND 17.23

$5.33 ¥35.78

11.82%

Cappuccino

$1.06 TND 3.06

$3.34 ¥22.40

-68.26%

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

$0.80 TND 2.32

$0.59 ¥3.98

35.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 TND 0.87

$0.36 ¥2.42

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 TND 4.88

$1.17 ¥7.86

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 TND 6.14

$2.38 ¥15.95

-10.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 TND 1.48

$2.00 ¥13.45

-74.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 TND 0.72

$1.98 ¥13.28

-87.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 TND 5.23

$1.01 ¥6.78

79.21%

Eggs

$1.70 TND 4.92

$1.60 ¥10.75

6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 TND 30.15

$17.11 ¥115

-39.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.87 TND 16.97

$3.27 ¥21.95

79.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 TND 42.81

$13.10 ¥87.9

12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 TND 4.10

$2.24 ¥15.05

-36.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.86 TND 11.16

$1.83 ¥12.26

110.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 TND 3.31

$2.01 ¥13.47

-42.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 TND 2.15

$1.79 ¥12.02

-58.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 TND 2.44

$0.81 ¥5.44

3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.66 TND 1.91

$0.93 ¥6.23

-29.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 TND 1.49

$0.61 ¥4.08

-16.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 TND 0.91

$0.70 ¥4.69

-55.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 TND 10.85

$4.55 ¥30.55

-17.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.72 TND 19.43

$11.06 ¥74.2

-39.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 TND 3.82

$0.87 ¥5.83

51.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 TND 3.80

$1.62 ¥10.84

-19.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 TND 1.29

$0.43 ¥2.90

4.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.31 TND 41.39

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.30 TND 0.85

$1.36 ¥9.12

-77.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 TND 0.95

$0.44 ¥2.95

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 TND 5.47

$8.84 ¥59.3

-78.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 TND 2.61

$1.28 ¥8.62

-29.69%

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

$41.1K TND 119.0K

$19.3K ¥129.7K

112.78%

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

$36.7K TND 106.0K

$18.1K ¥121.3K

102.78%

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

$47.11 TND 136

$61.3 ¥411

-23.14%

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

$8.59 TND 24.84

$8.61 ¥57.7

-0.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.79 TND 60.1

$10.18 ¥68.3

104.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.90 TND 95.2

$14.94 ¥100

120.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.55 TND 39.19

$11.31 ¥75.9

19.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 TND 14.71

$7.20 ¥48.34

-29.31%

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

$114 TND 330

$1,417 ¥9,509

-91.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,928 TND 11.4K

$26.7K ¥179.3K

-85.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 TND 148

$53.3 ¥357

-4.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 TND 193

$36.83 ¥247

81.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 TND 324

$76.6 ¥514

46.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 TND 176

$73.0 ¥490

-16.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$219 TND 632

$451 ¥3,027

-51.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 TND 474

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 TND 631

$1,056 ¥7,083

-79.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 TND 837

$753 ¥5,051

-61.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$989 TND 2,861

$11.8K ¥78.8K

-91.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$648 TND 1,875

$2,931 ¥19.7K

-77.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 TND 803

$588 ¥3,946

-52.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.28

3.35

206.87%

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

Last update for Carthage: August 30, 2026

Last update for Yiwu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $219 in Carthage and $451 in Yiwu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yiwu pays 112% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Carthage vs $30.00 in Yiwu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $241 per month, with Carthage cheaper across the board.

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

Carthage vs Yiwu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carthage and Yiwu differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($725 vs $549 including rent). Yiwu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 112% lower in Yiwu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $219 in Carthage versus $451 in Yiwu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $114 in Carthage versus $1,417 in Yiwu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yiwu – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $22.00 in Carthage. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Yiwu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Yiwu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Carthage. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.