Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Gafsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Gafsa: $581 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Gafsa
Learn more

Gafsa Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Gafsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$581

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Gafsa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Dubai versus $581 in Gafsa.

Dubai $2,889
Gafsa $581

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,444 in Dubai versus $895 in Gafsa.

Dubai $4,444
Gafsa $895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Dubai versus $1,209 in Gafsa.

Dubai $5,999
Gafsa $1,209

Living in Dubai is roughly 397% more expensive than in Gafsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 114% above, Gafsa is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 AED 47.54

$3.79 TND 11.25

241.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 AED 306

$9.54 TND 28.31

772.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 AED 34.32

$2.57 TND 7.63

263.81%

Cappuccino

$5.88 AED 21.59

$0.62 TND 1.83

848.39%

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

$1.57 AED 5.77

$0.52 TND 1.54

201.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 AED 3.47

$0.26 TND 0.78

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.44 AED 49.37

$1.71 TND 5.07

685.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.57 AED 49.84

$1.65 TND 4.89

722.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$0.47 TND 1.39

295.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 AED 5.73

$0.12 TND 0.36

1200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 AED 9.68

$1.70 TND 5.06

55.29%

Eggs

$3.53 AED 12.96

$1.01 TND 2.99

249.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 AED 47.62

$12.53 TND 37.19

3.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 AED 36.51

$5.83 TND 17.29

70.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 AED 47.45

$11.53 TND 34.23

12.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.36

$1.44 TND 4.28

77.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AED 7.54

$3.15 TND 9.34

-34.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.77

$0.88 TND 2.60

109.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 AED 5.64

$0.95 TND 2.82

62.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.31

$0.70 TND 2.08

67.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 AED 3.76

$0.51 TND 1.52

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.75

$0.49 TND 1.46

220.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.46

$0.27 TND 0.80

148.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 AED 23.17

$2.42 TND 7.19

160.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 AED 59.4

$5.08 TND 15.08

218.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.48

$1.21 TND 3.59

113.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 AED 10.60

$1.38 TND 4.09

109.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 AED 5.15

$0.34 TND 1.02

311.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 AED 303

$10.84 TND 32.17

660.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 AED 12.07

$0.29 TND 0.86

1034.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$0.23 TND 0.68

182.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 AED 29.84

$4.01 TND 11.89

102.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 AED 3.68

$0.89 TND 2.65

12.36%

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

$26.3K AED 96.6K

$38.1K TND 113.0K

-30.95%

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

$22.0K AED 81.0K

$32.3K TND 95.9K

-31.80%

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

$239 AED 877

$39.81 TND 118

500.00%

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

$56.9 AED 209

$8.41 TND 24.98

576.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.9 AED 345

$19.34 TND 57.4

385.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.8 AED 334

$15.13 TND 44.91

500.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.38 AED 170

$12.21 TND 36.25

279.85%

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 AED 59.6

$3.34 TND 9.92

386.23%

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

$934 AED 3,429

$59.5 TND 177

1468.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K AED 76.8K

$1,016 TND 3,016

1958.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 AED 260

$39.56 TND 117

78.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 AED 225

$52.0 TND 154

18.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 377

$104 TND 310

-1.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 AED 426

$113 TND 335

2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 AED 9,134

$143 TND 424

1642.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 AED 5,581

$99.3 TND 295

1429.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,234 AED 19.2K

$211 TND 625

2385.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 AED 11.1K

$149 TND 442

1934.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,982 AED 25.6K

$925 TND 2,745

654.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,433 AED 16.3K

$348 TND 1,032

1174.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 AED 13.0K

$296 TND 878

1101.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

8.88

-48.54%

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

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gafsa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6%

Gafsa

$99 17.1% 93.5% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$390 13.5%

Gafsa

$68 11.6% 82.7% $322

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Gafsa

$60 10.4% 80.3% $246

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$297 10.3%

Gafsa

$180 30.9% 39.5% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$158 5.5%

Gafsa

$139 23.9% 12% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$123 4.3%

Gafsa

$22 3.8% 82.3% $102

Getting Around

Dubai

$95 3.3%

Gafsa

$14 2.4% 85.6% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,487 in Dubai and $143 in Gafsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Dubai vs $10 in Gafsa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $180 per month, with Gafsa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇹🇳 Gafsa

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

02:27 2:27 AM

3 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

111,170

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

1 TND = 0.337 USD

1 TND = 0.3 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.97 TND (1 TND = 0.337 USD). 1 EUR = 3.33 TND (1 TND = 0.3 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Gafsa 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
Gafsa

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

Dubai vs Gafsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gafsa is about 80% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Dubai is about 12 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,487 in Dubai versus $143 in Gafsa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gafsa runs roughly 87% less than in Dubai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $934 in Dubai versus $60 in Gafsa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $581 in Gafsa versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gafsa but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Gafsa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Gafsa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.