Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Sousse

For one person, living is cheaper in Sousse: $783 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Sousse
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Sousse Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Sousse

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$783

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai 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 Dubai and in Sousse actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,889 in Dubai versus $783 in Sousse.

Dubai $2,889
Sousse $783

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,444 in Dubai versus $1,267 in Sousse.

Dubai $4,444
Sousse $1,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Dubai versus $1,751 in Sousse.

Dubai $5,999
Sousse $1,751

Living in Dubai is roughly 269% more expensive than in Sousse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 114% above, Sousse is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 AED 47.54

$5.13 TND 15.27

152.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 AED 306

$23.27 TND 69.2

257.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 AED 34.32

$6.64 TND 19.75

40.81%

Cappuccino

$5.88 AED 21.60

$1.17 TND 3.47

402.56%

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

$1.57 AED 5.77

$0.78 TND 2.32

101.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 AED 3.47

$0.37 TND 1.11

154.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.44 AED 49.38

$1.66 TND 4.93

709.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.57 AED 49.84

$1.64 TND 4.86

727.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$0.48 TND 1.42

287.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 AED 5.73

$0.13 TND 0.39

1100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 AED 9.68

$1.30 TND 3.86

103.08%

Eggs

$3.53 AED 12.96

$1.64 TND 4.87

115.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 AED 47.62

$13.78 TND 40.96

-5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 AED 36.51

$5.55 TND 16.50

79.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 AED 47.45

$14.00 TND 41.64

-7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 AED 9.36

$2.07 TND 6.14

23.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 AED 7.54

$3.58 TND 10.65

-42.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.77

$0.97 TND 2.89

89.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 AED 5.64

$0.74 TND 2.20

108.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.31

$0.83 TND 2.46

40.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 AED 3.76

$0.68 TND 2.02

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 AED 5.75

$0.41 TND 1.21

282.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.46

$0.30 TND 0.88

123.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 AED 23.17

$3.76 TND 11.19

67.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 AED 59.4

$6.04 TND 17.94

167.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 AED 9.48

$1.07 TND 3.18

141.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 AED 10.60

$1.16 TND 3.46

149.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 AED 5.15

$0.32 TND 0.94

337.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 AED 303

$9.92 TND 29.50

730.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 AED 12.07

$0.31 TND 0.94

961.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$0.70 TND 2.09

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 AED 29.84

$3.95 TND 11.73

105.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 AED 3.68

$0.86 TND 2.57

16.28%

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

$26.3K AED 96.6K

$39.9K TND 118.6K

-34.10%

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

$22.0K AED 81.0K

$36.7K TND 109.1K

-39.94%

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

$239 AED 877

$74.8 TND 222

219.16%

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

$56.9 AED 209

$13.79 TND 40.99

312.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.9 AED 345

$19.54 TND 58.1

380.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.8 AED 334

$28.74 TND 85.5

216.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.38 AED 170

$27.00 TND 80.3

71.78%

Cinema Ticket

$16.24 AED 59.6

$6.24 TND 18.54

160.26%

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

$934 AED 3,429

$92.4 TND 275

910.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K AED 76.8K

$3,605 TND 10.7K

480.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 AED 260

$51.7 TND 154

36.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 AED 225

$72.8 TND 216

-15.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 377

$153 TND 455

-32.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 AED 426

$97.3 TND 289

19.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 AED 9,134

$243 TND 724

921.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 AED 5,581

$161 TND 480

841.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,234 AED 19.2K

$510 TND 1,517

925.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 AED 11.1K

$347 TND 1,032

772.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,982 AED 25.6K

$920 TND 2,736

658.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,433 AED 16.3K

$659 TND 1,960

572.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 AED 13.0K

$373 TND 1,108

853.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

-58.45%

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

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sousse: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6%

Sousse

$161 20.6% 89.4% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$390 13.5%

Sousse

$108 13.8% 72.2% $281

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Sousse

$91 11.7% 70.2% $215

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$297 10.3%

Sousse

$197 25.2% 33.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$158 5.5%

Sousse

$169 21.6% 6.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$123 4.3%

Sousse

$41 5.3% 66.6% $82

Getting Around

Dubai

$95 3.3%

Sousse

$15 1.9% 84.1% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,487 in Dubai and $243 in Sousse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays about 9.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Dubai vs $23 in Sousse for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $197 per month, with Sousse cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇹🇳 Sousse

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

19:43 7:43 PM

3 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

221,530

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1 TND = 0.336 USD

1 TND = 0.299 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.97 TND (1 TND = 0.336 USD). 1 EUR = 3.34 TND (1 TND = 0.299 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubai Sousse 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
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

Dubai vs Sousse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sousse is about 73% 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 9.5 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 $243 in Sousse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sousse runs roughly 88% less than in Dubai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $934 in Dubai versus $92 in Sousse. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $783 in Sousse versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Sousse but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Sousse 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 Sousse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.