For one person, living is cheaper in Tunisia: $678 a month against $1,213 in Ethiopia, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ethiopia and in Tunisia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,213 in Ethiopia versus $678 in Tunisia.
Ethiopia $1,213
Tunisia $678
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,821 in Ethiopia versus $1,067 in Tunisia.
Ethiopia $1,821
Tunisia $1,067
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,429 in Ethiopia versus $1,456 in Tunisia.
Ethiopia $2,429
Tunisia $1,456
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Ethiopia: monthly costs span $374 to $1,300, compared to $444–$857 in Tunisia. City choice carries more weight in Ethiopia.
🌍
Living in Ethiopia is roughly 79% more expensive than in Tunisia on average.
📊
Both countries sit below the global median: Ethiopia 11% lower, Tunisia 50% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.11ETB 662
$4.03TND 12.09
1.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.65ETB 6,862
$20.23TND 60.7
110.83%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.45ETB 1,038
$5.10TND 15.29
26.47%
Cappuccino
$0.86ETB 138
$0.98TND 2.94
-12.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57ETB 92.5
$0.69TND 2.06
-17.39%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56ETB 90.6
$0.32TND 0.96
75.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.89ETB 143
$1.71TND 5.12
-47.95%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94ETB 313
$1.94TND 5.83
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.03ETB 166
$0.50TND 1.49
106.00%
White Bread(500g)
$0.90ETB 145
$0.20TND 0.60
350.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.74ETB 280
$1.49TND 4.46
16.78%
Eggs
$1.79ETB 288
$1.54TND 4.63
16.23%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.49ETB 1,205
$11.03TND 33.11
-32.09%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.49ETB 1,687
$5.89TND 17.66
78.10%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.97ETB 1,605
$14.35TND 43.06
-30.52%
Apples(1kg)
$4.43ETB 713
$1.88TND 5.64
135.64%
Banana(1kg)
$0.78ETB 125
$3.54TND 10.62
-77.97%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.45ETB 394
$1.16TND 3.48
111.21%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.67ETB 108
$0.71TND 2.14
-5.63%
Potato(1kg)
$0.55ETB 88.3
$0.77TND 2.31
-28.57%
Onion(1kg)
$1.34ETB 216
$0.60TND 1.81
123.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.77ETB 124
$0.48TND 1.43
60.42%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57ETB 91.3
$0.30TND 0.89
90.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.86ETB 1,264
$3.73TND 11.19
110.72%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.38ETB 865
$6.75TND 20.26
-20.30%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.76ETB 122
$1.22TND 3.66
-37.70%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49ETB 240
$1.25TND 3.74
19.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.35ETB 55.7
$0.34TND 1.02
2.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$16.78ETB 2,699
$9.76TND 29.30
71.93%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.36ETB 218
$0.29TND 0.86
368.97%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.27ETB 43.19
$0.34TND 1.02
-20.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.97ETB 316
$3.96TND 11.87
-50.25%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.00ETB 161
$0.85TND 2.55
17.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$53.5KETB 8.6M
$39.6KTND 118.8K
35.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$55.1KETB 8.9M
$35.5KTND 106.6K
54.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$142ETB 22.9K
$53.1TND 159
167.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.63ETB 1,550
$9.83TND 29.50
-2.03%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$236ETB 38.0K
$20.12TND 60.4
1072.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$42.81ETB 6,889
$26.87TND 80.6
59.32%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.60ETB 5,728
$11.48TND 34.45
210.10%
Cinema Ticket
$4.96ETB 799
$5.41TND 16.24
-8.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$628ETB 101.0K
$85.6TND 257
633.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$30.1KETB 4.9M
$2,758TND 8,276
992.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.35ETB 5,849
$39.84TND 120
-8.76%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.8ETB 10.1K
$52.4TND 157
19.90%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$78.3ETB 12.6K
$96.0TND 288
-18.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6ETB 14.3K
$72.8TND 218
21.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$654ETB 105.2K
$228TND 685
186.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$346ETB 55.7K
$157TND 470
120.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,818ETB 292.5K
$391TND 1,173
365.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$723ETB 116.3K
$276TND 828
161.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,825ETB 293.6K
$1,084TND 3,254
68.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,031ETB 165.8K
$662TND 1,988
55.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ethiopia
Tunisia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$203ETB 32.7K
$320TND 961
-36.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
17
10.98
54.83%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Ethiopia: October 25, 2026
Last update for Tunisia: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ethiopia
$388 32%
Tunisia
$83 12.3% ↓ 78.6%$305
🏠Accommodation & Living
Ethiopia
$346 28.5%
Tunisia
$157 23.1% ↓ 54.7%$189
🛒Groceries & Markets
Ethiopia
$210 17.3%
Tunisia
$195 28.7% ↓ 7.3%$15
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Ethiopia
$120 9.9%
Tunisia
$117 17.3% ↓ 1.9%$2.3
🍽Eating Out
Ethiopia
$75 6.2%
Tunisia
$76 11.2% ↑ 0.3%$0.3
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Ethiopia
$53 4.4%
Tunisia
$38 5.6% ↓ 28.5%$15
🚌Getting Around
Ethiopia
$21 1.7%
Tunisia
$13 1.9% ↓ 37.2%$7.8
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ethiopia
$397 16.4%
Tunisia
$93 6.4% ↓ 76.6%$304
🏠Accommodation & Living
Ethiopia
$723 29.7%
Tunisia
$276 19% ↓ 61.8%$447
🛒Groceries & Markets
Ethiopia
$498 20.5%
Tunisia
$462 31.7% ↓ 7.2%$36
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Ethiopia
$266 11%
Tunisia
$261 17.9% ↓ 1.9%$5.1
🍽Eating Out
Ethiopia
$362 14.9%
Tunisia
$250 17.2% ↓ 30.9%$112
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Ethiopia
$141 5.8%
Tunisia
$87 6% ↓ 38.4%$54
🚌Getting Around
Ethiopia
$42 1.8%
Tunisia
$27 1.9% ↓ 36.5%$15
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $421 in Ethiopia, $202 in Tunisia. Capital cities: $707 in Addis Ababa vs $385 in Tunis.
💰National salary averages: $180 in Ethiopia, $306 in Tunisia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 108% higher in Ethiopia.
⭐Dining out costs 139% more in Ethiopia.
⭐Public transport is 70% more expensive in Ethiopia.
⭐Salaries are 70% higher in Tunisia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Tunisia.
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
Ethiopia vs Tunisia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Ethiopia and Tunisia?
At $1,213 per month in Ethiopia and $678 in Tunisia, Tunisia comes out about 44% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Tunisia: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $421 in Ethiopia and $202 in Tunisia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Ethiopia or in Tunisia?
In Tunisia, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Ethiopia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Ethiopia or to Tunisia?
It depends on what you’re after: Tunisia wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.