Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gafsa and Dubai

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.

28

Cost of Living Index in Gafsa
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Gafsa Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Gafsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$581

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gafsa and in Dubai

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

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

Gafsa $581
Dubai $2,889

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

Gafsa $895
Dubai $4,444

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

Gafsa $1,209
Dubai $5,999

Living in Gafsa costs roughly 80% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.79 TND 11.25

$12.94 AED 47.54

-70.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.54 TND 28.31

$83.2 AED 306

-88.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.57 TND 7.63

$9.35 AED 34.32

-72.51%

Cappuccino

$0.62 TND 1.83

$5.88 AED 21.59

-89.46%

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

$0.52 TND 1.54

$1.57 AED 5.77

-66.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 TND 0.78

$0.94 AED 3.47

-72.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 TND 5.07

$13.44 AED 49.37

-87.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 TND 4.89

$13.57 AED 49.84

-87.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.47 TND 1.39

$1.86 AED 6.83

-74.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.12 TND 0.36

$1.56 AED 5.73

-92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 TND 5.06

$2.64 AED 9.68

-35.61%

Eggs

$1.01 TND 2.99

$3.53 AED 12.96

-71.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 TND 37.19

$12.97 AED 47.62

-3.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 TND 17.29

$9.94 AED 36.51

-41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.53 TND 34.23

$12.92 AED 47.45

-10.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 TND 4.28

$2.55 AED 9.36

-43.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 TND 9.34

$2.05 AED 7.54

53.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 TND 2.60

$1.84 AED 6.77

-52.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 TND 2.82

$1.54 AED 5.64

-38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 TND 2.08

$1.17 AED 4.31

-40.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 TND 1.52

$1.02 AED 3.76

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 TND 1.46

$1.57 AED 5.75

-68.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 TND 0.80

$0.67 AED 2.46

-59.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 TND 7.19

$6.31 AED 23.17

-61.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 TND 15.08

$16.16 AED 59.4

-68.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 TND 3.59

$2.58 AED 9.48

-53.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 TND 4.09

$2.89 AED 10.60

-52.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 TND 1.02

$1.40 AED 5.15

-75.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.84 TND 32.17

$82.4 AED 303

-86.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 TND 0.86

$3.29 AED 12.07

-91.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 TND 0.68

$0.65 AED 2.40

-64.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 TND 11.89

$8.13 AED 29.84

-50.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 TND 2.65

$1.00 AED 3.68

-11.00%

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

$38.1K TND 113.0K

$26.3K AED 96.6K

44.83%

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

$32.3K TND 95.9K

$22.0K AED 81.0K

46.62%

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

$39.81 TND 118

$239 AED 877

-83.33%

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

$8.41 TND 24.98

$56.9 AED 209

-85.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.34 TND 57.4

$93.9 AED 345

-79.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.13 TND 44.91

$90.8 AED 334

-83.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 TND 36.25

$46.38 AED 170

-73.67%

Cinema Ticket

$3.34 TND 9.92

$16.24 AED 59.6

-79.43%

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

$59.5 TND 177

$934 AED 3,429

-93.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,016 TND 3,016

$20.9K AED 76.8K

-95.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.56 TND 117

$70.7 AED 260

-44.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 TND 154

$61.3 AED 225

-15.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 TND 310

$103 AED 377

1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 TND 335

$116 AED 426

-2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$143 TND 424

$2,487 AED 9,134

-94.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.3 TND 295

$1,520 AED 5,581

-93.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 TND 625

$5,234 AED 19.2K

-95.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$149 TND 442

$3,028 AED 11.1K

-95.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$925 TND 2,745

$6,982 AED 25.6K

-86.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$348 TND 1,032

$4,433 AED 16.3K

-92.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$296 TND 878

$3,553 AED 13.0K

-91.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.88

4.57

94.31%

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

Last update for Gafsa: November 1, 2026

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gafsa

$180 30.9%

Dubai

$297 10.3% 65.4% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Gafsa

$139 23.9%

Dubai

$158 5.5% 13.6% $19

Accommodation & Living

Gafsa

$99 17.1%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6% 1430% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gafsa

$68 11.6%

Dubai

$390 13.5% 477% $322

Eating Out

Gafsa

$60 10.4%

Dubai

$307 10.6% 408% $246

Sport & Entertainment

Gafsa

$22 3.8%

Dubai

$123 4.3% 465% $102

Getting Around

Gafsa

$14 2.4%

Dubai

$95 3.3% 593% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $143 in Gafsa and $2,487 in Dubai. 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: $10 in Gafsa vs $83 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $297 per month, with Gafsa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇳 Gafsa

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

11:00 11:00 AM

3 h ahead of Gafsa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

111,170

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.337 USD

1 TND = 0.3 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar (د.ت)

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).

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).

USD to TND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gafsa Dubai 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Gafsa
Dubai

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

Gafsa vs Dubai: 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.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Gafsa. 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: $143 in Gafsa versus $2,487 in Dubai. 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 $60 in Gafsa versus $934 in Dubai. 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.