Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kairouan and Sousse

For one person, living is cheaper in Kairouan: $613 a month against $779 in Sousse, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Kairouan
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$613
/mo nomad
Sousse
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$779
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $613 per month in Kairouan vs $779 in Sousse, rent included.

  • Kairouan $613
  • Sousse $779

A couple spends around $965 per month in Kairouan vs $1,261 in Sousse, rent included.

  • Kairouan $965
  • Sousse $1,261

A family of three spends $1,316 per month in Kairouan vs $1,743 in Sousse, rent included.

  • Kairouan $1,316
  • Sousse $1,743

Kairouan is about 21% cheaper than Sousse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kairouan and Sousse are more affordable than the global median – Kairouan 55% lower, Sousse 43% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kairouan
Sousse
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.65 TND 7.93
$4.90 TND 14.67
-45.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.21 TND 48.56
$23.60 TND 70.7
-31.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.15 TND 18.42
$6.75 TND 20.22
-8.89%
Cappuccino
$0.96 TND 2.87
$1.10 TND 3.29
-12.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 TND 2.53
$0.73 TND 2.19
15.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 TND 1.12
$0.38 TND 1.12
-2.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.64 TND 4.91
$1.72 TND 5.14
-4.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 TND 7.87
$1.66 TND 4.98
58.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kairouan
Sousse
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.46 TND 1.37
$0.44 TND 1.32
4.55%
White Bread (500g)
$0.08 TND 0.24
$0.13 TND 0.40
-38.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 TND 5.11
$1.24 TND 3.71
37.90%
Eggs
$1.50 TND 4.49
$1.61 TND 4.82
-6.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.90 TND 29.64
$13.70 TND 41.05
-27.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.65 TND 16.92
$5.80 TND 17.37
-2.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.68 TND 34.97
$13.98 TND 41.87
-16.45%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 TND 6.55
$2.02 TND 6.05
8.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 TND 6.58
$3.49 TND 10.46
-36.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.17 TND 3.49
$1.02 TND 3.07
14.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.76 TND 2.27
$0.69 TND 2.06
10.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.70 TND 2.10
$0.87 TND 2.62
-19.54%
Onion (1kg)
$0.66 TND 1.97
$0.69 TND 2.05
-4.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.50 TND 1.48
$0.43 TND 1.30
16.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.24 TND 0.71
$0.33 TND 0.97
-27.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.33 TND 9.96
$3.76 TND 11.25
-11.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.78 TND 20.30
$5.98 TND 17.90
13.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 TND 3.73
$1.03 TND 3.08
21.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 TND 4.39
$1.13 TND 3.39
29.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Kairouan
Sousse
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 TND 1.02
$0.33 TND 0.99
3.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.10 TND 33.26
$9.88 TND 29.60
12.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.29 TND 0.86
$0.34 TND 1.03
-14.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 TND 0.86
$0.69 TND 2.08
-57.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.82 TND 5.46
$4.00 TND 11.98
-54.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.73 TND 2.18
$0.81 TND 2.43
-9.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K TND 116.3K
$40.3K TND 120.6K
-3.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.2K TND 108.6K
$36.8K TND 110.1K
-1.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kairouan
Sousse
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.7 TND 182
$75.1 TND 225
-19.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.89 TND 26.63
$13.68 TND 40.97
-35.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.10 TND 60.2
$19.58 TND 58.6
2.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kairouan
Sousse
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.26 TND 69.7
$28.10 TND 84.2
-17.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.84 TND 38.45
$26.30 TND 78.8
-51.18%
Cinema Ticket
$4.77 TND 14.28
$6.54 TND 19.59
-27.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kairouan
Sousse
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$108 TND 322
$92.6 TND 277
16.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,227 TND 9,666
$3,228 TND 9,667
-0.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kairouan
Sousse
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.82 TND 71.4
$52.6 TND 158
-54.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.5 TND 184
$70.9 TND 212
-13.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.99 TND 141
$149 TND 447
-68.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.4 TND 250
$99.4 TND 298
-16.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kairouan
Sousse
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$118 TND 354
$241 TND 721
-50.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$135 TND 404
$161 TND 483
-16.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$376 TND 1,126
$512 TND 1,533
-26.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$271 TND 813
$346 TND 1,037
-21.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$890 TND 2,665
$978 TND 2,929
-9.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$601 TND 1,800
$621 TND 1,859
-3.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kairouan
Sousse
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$325 TND 972
$380 TND 1,139
-14.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.65
11.4
-6.58%

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

Last update for Kairouan: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sousse: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kairouan
$175
Sousse
$197 12.6% $22
Accommodation & Living
Kairouan
$135
Sousse
$161 19.4% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Kairouan
$97
Sousse
$167 72.5% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kairouan
$90
Sousse
$108 20.9% $19
Eating Out
Kairouan
$69
Sousse
$89 28.1% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Kairouan
$33
Sousse
$41 25.6% $8.4
Getting Around
Kairouan
$14
Sousse
$15 5.7% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Kairouan versus $241 in Sousse. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Sousse, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Kairouan versus $24.00 in Sousse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $197 – making Kairouan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇳 Kairouan
🇹🇳 Sousse
🕒 Local time
01:39 1:39 AM
01:39 1:39 AM
Same time as Kairouan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
139,070
221,530
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kairouan Sousse 52 km
From you
  • Kairouan
  • 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
Kairouan vs Sousse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kairouan and in Sousse compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $613 in Kairouan, $779 in Sousse – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Kairouan compared to Sousse?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $919 per month in Kairouan and $1,168 in Sousse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kairouan and Sousse?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kairouan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Kairouan and in Sousse?
Public transport costs about 12% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kairouan and Sousse?
Kindergarten costs $108 per month in Kairouan and $92.6 in Sousse. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $1,200 go in Kairouan compared to Sousse?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $613 in Kairouan and $779 in Sousse, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Kairouan or Sousse?
Families tend to lean toward Kairouan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Kairouan or Sousse safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Kairouan and Sousse?
If budget matters most, go with Kairouan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sousse makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Kairouan vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?