Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malawi and in Tunisia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Malawi versus $678 in Tunisia.
Malawi $682
Tunisia $678
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,197 in Malawi versus $1,067 in Tunisia.
Malawi $1,197
Tunisia $1,067
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,713 in Malawi versus $1,456 in Tunisia.
Malawi $1,713
Tunisia $1,456
📏
Malawi ($275–$641) and Tunisia ($444–$857) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
On average, monthly costs in Malawi and in Tunisia are close – where you settle within each country matters more.
📊
Both countries sit below the global median: Malawi 50% lower, Tunisia 50% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Malawi
Tunisia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.93MWK 8,464
$4.03TND 12.11
22.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.60MWK 50.8K
$20.23TND 60.8
46.32%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.31MWK 10.8K
$5.10TND 15.31
23.73%
Cappuccino
$3.50MWK 6,018
$0.98TND 2.94
257.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11MWK 1,901
$0.69TND 2.06
60.87%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46MWK 783
$0.32TND 0.96
43.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.77MWK 3,043
$1.71TND 5.13
3.51%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43MWK 5,895
$1.94TND 5.84
76.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malawi
Tunisia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.23MWK 2,119
$0.50TND 1.50
146.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.40MWK 2,410
$0.20TND 0.60
600.00%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.64MWK 2,820
$1.49TND 4.47
10.07%
Eggs
$2.06MWK 3,534
$1.54TND 4.63
33.77%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.37MWK 12.6K
$11.03TND 33.15
-33.18%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.32MWK 7,421
$5.89TND 17.68
-26.66%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$5.59MWK 9,599
$14.35TND 43.12
-61.05%
Apples(1kg)
$2.49MWK 4,274
$1.88TND 5.64
32.45%
Banana(1kg)
$1.82MWK 3,122
$3.54TND 10.63
-48.59%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.26MWK 3,881
$1.16TND 3.48
94.83%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.26MWK 2,157
$0.71TND 2.15
77.46%
Potato(1kg)
$1.37MWK 2,344
$0.77TND 2.31
77.92%
Onion(1kg)
$1.52MWK 2,603
$0.60TND 1.81
153.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.33MWK 568
$0.48TND 1.43
-31.25%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26MWK 2,163
$0.30TND 0.89
320.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.35MWK 4,027
$3.73TND 11.21
-37.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$15.79MWK 27.1K
$6.75TND 20.28
133.93%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09MWK 1,865
$1.22TND 3.66
-10.66%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48MWK 4,252
$1.25TND 3.74
98.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Malawi
Tunisia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.84MWK 1,450
$0.34TND 1.02
147.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$2.22MWK 3,809
$9.76TND 29.34
-77.25%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.57MWK 984
$0.29TND 0.86
96.55%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.47MWK 4,248
$0.34TND 1.02
626.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.21MWK 3,790
$3.96TND 11.89
-44.19%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.59MWK 2,737
$0.85TND 2.56
87.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7KMWK 61.2M
$39.6KTND 118.9K
-9.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3KMWK 67.6M
$35.5KTND 106.8K
10.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malawi
Tunisia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$39.40MWK 67.6K
$53.1TND 160
-25.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.45MWK 17.9K
$9.83TND 29.54
6.31%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.0MWK 120.1K
$20.12TND 60.5
247.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malawi
Tunisia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$37.02MWK 63.6K
$26.87TND 80.7
37.77%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.67MWK 25.2K
$11.48TND 34.50
27.79%
Cinema Ticket
-
$5.41TND 16.27
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malawi
Tunisia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$372MWK 638.5K
$85.6TND 257
334.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$595MWK 1.0M
$2,758TND 8,287
-78.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malawi
Tunisia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.85MWK 73.6K
$39.84TND 120
7.56%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.27MWK 69.1K
$52.4TND 157
-23.08%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$47.95MWK 82.3K
$96.0TND 289
-50.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.6MWK 123.0K
$72.8TND 219
-1.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malawi
Tunisia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$308MWK 528.9K
$228TND 686
34.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$86.6MWK 148.8K
$157TND 471
-44.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$542MWK 930.6K
$391TND 1,174
38.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$404MWK 693.5K
$276TND 830
46.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$1,084TND 3,258
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$402MWK 689.9K
$662TND 1,990
-39.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malawi
Tunisia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$311MWK 533.6K
$320TND 963
-3.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
0
10.98
-
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Malawi: 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.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Malawi
$206 30.2%
Tunisia
$195 28.7% ↓ 5.5%$11
🍽Eating Out
Malawi
$122 18%
Tunisia
$76 11.2% ↓ 38.1%$47
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malawi
$120 17.6%
Tunisia
$83 12.3% ↓ 30.7%$37
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Malawi
$91 13.4%
Tunisia
$117 17.3% ↑ 28.7%$26
🏠Accommodation & Living
Malawi
$87 12.7%
Tunisia
$157 23.1% ↑ 80.8%$70
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Malawi
$37 * 5.4%
Tunisia
$38 5.6% ↑ 1.8%$0.7
🚌Getting Around
Malawi
$19 2.7%
Tunisia
$13 1.9% ↓ 29.3%$5.4
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Malawi
$459 26.8%
Tunisia
$462 31.7% ↑ 0.5%$2.4
🍽Eating Out
Malawi
$390 22.7%
Tunisia
$250 17.2% ↓ 35.8%$140
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malawi
$130 7.6%
Tunisia
$93 6.4% ↓ 28.7%$37
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Malawi
$203 11.8%
Tunisia
$261 17.9% ↑ 28.7%$58
🏠Accommodation & Living
Malawi
$404 23.6%
Tunisia
$276 19% ↓ 31.6%$128
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Malawi
$89 * 5.2%
Tunisia
$87 6% ↓ 2.1%$1.8
🚌Getting Around
Malawi
$39 2.3%
Tunisia
$27 1.9% ↓ 30.6%$12
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $384 in Malawi, $202 in Tunisia. Capital cities: $545 in Lilongwe vs $385 in Tunis.
💰National salary averages: $347 in Malawi, $306 in Tunisia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 90% higher in Malawi.
⭐Dining out costs 33% more in Malawi.
⭐Public transport is 150% more expensive in Tunisia.