Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kairouan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kairouan: $613 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Kairouan
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Kairouan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Kairouan

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kairouan

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $613 in Kairouan, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Kairouan $613

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $965 in Kairouan, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Kairouan $965

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $1,316 in Kairouan, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Kairouan $1,316

Phuket costs about 97% more than Kairouan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Kairouan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Kairouan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$2.65 TND 7.93

66.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$16.21 TND 48.56

99.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.15 TND 18.42

42.44%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$0.96 TND 2.87

194.79%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.84 TND 2.53

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.37 TND 1.12

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.64 TND 4.91

55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.63 TND 7.87

45.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.46 TND 1.37

276.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.08 TND 0.24

1737.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.71 TND 5.11

-11.70%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.50 TND 4.49

44.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$9.90 TND 29.64

98.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$5.65 TND 16.92

-40.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$11.68 TND 34.97

-4.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.19 TND 6.55

30.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$2.20 TND 6.58

-22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.17 TND 3.49

87.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.76 TND 2.27

169.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.70 TND 2.10

107.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.66 TND 1.97

109.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.50 TND 1.48

114.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.24 TND 0.71

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.33 TND 9.96

27.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$6.78 TND 20.30

174.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.25 TND 3.73

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.46 TND 4.39

95.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.34 TND 1.02

564.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$11.10 TND 33.26

99.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$0.29 TND 0.86

937.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.29 TND 0.86

265.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$1.82 TND 5.46

112.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.73 TND 2.18

98.63%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$38.8K TND 116.3K

-32.22%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$36.2K TND 108.6K

-25.67%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$60.7 TND 182

58.89%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$8.89 TND 26.63

24.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$20.10 TND 60.2

-14.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$23.26 TND 69.7

124.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$12.84 TND 38.45

-13.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$4.77 TND 14.28

63.73%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$108 TND 322

416.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$3,227 TND 9,666

258.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$23.82 TND 71.4

169.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$61.5 TND 184

-53.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$46.99 TND 141

102.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$83.4 TND 250

5.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$118 TND 354

524.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$135 TND 404

242.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$376 TND 1,126

457.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$271 TND 813

342.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$890 TND 2,665

291.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$601 TND 1,800

319.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$325 TND 972

54.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.65

-47.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Kairouan

$135 22% 70.8% $327

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Kairouan

$175 28.5% 35% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Kairouan

$90 14.6% 28% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Kairouan

$97 15.8% 21.9% $27

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Kairouan

$69 11.3% 42.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Kairouan

$33 5.4% 51.6% $35

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Kairouan

$14 2.3% 64% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $118 in Kairouan. 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 54% higher in Phuket, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Kairouan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $175 – making Kairouan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇳 Kairouan

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

02:32 2:32 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

139,070

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kairouan 9,340 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kairouan

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

Phuket vs Kairouan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $613 in Kairouan – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $919 in Kairouan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 99% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $108 in Kairouan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kairouan, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Kairouan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $613 in Kairouan to $1,208 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Kairouan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.