Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sfax Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sfax

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $614 in Sfax.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $998 in Sfax.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,382 in Sfax.

Living in Phuket is roughly 106% more expensive than Sfax, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sfax 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.32 TND 9.58

41.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$20.66 TND 59.7

119.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.42 TND 9.90

146.49%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$0.76 TND 2.18

285.53%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.64 TND 1.86

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.25 TND 0.72

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.56 TND 4.51

54.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.89 TND 5.47

96.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.54 TND 1.57

312.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.18 TND 0.52

916.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.55 TND 4.47

40.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.66 TND 4.79

33.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.33 TND 32.74

74.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.62 TND 16.24

-35.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.48 TND 38.95

0.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.22 TND 6.41

47.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.97 TND 8.60

-45.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.02 TND 2.93

136.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.70 TND 2.02

197.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.80 TND 2.32

91.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.75 TND 2.18

97.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.49 TND 1.41

102.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.31 TND 0.88

64.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.48 TND 10.05

26.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.69 TND 19.32

189.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.11 TND 3.20

60.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.10 TND 3.19

146.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.18 TND 0.53

661.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$10.29 TND 29.74

10.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.30 TND 0.86

906.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.30 TND 0.88

230.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.31 TND 21.13

92.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.83 TND 2.41

63.86%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$35.1K TND 101.4K

-19.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$34.1K TND 98.7K

-3.65%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$46.04 TND 133

164.34%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.67 TND 27.96

40.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$14.90 TND 43.05

22.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$27.11 TND 78.3

122.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.31 TND 21.14

134.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.51 TND 13.03

92.68%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$106 TND 307

551.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,494 TND 7,207

529.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$44.42 TND 128

34.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$43.53 TND 126

-20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$100 TND 289

14.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$65.8 TND 190

26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$187 TND 542

227.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$133 TND 384

229.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$333 TND 962

529.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$248 TND 718

507.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,031 TND 2,980

263.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$663 TND 1,915

294.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$322 TND 931

57.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.6

-60.81%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sfax: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $187 in Sfax. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 58% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Sfax for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $190 per month, with Sfax cheaper across the board.

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 Sfax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sfax is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 58% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $187 in Sfax. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $106 in Sfax. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $614 in Sfax versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfax but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sfax the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sfax is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sfax are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sfax gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.