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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $649 in Sfax.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,001 in Sfax.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,353 in Sfax.

Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than in Sfax, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Sfax 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.43 TND 9.92

32.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$20.68 TND 59.8

57.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.04 TND 14.57

76.59%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$0.76 TND 2.21

268.42%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.60 TND 1.74

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.27 TND 0.79

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.57 TND 4.55

52.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.10 TND 6.08

76.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$0.51 TND 1.48

250.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$0.23 TND 0.66

526.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.39 TND 4.02

13.67%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.67 TND 4.82

27.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$12.84 TND 37.12

55.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.69 TND 16.45

-39.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$14.27 TND 41.28

-20.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.79 TND 5.17

64.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$3.24 TND 9.36

-46.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.08 TND 3.12

114.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.74 TND 2.14

181.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.76 TND 2.21

93.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.78 TND 2.25

74.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.59 TND 1.71

86.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.33 TND 0.94

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.96 TND 11.47

7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$6.64 TND 19.20

177.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.15 TND 3.31

62.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.11 TND 3.21

163.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.17 TND 0.50

1205.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$10.28 TND 29.72

122.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.31 TND 0.89

877.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.35 TND 1.02

205.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$7.73 TND 22.36

-49.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$0.90 TND 2.59

65.56%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$37.1K TND 107.3K

-26.91%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$35.3K TND 102.0K

-22.18%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$46.02 TND 133

123.38%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$9.74 TND 28.16

12.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$14.80 TND 42.80

18.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$28.02 TND 81.1

91.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$7.20 TND 20.83

55.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.59 TND 13.28

62.96%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$99.7 TND 288

458.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$2,463 TND 7,124

381.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$42.92 TND 124

49.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$36.95 TND 107

-21.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$116 TND 336

-17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$67.6 TND 195

33.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$194 TND 562

276.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$140 TND 406

256.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$339 TND 982

515.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$217 TND 626

458.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,037 TND 2,998

246.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$746 TND 2,159

236.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$332 TND 960

51.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.6

-59.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sfax: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $194 in Sfax. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 52% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Sfax for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $197 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, Getting Around. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Phuket, 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: $730 in Phuket versus $194 in Sfax. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $99.7 in Sfax. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Sfax versus $1,253 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 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.