Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sousse

For one person, living is cheaper in Sousse: $779 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Sousse
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$779
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $779 in Sousse.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Sousse $779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,261 in Sousse.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Sousse $1,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,743 in Sousse.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Sousse $1,743

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than in Sousse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Sousse 43% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Sousse
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$4.90 TND 14.67
-10.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$23.60 TND 70.7
36.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$6.75 TND 20.22
29.78%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$1.10 TND 3.29
157.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$0.73 TND 2.19
23.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$0.38 TND 1.12
23.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$1.72 TND 5.14
48.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$1.66 TND 4.98
130.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Sousse
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$0.44 TND 1.32
293.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$0.13 TND 0.40
1030.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$1.24 TND 3.71
21.77%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$1.61 TND 4.82
34.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$13.70 TND 41.05
43.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$5.80 TND 17.37
-42.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$13.98 TND 41.87
-20.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$2.02 TND 6.05
41.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$3.49 TND 10.46
-51.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$1.02 TND 3.07
114.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$0.69 TND 2.06
197.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$0.87 TND 2.62
66.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$0.69 TND 2.05
100.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$0.43 TND 1.30
148.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.33 TND 0.97
54.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$3.76 TND 11.25
13.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$5.98 TND 17.90
210.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$1.03 TND 3.08
72.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$1.13 TND 3.39
152.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Sousse
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$0.33 TND 0.99
584.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$9.88 TND 29.60
123.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$0.34 TND 1.03
785.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$0.69 TND 2.08
53.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$4.00 TND 11.98
-3.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$0.81 TND 2.43
79.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$40.3K TND 120.6K
-34.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$36.8K TND 110.1K
-26.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Sousse
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$75.1 TND 225
28.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$13.68 TND 40.97
-19.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$19.58 TND 58.6
-12.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Sousse
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$28.10 TND 84.2
85.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$26.30 TND 78.8
-57.57%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$6.54 TND 19.59
19.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Sousse
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$92.6 TND 277
500.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$3,228 TND 9,667
258.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Sousse
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$52.6 TND 158
21.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$70.9 TND 212
-59.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$149 TND 447
-36.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$99.4 TND 298
-11.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Sousse
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$241 TND 721
206.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$161 TND 483
186.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$512 TND 1,533
309.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$346 TND 1,037
246.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$978 TND 2,929
256.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$621 TND 1,859
306.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Sousse
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
$380 TND 1,139
31.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.4
-51.14%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sousse: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Sousse
$161 65.2% $301
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Sousse
$197 26.8% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Sousse
$108 13% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Sousse
$167 34.7% $43
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Sousse
$89 26.6% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Sousse
$41 39.2% $27
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Sousse
$15 61.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $241 in Sousse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Sousse for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $197 per month, with Sousse cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇳 Sousse
🕒 Local time
00:45 12:45 AM
18:45 6:45 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
221,530
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 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
  • Phuket Sousse 9,290 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • 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
Phuket vs Sousse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sousse cheaper than Phuket?
Sousse is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Sousse?
Average pay runs 32% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Sousse?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $241 in Sousse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $92.6 in Sousse. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Sousse?
Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Sousse?
At $779 in Sousse versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sousse but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sousse the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Sousse more family-friendly?
For families, Sousse 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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Sousse?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Sousse are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Sousse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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