Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sousse Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sousse

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $728 in Sousse.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,171 in Sousse.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $1,613 in Sousse.

Living in Phuket is roughly 71% more expensive than Sousse, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Sousse 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$4.01 TND 11.56

14.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$23.40 TND 67.4

100.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$5.10 TND 14.68

70.59%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$0.90 TND 2.60

224.44%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.65 TND 1.87

4.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.29 TND 0.83

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$1.20 TND 3.47

109.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$1.58 TND 4.55

140.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$0.50 TND 1.43

332.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$0.18 TND 0.51

944.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$1.32 TND 3.80

63.64%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$1.71 TND 4.93

29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$12.34 TND 35.54

58.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$5.67 TND 16.32

-32.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$13.91 TND 40.06

-3.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.58 TND 4.54

106.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$3.07 TND 8.85

-47.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$0.97 TND 2.80

138.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$0.58 TND 1.66

255.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.67 TND 1.92

140.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$0.63 TND 1.82

128.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.40 TND 1.15

157.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.30 TND 0.86

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$3.58 TND 10.32

25.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$5.34 TND 15.37

259.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$1.14 TND 3.28

59.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.08 TND 3.12

149.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.31 TND 0.89

345.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$10.24 TND 29.50

14.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$0.34 TND 0.99

814.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.49 TND 1.41

104.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$6.08 TND 17.50

125.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$0.89 TND 2.58

46.07%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$46.6K TND 134.3K

-41.33%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$36.6K TND 105.4K

-9.79%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$64.8 TND 187

92.81%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$10.93 TND 31.47

25.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$18.30 TND 52.7

1.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$27.01 TND 77.8

124.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$26.81 TND 77.2

-36.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$6.33 TND 18.24

42.34%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$104 TND 301

568.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$3,187 TND 9,178

405.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$42.16 TND 121

40.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$61.6 TND 177

-43.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$150 TND 432

-23.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$82.0 TND 236

4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$248 TND 715

149.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$163 TND 470

167.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$431 TND 1,242

381.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$329 TND 946

359.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$1,007 TND 2,901

273.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$655 TND 1,886

311.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$390 TND 1,123

35.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Sousse: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $248 in Sousse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 36% 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: $47 in Phuket vs $23 in Sousse for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $186 per month, with Sousse 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 Sousse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sousse is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 36% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $248 in Sousse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $104 in Sousse. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $728 in Sousse versus $1,247 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Sousse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.