Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome and Principe and Tunisia

For one person, living is cheaper in Tunisia: $678 a month against $1,206 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe
$1,206
/mo nomad
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$678
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Tome and Principe and in Tunisia

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

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Sao Tome and Principe vs $678 in Tunisia, rent included.

  • Sao Tome and Principe $1,206
  • Tunisia $678

A couple spends around $1,890 per month in Sao Tome and Principe vs $1,067 in Tunisia, rent included.

  • Sao Tome and Principe $1,890
  • Tunisia $1,067

A family of three spends $2,575 per month in Sao Tome and Principe vs $1,456 in Tunisia, rent included.

  • Sao Tome and Principe $2,575
  • Tunisia $1,456

The regional cost range is wider in Sao Tome and Principe ($199–$1,211) than in Tunisia ($444–$857), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Sao Tome and Principe is about 78% higher than in Tunisia on average.

Both Sao Tome and Principe and Tunisia are more affordable than the global median – Sao Tome and Principe 11% lower, Tunisia 50% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.86 STN 195
$4.03 TND 12.14
119.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.95 STN 967
$20.23 TND 61.0
117.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.60 STN 189
$5.10 TND 15.35
68.63%
Cappuccino
$2.40 STN 52.7
$0.98 TND 2.95
144.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 STN 39.89
$0.69 TND 2.07
162.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 STN 24.76
$0.32 TND 0.96
253.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.74 STN 38.32
$1.71 TND 5.14
1.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 STN 41.45
$1.94 TND 5.85
-3.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 STN 33.69
$0.50 TND 1.50
206.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.52 STN 33.44
$0.20 TND 0.60
660.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.87 STN 41.10
$1.49 TND 4.48
25.50%
Eggs
$4.40 STN 96.7
$1.54 TND 4.65
185.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.33 STN 425
$11.03 TND 33.24
75.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$19.32 STN 425
$5.89 TND 17.73
228.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.09 STN 464
$14.35 TND 43.23
46.97%
Apples (1kg)
$3.80 STN 83.6
$1.88 TND 5.66
102.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 STN 38.65
$3.54 TND 10.66
-50.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.58 STN 78.8
$1.16 TND 3.49
208.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.54 STN 78.0
$0.71 TND 2.15
398.59%
Potato (1kg)
$2.87 STN 63.2
$0.77 TND 2.32
272.73%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 STN 52.4
$0.60 TND 1.81
296.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.53 STN 11.68
$0.48 TND 1.43
10.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 STN 45.40
$0.30 TND 0.89
586.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.19 STN 48.09
$3.73 TND 11.24
-41.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.98 STN 176
$6.75 TND 20.34
18.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 STN 32.25
$1.22 TND 3.67
20.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 STN 36.91
$1.25 TND 3.75
34.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.34 STN 29.52
$0.34 TND 1.03
294.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$9.76 TND 29.41
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.64 STN 36.10
$0.29 TND 0.86
465.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.66 STN 58.6
$0.34 TND 1.03
682.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.81 STN 304
$3.96 TND 11.92
248.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 STN 38.37
$0.85 TND 2.56
104.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K STN 535.9K
$39.6K TND 119.3K
-38.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K STN 694.4K
$35.5K TND 107.1K
-11.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 STN 4,934
$53.1 TND 160
322.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.91 STN 680
$9.83 TND 29.62
214.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.8 STN 1,447
$20.12 TND 60.6
226.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.11 STN 750
$26.87 TND 81.0
26.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.43 STN 560
$11.48 TND 34.59
121.52%
Cinema Ticket
$20.50 STN 451
$5.41 TND 16.31
278.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$228 STN 5,021
$85.6 TND 258
166.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,158 STN 47.5K
$2,758 TND 8,309
-21.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$39.84 TND 120
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$75.2 STN 1,653
$52.4 TND 158
43.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$96.0 TND 289
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$18.67 STN 411
$72.8 TND 219
-74.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$288 STN 6,339
$228 TND 688
26.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$195 STN 4,300
$157 TND 472
24.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$920 STN 20.2K
$391 TND 1,177
135.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$437 STN 9,606
$276 TND 832
58.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,861 STN 40.9K
$1,084 TND 3,267
71.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,125 STN 24.8K
$662 TND 1,996
69.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sao Tome and Principe
Tunisia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$441 STN 9,709
$320 TND 965
37.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.38
10.98
-32.79%

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

Last update for Sao Tome and Principe: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tunisia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sao Tome and Principe
$402
Tunisia
$195 51.6% $207
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Tome and Principe
$321
Tunisia
$83 74.1% $238
Accommodation & Living
Sao Tome and Principe
$195
Tunisia
$157 19.9% $39
Eating Out
Sao Tome and Principe
$150
Tunisia
$76 49.4% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Sao Tome and Principe
$75
Tunisia
$38 49.8% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Sao Tome and Principe
$42 *
Tunisia
$117 178% $75
Getting Around
Sao Tome and Principe
$20 *
Tunisia
$13 35.5% $7.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $288 in Sao Tome and Principe vs $202 in Tunisia. For reference, capital cities sit at $288 in Sao Tome and $385 in Tunis.

Average salary: $259 in Sao Tome and Principe vs $306 in Tunisia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 43% higher in Sao Tome and Principe.

Dining out costs 133% more in Sao Tome and Principe.

Salaries are 18% higher in Tunisia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Tunisia.

Good to know
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe
🇹🇳 Tunisia
🕒 Local time
13:58 1:58 PM
14:58 2:58 PM
1 h ahead of Sao Tome and Principe
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
204,327
11,565,204
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to STN – Sao Tome and Principe Dobra Converter

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 22 STN (100 STN = 4.55 USD). 1 EUR = 24.49 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.01 TND (1 TND = 0.332 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sao Tome and Principe Tunisia 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Tunisia

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
Sao Tome and Principe vs Tunisia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sao Tome and Principe more expensive than Tunisia?
Tunisia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 44% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Sao Tome and Principe: a central one-bedroom averages $288 versus $202 in Tunisia.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Sao Tome and Principe or in Tunisia?
$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Tunisia, but in Sao Tome and Principe it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Sao Tome and Principe or to Tunisia?
Tunisia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Sao Tome and Principe vs other spots: cost of living compared

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