Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfax and Ben Arous

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $626 a month against $698 in Ben Arous, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sfax
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$626
/mo nomad
Ben Arous
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sfax and in Ben Arous

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

A single person spends $626 per month in Sfax vs $698 in Ben Arous, rent included.

  • Sfax $626
  • Ben Arous $698

A couple spends around $983 per month in Sfax vs $1,098 in Ben Arous, rent included.

  • Sfax $983
  • Ben Arous $1,098

A family of three spends $1,341 per month in Sfax vs $1,497 in Ben Arous, rent included.

  • Sfax $1,341
  • Ben Arous $1,497

Sfax is about 10% cheaper than Ben Arous, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sfax and Ben Arous are more affordable than the global median – Sfax 54% lower, Ben Arous 48% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sfax
Ben Arous
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.39 TND 10.14
$5.31 TND 15.90
-36.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.15 TND 60.3
$19.81 TND 59.3
1.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.98 TND 14.92
$5.06 TND 15.14
-1.58%
Cappuccino
$0.70 TND 2.08
$1.16 TND 3.48
-39.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 TND 1.89
$0.65 TND 1.95
-3.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 TND 0.74
$0.27 TND 0.81
-7.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.62 TND 4.85
$1.65 TND 4.95
-1.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 TND 5.83
$2.04 TND 6.12
-4.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sfax
Ben Arous
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.46 TND 1.38
$0.52 TND 1.54
-11.54%
White Bread (500g)
$0.22 TND 0.66
$0.10 TND 0.29
120.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 TND 4.08
$1.70 TND 5.08
-20.00%
Eggs
$1.55 TND 4.63
$1.48 TND 4.43
4.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.52 TND 37.51
$10.27 TND 30.76
21.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.52 TND 16.53
$5.91 TND 17.70
-6.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.83 TND 41.41
$17.19 TND 51.5
-19.55%
Apples (1kg)
$1.81 TND 5.43
$1.67 TND 5.01
8.38%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 TND 9.41
$4.47 TND 13.38
-29.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.05 TND 3.14
$0.95 TND 2.84
10.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.68 TND 2.04
$0.80 TND 2.41
-15.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 TND 2.42
$0.90 TND 2.69
-10.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.83 TND 2.47
$0.66 TND 1.97
25.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.58 TND 1.74
$0.52 TND 1.56
11.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 TND 1.04
$0.31 TND 0.93
12.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.73 TND 11.17
$3.49 TND 10.46
6.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.88 TND 20.60
$6.62 TND 19.82
3.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 TND 3.39
$1.00 TND 2.99
13.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 TND 3.26
$1.23 TND 3.68
-11.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Sfax
Ben Arous
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 TND 0.53
$0.38 TND 1.14
-52.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.97 TND 29.87
$13.56 TND 40.61
-26.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.33 TND 0.99
$0.31 TND 0.93
6.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 TND 0.94
$0.31 TND 0.92
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.21 TND 21.59
$1.75 TND 5.23
312.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 TND 2.39
$0.86 TND 2.58
-6.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K TND 108.0K
$39.9K TND 119.6K
-9.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K TND 103.1K
$23.0K TND 69.0K
49.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
Ben Arous
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$44.55 TND 133
$53.9 TND 162
-17.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.71 TND 29.09
$9.87 TND 29.56
-1.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.70 TND 44.02
$20.83 TND 62.4
-29.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
Ben Arous
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.24 TND 81.6
$32.08 TND 96.1
-15.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.12 TND 21.32
$16.52 TND 49.46
-56.90%
Cinema Ticket
$4.65 TND 13.91
$5.11 TND 15.29
-9.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sfax
Ben Arous
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$98.6 TND 295
$61.0 TND 183
61.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,480 TND 7,427
$1,947 TND 5,830
27.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
Ben Arous
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.87 TND 125
$43.31 TND 130
-3.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.55 TND 106
$60.2 TND 180
-40.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 TND 337
$85.8 TND 257
31.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.2 TND 201
$46.95 TND 141
43.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sfax
Ben Arous
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$195 TND 584
$209 TND 626
-6.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$133 TND 399
$156 TND 467
-14.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$335 TND 1,002
$386 TND 1,155
-13.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$214 TND 641
$267 TND 799
-19.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,014 TND 3,037
$933 TND 2,795
8.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$720 TND 2,156
$415 TND 1,243
73.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sfax
Ben Arous
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$333 TND 996
$247 TND 739
34.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.6
10.5
29.52%

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

Last update for Sfax: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sfax
$193
Ben Arous
$204 6% $11
Accommodation & Living
Sfax
$133
Ben Arous
$156 17.1% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
$116
Ben Arous
$106 8.1% $9.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
$69
Ben Arous
$85 22.7% $16
Eating Out
Sfax
$66
Ben Arous
$88 32.9% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
$37
Ben Arous
$42 15.8% $5.8
Getting Around
Sfax
$13
Ben Arous
$17 34.4% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $195 in Sfax versus $209 in Ben Arous. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 35% higher in Sfax, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Sfax versus $20.00 in Ben Arous. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $204 – making Sfax the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇳 Sfax
🇹🇳 Ben Arous
🕒 Local time
20:24 8:24 PM
20:24 8:24 PM
Same time as Sfax
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
955,421
88,322
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 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
  • Sfax Ben Arous 230 km
From you
  • Sfax
  • Ben Arous

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Sfax vs Ben Arous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sfax and in Ben Arous compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $626 in Sfax, $698 in Ben Arous – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Sfax compared to Ben Arous?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $938 per month in Sfax and $1,047 in Ben Arous. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sfax and Ben Arous?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sfax, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Sfax and $20.00 in Ben Arous. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sfax or Ben Arous?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $626 in Sfax and $698 in Ben Arous. That's a gap of about 12%.
How far does $1,200 go in Sfax compared to Ben Arous?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $626 in Sfax and $698 in Ben Arous, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Sfax or Ben Arous?
Families tend to lean toward Sfax – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Sfax or Ben Arous safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Sfax and Ben Arous?
If budget matters most, go with Sfax. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ben Arous makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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