Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfax and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $626 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Sfax
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Sfax Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sfax

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$626

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sfax and in Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $626 per month in Sfax vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sfax $626
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $983 per month in Sfax vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sfax $983
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,341 per month in Sfax vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sfax $1,341
Chiang Mai $1,914

Sfax is about 33% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sfax and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Sfax 54% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 TND 10.14

$2.26 ฿75.4

50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 TND 60.3

$19.18 ฿641

5.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 TND 14.92

$5.59 ฿187

-10.91%

Cappuccino

$0.70 TND 2.08

$1.72 ฿57.6

-59.30%

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

$0.63 TND 1.89

$0.64 ฿21.54

-1.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 TND 0.74

$0.33 ฿11.18

-24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 TND 4.85

$2.36 ฿78.7

-31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 TND 5.83

$3.90 ฿130

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.46 TND 1.38

$2.05 ฿68.6

-77.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.22 TND 0.66

$1.40 ฿46.70

-84.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 TND 4.08

$1.28 ฿42.89

6.25%

Eggs

$1.55 TND 4.63

$2.25 ฿75.3

-31.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 TND 37.51

$16.94 ฿566

-26.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 TND 16.53

$2.74 ฿91.6

101.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 TND 41.41

$9.36 ฿313

47.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 TND 5.43

$2.40 ฿80.3

-24.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 TND 9.41

$1.01 ฿33.92

210.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 TND 3.14

$1.61 ฿53.9

-34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 TND 2.04

$1.52 ฿50.7

-55.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 TND 2.42

$1.28 ฿42.90

-36.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 TND 2.47

$1.11 ฿37.22

-25.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 TND 1.74

$0.72 ฿24.09

-19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 TND 1.04

$0.52 ฿17.54

-32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 TND 11.17

$4.33 ฿145

-13.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 TND 20.60

$17.73 ฿593

-61.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 TND 3.39

$1.63 ฿54.4

-30.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 TND 3.26

$2.85 ฿95.3

-61.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 TND 0.53

$0.85 ฿28.31

-78.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.97 TND 29.87

$53.9 ฿1,801

-81.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 TND 0.99

$1.17 ฿39.18

-71.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.94

$0.57 ฿19.00

-45.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.21 TND 21.59

$2.37 ฿79.2

204.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 TND 2.39

$1.45 ฿48.32

-44.83%

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

$36.1K TND 108.0K

$20.5K ฿684.3K

76.07%

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

$34.4K TND 103.1K

$26.5K ฿886.1K

29.85%

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

$44.55 TND 133

$62.3 ฿2,083

-28.53%

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

$9.71 TND 29.09

$12.27 ฿410

-20.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.70 TND 44.02

$19.97 ฿668

-26.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.24 TND 81.6

$37.91 ฿1,267

-28.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.12 TND 21.32

$3.76 ฿126

89.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 TND 13.91

$6.71 ฿224

-30.70%

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

$98.6 TND 295

$797 ฿26.6K

-87.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,480 TND 7,427

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-83.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.87 TND 125

$53.3 ฿1,780

-21.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.55 TND 106

$25.05 ฿837

41.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 TND 337

$91.6 ฿3,062

22.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 TND 201

$73.5 ฿2,455

-8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 TND 584

$464 ฿15.5K

-58.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 TND 399

$305 ฿10.2K

-56.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 TND 1,002

$915 ฿30.6K

-63.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 TND 641

$552 ฿18.5K

-61.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,014 TND 3,037

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-46.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 TND 2,156

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-49.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$333 TND 996

$595 ฿19.9K

-44.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.6

5.57

144.17%

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

Last update for Sfax: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Sfax

$193 30.8%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 23.5% $45

Accommodation & Living

Sfax

$133 21.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 129% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Sfax

$116 18.5%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 5.3% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sfax

$69 11%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 37.2% $26

Eating Out

Sfax

$66 10.5%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 19.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sfax

$37 5.8%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 40.5% $15

Getting Around

Sfax

$13 2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 387% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $195 in Sfax versus $464 in Chiang Mai. 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 79% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Sfax versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Sfax vs $238 in Chiang Mai – so Sfax wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇳 Sfax

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

16:52 4:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

6 h ahead of Sfax

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

955,421

127,240

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar (د.ت)

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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sfax Chiang Mai 8,680 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sfax
Chiang Mai

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

Sfax vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 50% more than Sfax, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $938 per month in Sfax and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $98.6 per month in Sfax and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Chiang Mai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sfax, where all-in costs run around $626, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Sfax it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sfax costs $626 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Sfax. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.