Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfax and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $628 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Sfax
Learn more

Sfax Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index

Jump to prices

Sfax

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$628

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sfax and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in Sfax versus $2,889 in Dubai.

Sfax $628
Dubai $2,889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $988 in Sfax versus $4,444 in Dubai.

Sfax $988
Dubai $4,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,348 in Sfax versus $5,999 in Dubai.

Sfax $1,348
Dubai $5,999

Living in Sfax costs roughly 78% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sfax is 54% below, Dubai is 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 TND 10.20

$12.94 AED 47.54

-73.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.76 TND 58.7

$83.2 AED 306

-76.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 TND 14.95

$9.35 AED 34.32

-46.10%

Cappuccino

$0.74 TND 2.19

$5.88 AED 21.59

-87.41%

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

$0.59 TND 1.75

$1.57 AED 5.77

-62.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 TND 0.74

$0.94 AED 3.47

-73.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 TND 4.67

$13.44 AED 49.37

-88.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 TND 5.83

$13.57 AED 49.84

-85.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.47 TND 1.39

$1.86 AED 6.83

-74.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.24 TND 0.71

$1.56 AED 5.73

-84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 TND 4.07

$2.64 AED 9.68

-48.11%

Eggs

$1.56 TND 4.62

$3.53 AED 12.96

-55.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 TND 37.66

$12.97 AED 47.62

-2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 TND 16.29

$9.94 AED 36.51

-44.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 TND 41.44

$12.92 AED 47.45

8.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 TND 5.42

$2.55 AED 9.36

-28.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 TND 9.30

$2.05 AED 7.54

52.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 TND 3.07

$1.84 AED 6.77

-44.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 TND 2.05

$1.54 AED 5.64

-55.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 TND 2.40

$1.17 AED 4.31

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 TND 2.44

$1.02 AED 3.76

-19.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 TND 1.70

$1.57 AED 5.75

-63.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 TND 0.95

$0.67 AED 2.46

-52.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 TND 11.33

$6.31 AED 23.17

-39.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.71 TND 19.92

$16.16 AED 59.4

-58.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 TND 3.52

$2.58 AED 9.48

-54.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 TND 3.20

$2.89 AED 10.60

-62.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 TND 0.50

$1.40 AED 5.15

-87.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.97 TND 29.59

$82.4 AED 303

-87.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.33 TND 0.99

$3.29 AED 12.07

-89.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.93

$0.65 AED 2.40

-52.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.44 TND 22.08

$8.13 AED 29.84

-8.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 TND 2.49

$1.00 AED 3.68

-16.00%

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

$37.2K TND 110.4K

$26.3K AED 96.6K

41.48%

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

$34.5K TND 102.3K

$22.0K AED 81.0K

56.27%

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

$44.57 TND 132

$239 AED 877

-81.34%

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

$9.44 TND 28.03

$56.9 AED 209

-83.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.65 TND 43.48

$93.9 AED 345

-84.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.48 TND 81.6

$90.8 AED 334

-69.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.24 TND 21.47

$46.38 AED 170

-84.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 TND 13.23

$16.24 AED 59.6

-72.54%

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

$96.9 TND 288

$934 AED 3,429

-89.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,474 TND 7,341

$20.9K AED 76.8K

-88.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.92 TND 127

$70.7 AED 260

-39.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.38 TND 105

$61.3 AED 225

-42.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 TND 331

$103 AED 377

8.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.3 TND 200

$116 AED 426

-42.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 TND 564

$2,487 AED 9,134

-92.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 TND 400

$1,520 AED 5,581

-91.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 TND 984

$5,234 AED 19.2K

-93.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 TND 652

$3,028 AED 11.1K

-92.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,022 TND 3,034

$6,982 AED 25.6K

-85.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$729 TND 2,165

$4,433 AED 16.3K

-83.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$324 TND 960

$3,553 AED 13.0K

-90.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.6

4.57

197.59%

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

Last update for Sfax: November 3, 2026

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sfax

$193 30.8%

Dubai

$297 10.3% 53.7% $104

Accommodation & Living

Sfax

$135 21.5%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6% 1028% $1.4K

Clothing & Footwear

Sfax

$116 18.4%

Dubai

$158 5.5% 36.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sfax

$69 10.9%

Dubai

$390 13.5% 468% $321

Eating Out

Sfax

$67 10.6%

Dubai

$307 10.6% 360% $240

Sport & Entertainment

Sfax

$36 5.8%

Dubai

$123 4.3% 239% $87

Getting Around

Sfax

$13 2%

Dubai

$95 3.3% 654% $82

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $190 in Sfax and $2,487 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Sfax vs $83 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $297 per month, with Sfax cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇳 Sfax

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

06:32 6:32 AM

3 h ahead of Sfax

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

955,421

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.337 USD

1 TND = 0.3 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar (د.ت)

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 2.97 TND (1 TND = 0.337 USD). 1 EUR = 3.33 TND (1 TND = 0.3 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to TND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sfax Dubai 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sfax
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sfax is about 78% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Sfax. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $190 in Sfax versus $2,487 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sfax runs roughly 88% less than in Dubai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $97 in Sfax versus $934 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $628 in Sfax versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Sfax but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Sfax the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Sfax gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.