For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $626 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $626 in Sfax versus $1,207 in Phuket.
Sfax $626
Phuket $1,207
Estimated couple costs with rent: $983 in Sfax versus $2,037 in Phuket.
Sfax $983
Phuket $2,037
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,341 in Sfax versus $2,867 in Phuket.
Sfax $1,341
Phuket $2,867
🌍
Living in Sfax costs roughly 48% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Sfax54% lower, Phuket11% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.39TND 10.14
$4.58฿153
-25.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.15TND 60.3
$32.48฿1,086
-37.96%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.98TND 14.92
$8.55฿286
-41.75%
Cappuccino
$0.70TND 2.08
$2.72฿91.0
-74.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63TND 1.89
$0.94฿31.25
-32.98%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25TND 0.74
$0.49฿16.39
-48.98%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.62TND 4.85
$2.59฿86.6
-37.45%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95TND 5.83
$3.83฿128
-49.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.46TND 1.38
$1.74฿58.1
-73.56%
White Bread(500g)
$0.22TND 0.66
$1.43฿47.82
-84.62%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.36TND 4.08
$1.53฿51.0
-11.11%
Eggs
$1.55TND 4.63
$2.17฿72.7
-28.57%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.52TND 37.51
$19.15฿640
-34.62%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.52TND 16.53
$3.30฿110
67.27%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.83TND 41.41
$11.14฿372
24.15%
Apples(1kg)
$1.81TND 5.43
$2.95฿98.5
-38.64%
Banana(1kg)
$3.14TND 9.41
$1.68฿56.1
86.90%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.05TND 3.14
$2.30฿76.8
-54.35%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.68TND 2.04
$2.13฿71.3
-68.08%
Potato(1kg)
$0.81TND 2.42
$1.53฿51.1
-47.06%
Onion(1kg)
$0.83TND 2.47
$1.36฿45.55
-38.97%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.58TND 1.74
$1.12฿37.44
-48.21%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35TND 1.04
$0.55฿18.24
-36.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.73TND 11.17
$4.26฿142
-12.44%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.88TND 20.60
$18.19฿608
-62.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13TND 3.39
$1.74฿58.2
-35.06%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09TND 3.26
$2.79฿93.3
-60.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.18TND 0.53
$2.22฿74.1
-91.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$9.97TND 29.87
$22.06฿737
-54.81%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.33TND 0.99
$2.91฿97.3
-88.66%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.31TND 0.94
$1.01฿33.79
-69.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.21TND 21.59
$3.83฿128
88.25%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.80TND 2.39
$1.49฿49.85
-46.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1KTND 108.0K
$26.7K฿891.6K
35.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4KTND 103.1K
$26.7K฿892.7K
28.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$44.55TND 133
$99.4฿3,321
-55.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.71TND 29.09
$11.28฿377
-13.92%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.70TND 44.02
$17.36฿580
-15.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$27.24TND 81.6
$52.3฿1,747
-47.91%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.12TND 21.32
$10.85฿362
-34.38%
Cinema Ticket
$4.65TND 13.91
$7.57฿253
-38.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$98.6TND 295
$558฿18.7K
-82.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,480TND 7,427
$11.5K฿383.9K
-78.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.87TND 125
$62.9฿2,102
-33.41%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.55TND 106
$28.58฿955
24.39%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$112TND 337
$96.1฿3,213
16.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.2TND 201
$88.1฿2,943
-23.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$195TND 584
$729฿24.4K
-73.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$133TND 399
$460฿15.4K
-71.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$335TND 1,002
$2,096฿70.0K
-84.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$214TND 641
$1,222฿40.8K
-82.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,014TND 3,037
$3,459฿115.6K
-70.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$720TND 2,156
$2,489฿83.2K
-71.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$333TND 996
$493฿16.5K
-32.54%
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 Phuket: October 13, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sfax
$193 30.8%
Phuket
$268 22.2% ↑ 38.8%$75
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sfax
$133 21.3%
Phuket
$460 38.1% ↑ 245%$327
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
$116 18.5%
Phuket
$124 10.3% ↑ 7.3%$8.4
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
$69 11%
Phuket
$128 10.6% ↑ 85.6%$59
🍽Eating Out
Sfax
$66 10.5%
Phuket
$121 10.1% ↑ 84.1%$55
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
$37 5.8%
Phuket
$67 5.6% ↑ 84.6%$31
🚌Getting Around
Sfax
$13 2%
Phuket
$39 3.2% ↑ 209%$26
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sfax
$456 34%
Phuket
$605 21.1% ↑ 32.5%$148
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sfax
$214 16%
Phuket
$1.2K 42.6% ↑ 471%$1K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
$257 19.2%
Phuket
$276 9.6% ↑ 7.3%$19
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
$79 5.9%
Phuket
$139 4.9% ↑ 77%$61
🍽Eating Out
Sfax
$229 17.1%
Phuket
$398 13.9% ↑ 73.4%$168
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
$80 6%
Phuket
$146 5.1% ↑ 81.7%$66
🚌Getting Around
Sfax
$26 1.9%
Phuket
$82 2.9% ↑ 222%$57
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in Sfax and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Phuket pays 48% 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: $20.00 in Sfax vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $268 per month, with Sfax cheaper across the board.
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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Sfax?
Sfax is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Sfax or Phuket?
On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Sfax and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $195 in Sfax versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $98.6 in Sfax versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Sfax and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Sfax or in Phuket?
At $626 in Sfax versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfax but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sfax the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Sfax or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Sfax 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.
Which city is safer, Sfax or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Sfax and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Sfax gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.