Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sfax and Phuket

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.

Sfax
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$626
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sfax and in Phuket

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: Sfax 54% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.39 TND 10.14
$4.58 ฿153
-25.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.15 TND 60.3
$32.48 ฿1,086
-37.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.98 TND 14.92
$8.55 ฿286
-41.75%
Cappuccino
$0.70 TND 2.08
$2.72 ฿91.0
-74.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 TND 1.89
$0.94 ฿31.25
-32.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 TND 0.74
$0.49 ฿16.39
-48.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.62 TND 4.85
$2.59 ฿86.6
-37.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 TND 5.83
$3.83 ฿128
-49.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.46 TND 1.38
$1.74 ฿58.1
-73.56%
White Bread (500g)
$0.22 TND 0.66
$1.43 ฿47.82
-84.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.36 TND 4.08
$1.53 ฿51.0
-11.11%
Eggs
$1.55 TND 4.63
$2.17 ฿72.7
-28.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.52 TND 37.51
$19.15 ฿640
-34.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.52 TND 16.53
$3.30 ฿110
67.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.83 TND 41.41
$11.14 ฿372
24.15%
Apples (1kg)
$1.81 TND 5.43
$2.95 ฿98.5
-38.64%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 TND 9.41
$1.68 ฿56.1
86.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.05 TND 3.14
$2.30 ฿76.8
-54.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.68 TND 2.04
$2.13 ฿71.3
-68.08%
Potato (1kg)
$0.81 TND 2.42
$1.53 ฿51.1
-47.06%
Onion (1kg)
$0.83 TND 2.47
$1.36 ฿45.55
-38.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.58 TND 1.74
$1.12 ฿37.44
-48.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35 TND 1.04
$0.55 ฿18.24
-36.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.73 TND 11.17
$4.26 ฿142
-12.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.88 TND 20.60
$18.19 ฿608
-62.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 TND 3.39
$1.74 ฿58.2
-35.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 TND 3.26
$2.79 ฿93.3
-60.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 TND 0.53
$2.22 ฿74.1
-91.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.97 TND 29.87
$22.06 ฿737
-54.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.33 TND 0.99
$2.91 ฿97.3
-88.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 TND 0.94
$1.01 ฿33.79
-69.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.21 TND 21.59
$3.83 ฿128
88.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 TND 2.39
$1.49 ฿49.85
-46.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K TND 108.0K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
35.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K TND 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)
$44.55 TND 133
$99.4 ฿3,321
-55.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.71 TND 29.09
$11.28 ฿377
-13.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.70 TND 44.02
$17.36 ฿580
-15.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.24 TND 81.6
$52.3 ฿1,747
-47.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.12 TND 21.32
$10.85 ฿362
-34.38%
Cinema Ticket
$4.65 TND 13.91
$7.57 ฿253
-38.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$98.6 TND 295
$558 ฿18.7K
-82.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,480 TND 7,427
$11.5K ฿383.9K
-78.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.87 TND 125
$62.9 ฿2,102
-33.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.55 TND 106
$28.58 ฿955
24.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 TND 337
$96.1 ฿3,213
16.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.2 TND 201
$88.1 ฿2,943
-23.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$195 TND 584
$729 ฿24.4K
-73.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$133 TND 399
$460 ฿15.4K
-71.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$335 TND 1,002
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-84.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$214 TND 641
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-82.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,014 TND 3,037
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-70.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$720 TND 2,156
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-71.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sfax
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$333 TND 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.
Groceries & Markets
Sfax
$193
Phuket
$268 38.8% $75
Accommodation & Living
Sfax
$133
Phuket
$460 245% $327
Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
$116
Phuket
$124 7.3% $8.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
$69
Phuket
$128 85.6% $59
Eating Out
Sfax
$66
Phuket
$121 84.1% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
$37
Phuket
$67 84.6% $31
Getting Around
Sfax
$13
Phuket
$39 209% $26

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.

Good to know
🇹🇳 Sfax
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
16:51 4:51 PM
22:51 10:51 PM
6 h ahead of Sfax
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
955,421
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sfax Phuket 9,290 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sfax
  • Phuket

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.

Sfax vs other spots: cost of living compared

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