Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibu and Sousse

For one person, living is cheaper in Sousse: $779 a month against $866 in Sibu, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sibu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

43

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Sousse
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Sousse Living Index

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Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$866

/mo nomad

Sousse

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sibu and in Sousse

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Sibu versus $779 in Sousse.

Sibu $866
Sousse $779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,293 in Sibu versus $1,261 in Sousse.

Sibu $1,293
Sousse $1,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,720 in Sibu versus $1,743 in Sousse.

Sibu $1,720
Sousse $1,743

Living in Sibu is roughly 11% more expensive than in Sousse, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sibu 36% lower, Sousse 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 MYR 8.82

$4.90 TND 14.67

-55.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.47 MYR 79.4

$23.60 TND 70.7

-17.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.18

$6.75 TND 20.22

-37.63%

Cappuccino

$2.38 MYR 9.70

$1.10 TND 3.29

116.36%

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

$0.67 MYR 2.74

$0.73 TND 2.19

-8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$0.38 TND 1.12

-39.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MYR 11.92

$1.72 TND 5.14

69.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 MYR 17.96

$1.66 TND 4.98

165.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 MYR 7.33

$0.44 TND 1.32

309.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 MYR 3.65

$0.13 TND 0.40

584.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.80

$1.24 TND 3.71

34.68%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.16

$1.61 TND 4.82

39.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 MYR 47.53

$13.70 TND 41.05

-14.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 MYR 15.66

$5.80 TND 17.37

-33.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 MYR 39.55

$13.98 TND 41.87

-30.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 MYR 15.16

$2.02 TND 6.05

84.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.26

$3.49 TND 10.46

-56.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 MYR 9.55

$1.02 TND 3.07

129.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 MYR 5.62

$0.69 TND 2.06

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.58

$0.87 TND 2.62

28.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.29

$0.69 TND 2.05

88.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.76

$0.43 TND 1.30

172.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$0.33 TND 0.97

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$3.76 TND 11.25

20.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.28 MYR 74.6

$5.98 TND 17.90

205.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 MYR 11.64

$1.03 TND 3.08

176.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$1.13 TND 3.39

299.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 MYR 3.40

$0.33 TND 0.99

151.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.85 MYR 56.5

$9.88 TND 29.60

40.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 MYR 5.70

$0.34 TND 1.03

311.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MYR 2.18

$0.69 TND 2.08

-21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.01 MYR 32.68

$4.00 TND 11.98

100.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.28

$0.81 TND 2.43

-1.23%

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

$49.1K MYR 200.3K

$40.3K TND 120.6K

21.98%

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

$35.6K MYR 145.4K

$36.8K TND 110.1K

-3.06%

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

$49.59 MYR 202

$75.1 TND 225

-33.99%

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

$7.14 MYR 29.14

$13.68 TND 40.97

-47.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.47 MYR 108

$19.58 TND 58.6

35.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.94 MYR 110

$28.10 TND 84.2

-4.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.44 MYR 26.26

$26.30 TND 78.8

-75.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 MYR 15.24

$6.54 TND 19.59

-42.81%

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

$181 MYR 739

$92.6 TND 277

95.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,906 MYR 28.2K

$3,228 TND 9,667

113.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MYR 226

$52.6 TND 158

5.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.48 MYR 124

$70.9 TND 212

-56.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 MYR 364

$149 TND 447

-40.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 MYR 307

$99.4 TND 298

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 MYR 1,386

$241 TND 721

41.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 MYR 1,150

$161 TND 483

74.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 MYR 2,437

$512 TND 1,533

16.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 MYR 1,841

$346 TND 1,037

30.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,782 MYR 7,272

$978 TND 2,929

82.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$966 MYR 3,941

$621 TND 1,859

55.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 MYR 2,021

$380 TND 1,139

30.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

11.4

-64.39%

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

Last update for Sibu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sousse: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sibu

$282 32.6%

Sousse

$161 20.7% 42.8% $121

Groceries & Markets

Sibu

$247 28.5%

Sousse

$197 25.3% 20.3% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Sibu

$113 13%

Sousse

$167 21.5% 48.7% $55

Eating Out

Sibu

$85 9.9%

Sousse

$89 11.4% 4.1% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sibu

$83 9.6%

Sousse

$108 13.9% 30.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sibu

$34 4%

Sousse

$41 5.3% 19.7% $6.8

Getting Around

Sibu

$21 2.5%

Sousse

$15 1.9% 29.4% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $340 in Sibu and $241 in Sousse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sibu pays 30% 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: $19.00 in Sibu vs $24.00 in Sousse. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $197, with Sousse cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Sibu

🇹🇳 Sousse

🕒 Local time

23:15 11:15 PM

16:15 4:15 PM

7 h behind Sibu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,239

221,530

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sibu Sousse 10,870 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Sibu
Sousse

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

Sibu vs Sousse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sousse wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Sibu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sousse the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Sibu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $340 in Sibu versus $241 in Sousse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $866 per month in Sibu versus $779 in Sousse – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sousse runs roughly 40% less than in Sibu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sousse gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Sibu and Sousse are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sousse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Sibu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.