Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sousse and Kairouan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kairouan: $613 a month against $779 in Sousse, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sousse
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$779
/mo nomad
Kairouan
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$613
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sousse and in Kairouan

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

A single person spends $779 per month in Sousse vs $613 in Kairouan, rent included.

  • Sousse $779
  • Kairouan $613

A couple spends around $1,261 per month in Sousse vs $965 in Kairouan, rent included.

  • Sousse $1,261
  • Kairouan $965

A family of three spends $1,743 per month in Sousse vs $1,316 in Kairouan, rent included.

  • Sousse $1,743
  • Kairouan $1,316

Sousse costs about 27% more than Kairouan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sousse and Kairouan are more affordable than the global median – Sousse 43% lower, Kairouan 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sousse
Kairouan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.90 TND 14.67
$2.65 TND 7.93
84.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.60 TND 70.7
$16.21 TND 48.56
45.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.75 TND 20.22
$6.15 TND 18.42
9.76%
Cappuccino
$1.10 TND 3.29
$0.96 TND 2.87
14.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 TND 2.19
$0.84 TND 2.53
-13.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 TND 1.12
$0.37 TND 1.12
2.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.72 TND 5.14
$1.64 TND 4.91
4.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 TND 4.98
$2.63 TND 7.87
-36.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sousse
Kairouan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.44 TND 1.32
$0.46 TND 1.37
-4.35%
White Bread (500g)
$0.13 TND 0.40
$0.08 TND 0.24
62.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 TND 3.71
$1.71 TND 5.11
-27.49%
Eggs
$1.61 TND 4.82
$1.50 TND 4.49
7.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.70 TND 41.05
$9.90 TND 29.64
38.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.80 TND 17.37
$5.65 TND 16.92
2.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.98 TND 41.87
$11.68 TND 34.97
19.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 TND 6.05
$2.19 TND 6.55
-7.76%
Banana (1kg)
$3.49 TND 10.46
$2.20 TND 6.58
58.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 TND 3.07
$1.17 TND 3.49
-12.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.69 TND 2.06
$0.76 TND 2.27
-9.21%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 TND 2.62
$0.70 TND 2.10
24.29%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 TND 2.05
$0.66 TND 1.97
4.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.43 TND 1.30
$0.50 TND 1.48
-14.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.33 TND 0.97
$0.24 TND 0.71
37.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.76 TND 11.25
$3.33 TND 9.96
12.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.98 TND 17.90
$6.78 TND 20.30
-11.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 TND 3.08
$1.25 TND 3.73
-17.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 TND 3.39
$1.46 TND 4.39
-22.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Sousse
Kairouan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 TND 0.99
$0.34 TND 1.02
-2.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.88 TND 29.60
$11.10 TND 33.26
-10.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.34 TND 1.03
$0.29 TND 0.86
17.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.69 TND 2.08
$0.29 TND 0.86
137.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.00 TND 11.98
$1.82 TND 5.46
119.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 TND 2.43
$0.73 TND 2.18
10.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.3K TND 120.6K
$38.8K TND 116.3K
3.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.8K TND 110.1K
$36.2K TND 108.6K
1.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sousse
Kairouan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$75.1 TND 225
$60.7 TND 182
23.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.68 TND 40.97
$8.89 TND 26.63
53.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.58 TND 58.6
$20.10 TND 60.2
-2.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sousse
Kairouan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.10 TND 84.2
$23.26 TND 69.7
20.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.30 TND 78.8
$12.84 TND 38.45
104.83%
Cinema Ticket
$6.54 TND 19.59
$4.77 TND 14.28
37.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sousse
Kairouan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$92.6 TND 277
$108 TND 322
-14.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,228 TND 9,667
$3,227 TND 9,666
0.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sousse
Kairouan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 TND 158
$23.82 TND 71.4
120.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.9 TND 212
$61.5 TND 184
15.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$149 TND 447
$46.99 TND 141
217.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.4 TND 298
$83.4 TND 250
19.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sousse
Kairouan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$241 TND 721
$118 TND 354
103.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$161 TND 483
$135 TND 404
19.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$512 TND 1,533
$376 TND 1,126
36.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$346 TND 1,037
$271 TND 813
27.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$978 TND 2,929
$890 TND 2,665
9.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$621 TND 1,859
$601 TND 1,800
3.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sousse
Kairouan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$380 TND 1,139
$325 TND 972
17.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.4
10.65
7.04%

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

Last update for Sousse: October 20, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sousse
$197
Kairouan
$175 11.2% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Sousse
$167
Kairouan
$97 42% $70
Accommodation & Living
Sousse
$161
Kairouan
$135 16.3% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sousse
$108
Kairouan
$90 17.3% $19
Eating Out
Sousse
$89
Kairouan
$69 22% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Sousse
$41
Kairouan
$33 20.4% $8.4
Getting Around
Sousse
$15
Kairouan
$14 5.4% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $241 in Sousse versus $118 in Kairouan. 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 17% higher in Sousse, 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 $24.00 in Sousse versus $16.00 in Kairouan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $175 – making Kairouan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇳 Sousse
🇹🇳 Kairouan
🕒 Local time
02:32 2:32 AM
02:32 2:32 AM
Same time as Sousse
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
221,530
139,070
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sousse Kairouan 52 km
From you
  • Sousse
  • Kairouan

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
Sousse vs Kairouan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sousse and in Kairouan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $779 in Sousse, $613 in Kairouan – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Sousse compared to Kairouan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,168 per month in Sousse and $919 in Kairouan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sousse and Kairouan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kairouan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Sousse and in Kairouan?
Public transport costs about 12% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sousse and Kairouan?
Kindergarten costs $92.6 per month in Sousse and $108 in Kairouan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $1,200 go in Sousse compared to Kairouan?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $779 in Sousse and $613 in Kairouan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Sousse or Kairouan?
Families tend to lean toward Kairouan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Sousse or Kairouan safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Sousse and Kairouan?
If budget matters most, go with Kairouan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sousse makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Sousse vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?