Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Tunisia Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Tunisia

Name: Tunisia
Address: TN

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,020 per month in South Africa vs $619 in Tunisia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,598 per month in South Africa vs $995 in Tunisia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,175 per month in South Africa vs $1,371 in Tunisia, rent included.

South Africa costs about 65% more than Tunisia on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Africa and Tunisia are more affordable than the global median – South Africa 24% lower, Tunisia 54% lower.

South Africa has a wider regional cost range ($819–$1,339) than Tunisia ($457–$768), so location matters more when choosing where to live in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 147

$3.38 TND 9.81

167.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 642

$20.26 TND 58.8

94.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.3

$5.10 TND 14.81

-3.14%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.47

$0.97 TND 2.80

112.37%

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

$0.95 R 15.40

$0.68 TND 1.96

39.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.13

$0.29 TND 0.85

179.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.90

$1.73 TND 5.03

27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.33

$2.35 TND 6.82

5.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.07

$0.47 TND 1.38

136.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.64

$0.16 TND 0.48

537.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.28

$1.52 TND 4.41

2.63%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.05

$1.62 TND 4.70

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$10.74 TND 31.19

-28.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.1

$5.94 TND 17.24

-24.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 109

$13.74 TND 39.90

-51.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.40

$1.95 TND 5.67

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.22

$3.05 TND 8.85

-53.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.48

$1.15 TND 3.34

25.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.55

$0.74 TND 2.14

104.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.81

$0.68 TND 1.97

79.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.74

$0.61 TND 1.78

109.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.89

$0.44 TND 1.28

136.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.21

$0.30 TND 0.87

213.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.55

$3.42 TND 9.94

-12.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 83.8

$6.65 TND 19.30

-22.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.55

$1.29 TND 3.74

7.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.93

$1.36 TND 3.96

22.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.48

$0.33 TND 0.95

393.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 732

$10.36 TND 30.08

334.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.41

$0.29 TND 0.84

289.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 17.93

$0.33 TND 0.97

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 78.9

$4.02 TND 11.68

20.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.15

$0.83 TND 2.40

49.40%

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

$20.3K R 330.2K

$41.2K TND 119.6K

-50.67%

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

$23.5K R 381.4K

$36.1K TND 104.7K

-34.92%

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

$113 R 1,843

$53.3 TND 155

112.69%

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

$32.36 R 526

$10.00 TND 29.03

223.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 674

$19.66 TND 57.1

110.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 513

$28.31 TND 82.2

11.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 156

$12.46 TND 36.18

-22.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 111

$5.53 TND 16.04

23.51%

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

$187 R 3,039

$97.3 TND 282

92.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 70.9K

$2,728 TND 7,921

59.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 804

$41.76 TND 121

18.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 494

$52.9 TND 153

-42.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,489

$98.5 TND 286

-6.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,281

$75.1 TND 218

4.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,175

$234 TND 679

88.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,963

$155 TND 449

137.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$398 TND 1,155

122.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$279 TND 811

159.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.7K

$1,038 TND 3,013

5.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$642 TND 1,864

21.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.3K

$332 TND 964

368.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

11.33

1.94%

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

Last update for South Africa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tunisia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $197 in Tunisia. For reference, capital cities sit at $765 in Cape Town and $276 in Tunis.

Average salary: $1,520 in South Africa vs $313 in Tunisia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 87% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 386% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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

South Africa vs Tunisia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tunisia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 76% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Tunisia, contributing to the overall 76% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Tunisia, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Tunisia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.