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 $618 in Tunisia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in South Africa vs $993 in Tunisia, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,154 per month in South Africa vs $1,367 in Tunisia, rent included.

The cost of living in South Africa is about 65% higher than in 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.

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($803–$1,362) than in Tunisia ($460–$774), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 150

$3.44 TND 9.75

165.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 643

$20.35 TND 57.7

92.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.3

$4.98 TND 14.12

4.22%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.50

$0.90 TND 2.56

120.00%

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

$1.00 R 16.45

$0.63 TND 1.79

58.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 12.92

$0.27 TND 0.75

192.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.36

$1.71 TND 4.84

29.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.28

$2.32 TND 6.57

10.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.43

$0.47 TND 1.32

138.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 15.90

$0.17 TND 0.47

470.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.37

$1.51 TND 4.28

1.99%

Eggs

$2.25 R 36.96

$1.64 TND 4.65

37.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 129

$10.72 TND 30.39

-26.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.3

$5.82 TND 16.49

-21.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 110

$14.05 TND 39.82

-52.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.88

$1.94 TND 5.50

-19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.18

$2.90 TND 8.22

-49.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.00

$1.14 TND 3.24

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.81

$0.73 TND 2.06

106.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.71

$0.68 TND 1.92

85.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 20.96

$0.59 TND 1.66

115.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.86

$0.47 TND 1.35

131.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 15.93

$0.32 TND 0.91

203.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 46.62

$3.45 TND 9.77

-17.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 85.5

$6.79 TND 19.24

-23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.74

$1.23 TND 3.48

12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.24

$1.32 TND 3.73

30.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 R 28.30

$0.35 TND 1.01

391.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 727

$9.99 TND 28.31

342.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.93

$0.29 TND 0.81

296.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.51

$0.31 TND 0.87

245.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 77.8

$4.17 TND 11.81

13.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.09

$0.89 TND 2.52

43.82%

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

$20.4K R 334.8K

$41.0K TND 116.2K

-50.36%

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

$24.0K R 394.3K

$36.5K TND 103.5K

-34.33%

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

$113 R 1,856

$53.5 TND 151

111.24%

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

$32.35 R 532

$9.88 TND 27.99

227.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 682

$19.52 TND 55.3

112.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 510

$27.50 TND 77.9

12.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 160

$12.39 TND 35.09

-21.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$5.51 TND 15.62

21.05%

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

$186 R 3,051

$97.4 TND 276

90.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.3K

$2,743 TND 7,772

60.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 824

$41.39 TND 117

21.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 499

$54.3 TND 154

-44.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,535

$97.5 TND 276

-4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,322

$74.8 TND 212

7.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,210

$239 TND 676

83.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,112

$154 TND 437

141.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.8K

$401 TND 1,135

125.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.6K

$273 TND 772

158.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.3K

$1,036 TND 2,935

7.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.0K

$621 TND 1,760

27.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.8K

$322 TND 913

367.11%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tunisia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $368 in South Africa vs $197 in Tunisia. For reference, capital cities sit at $292 in Bloemfontein and $278 in Tunis.

Average salary: $1,513 in South Africa vs $310 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 84% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 388% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 75% 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 75% 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.