Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunis and Ben Arous Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunis and Ben Arous

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $753 per month in Tunis vs $647 in Ben Arous, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,160 per month in Tunis vs $1,063 in Ben Arous, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,568 per month in Tunis vs $1,479 in Ben Arous, rent included.

Tunis costs about 16% more than Ben Arous, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tunis and Ben Arous are more affordable than the global median – Tunis 43% lower, Ben Arous 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.15 TND 15.12

$3.47 TND 10.17

48.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.81 TND 75.8

$21.78 TND 63.9

18.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 TND 14.59

$4.21 TND 12.36

18.05%

Cappuccino

$1.03 TND 3.02

$0.77 TND 2.26

33.77%

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

$0.72 TND 2.11

$0.65 TND 1.90

10.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 TND 0.76

$0.26 TND 0.75

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 TND 5.03

$1.48 TND 4.34

15.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 TND 8.00

$1.92 TND 5.62

42.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.46 TND 1.36

$0.49 TND 1.43

-6.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 TND 0.61

$0.17 TND 0.51

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 TND 5.11

$1.62 TND 4.74

7.41%

Eggs

$1.55 TND 4.54

$1.58 TND 4.63

-1.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 TND 30.84

$11.20 TND 32.86

-6.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 TND 17.84

$6.31 TND 18.51

-3.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 TND 43.07

$14.92 TND 43.77

-1.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 TND 6.09

$2.09 TND 6.14

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 TND 10.86

$2.97 TND 8.72

24.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 TND 3.41

$1.17 TND 3.44

-0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 TND 2.05

$0.71 TND 2.09

-1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 TND 2.24

$0.80 TND 2.35

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 TND 1.88

$0.76 TND 2.24

-15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 TND 1.26

$0.46 TND 1.36

-6.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 TND 0.92

$0.32 TND 0.94

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 TND 9.76

$3.51 TND 10.30

-5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 TND 19.25

$6.58 TND 19.30

-0.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 TND 3.92

$1.09 TND 3.21

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 TND 4.60

$1.26 TND 3.69

24.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 TND 0.96

$0.42 TND 1.24

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.05 TND 41.22

$13.33 TND 39.13

5.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.30 TND 0.87

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.91

$0.33 TND 0.98

-6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 TND 10.17

$3.43 TND 10.05

1.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 TND 2.43

$0.88 TND 2.57

-5.68%

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

$40.6K TND 119.2K

$40.6K TND 119.0K

0.16%

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

$37.3K TND 109.5K

$34.2K TND 100.4K

8.99%

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

$58.9 TND 173

$48.99 TND 144

20.19%

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

$10.03 TND 29.45

$10.12 TND 29.69

-0.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.43 TND 62.9

$20.98 TND 61.6

2.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.06 TND 100.0

$32.65 TND 95.8

4.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 TND 41.74

$16.77 TND 49.21

-15.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.50 TND 16.13

$4.96 TND 14.57

10.89%

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

$112 TND 329

$110 TND 321

2.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,306 TND 9,701

$2,449 TND 7,187

34.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.17 TND 133

$44.12 TND 129

2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 TND 177

$44.03 TND 129

36.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 TND 284

$97.7 TND 287

-0.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 TND 235

$80.7 TND 237

-0.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 TND 817

$185 TND 542

50.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 TND 510

$137 TND 403

26.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 TND 1,441

$369 TND 1,084

32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 TND 856

$275 TND 808

6.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,517 TND 4,450

$933 TND 2,739

62.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$784 TND 2,301

$425 TND 1,248

84.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$359 TND 1,055

$257 TND 755

39.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

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

Last update for Tunis: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Tunis versus $185 in Ben Arous. 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 40% higher in Tunis, 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 $26.00 in Tunis versus $22.00 in Ben Arous. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $197 – making Ben Arous the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Tunis vs Ben Arous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $753 in Tunis, $647 in Ben Arous – roughly 16% apart. Tunis costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,130 per month in Tunis and $971 in Ben Arous. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ben Arous, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $26.00 in Tunis and $22.00 in Ben Arous. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $753 in Tunis and $647 in Ben Arous. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $753 in Tunis and $647 in Ben Arous, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ben Arous – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Ben Arous. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tunis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.