Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunis and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Tunis: $861 a month against $2,889 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Tunis
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Tunis Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Tunis

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$861

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tunis and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Tunis versus $2,889 in Dubai.

Tunis $861
Dubai $2,889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,327 in Tunis versus $4,444 in Dubai.

Tunis $1,327
Dubai $4,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,794 in Tunis versus $5,999 in Dubai.

Tunis $1,794
Dubai $5,999

Living in Tunis costs roughly 70% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tunis is 36% below, Dubai is 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 TND 13.61

$12.94 AED 47.54

-64.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.17 TND 65.9

$83.2 AED 306

-73.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 TND 16.18

$9.35 AED 34.32

-41.82%

Cappuccino

$1.18 TND 3.50

$5.88 AED 21.60

-79.93%

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

$0.88 TND 2.63

$1.57 AED 5.77

-43.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 TND 1.26

$0.94 AED 3.47

-55.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 TND 4.86

$13.44 AED 49.38

-87.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 TND 7.74

$13.57 AED 49.84

-80.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 TND 1.44

$1.86 AED 6.83

-74.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.34 TND 1.01

$1.56 AED 5.73

-78.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 TND 4.86

$2.64 AED 9.68

-38.26%

Eggs

$1.75 TND 5.22

$3.53 AED 12.96

-50.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 TND 30.60

$12.97 AED 47.62

-20.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 TND 18.15

$9.94 AED 36.51

-38.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.16 TND 54.0

$12.92 AED 47.45

40.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 TND 6.05

$2.55 AED 9.36

-20.39%

Banana (1kg)

$6.68 TND 19.87

$2.05 AED 7.54

225.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 TND 3.72

$1.84 AED 6.77

-32.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 TND 2.45

$1.54 AED 5.64

-46.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 TND 2.59

$1.17 AED 4.31

-25.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 TND 1.87

$1.02 AED 3.76

-38.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 TND 1.65

$1.57 AED 5.75

-64.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 TND 0.98

$0.67 AED 2.46

-50.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 TND 10.89

$6.31 AED 23.17

-42.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.73 TND 20.02

$16.16 AED 59.4

-58.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 TND 3.71

$2.58 AED 9.48

-51.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 TND 4.00

$2.89 AED 10.60

-53.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 TND 1.01

$1.40 AED 5.15

-75.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.16 TND 48.06

$82.4 AED 303

-80.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 TND 0.92

$3.29 AED 12.07

-90.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 TND 0.83

$0.65 AED 2.40

-56.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 TND 5.34

$8.13 AED 29.84

-77.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 TND 2.62

$1.00 AED 3.68

-12.00%

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

$38.7K TND 115.1K

$26.3K AED 96.6K

47.23%

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

$35.9K TND 106.8K

$22.0K AED 81.0K

62.92%

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

$61.0 TND 181

$239 AED 877

-74.45%

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

$8.90 TND 26.47

$56.9 AED 209

-84.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.09 TND 62.7

$93.9 AED 345

-77.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.61 TND 103

$90.8 AED 334

-61.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.71 TND 37.78

$46.38 AED 170

-72.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.16 TND 18.31

$16.24 AED 59.6

-62.07%

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

$108 TND 322

$934 AED 3,429

-88.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,640 TND 28.7K

$20.9K AED 76.8K

-53.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.11 TND 134

$70.7 AED 260

-36.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.0 TND 187

$61.3 AED 225

2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 TND 317

$103 AED 377

3.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.7 TND 243

$116 AED 426

-29.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 TND 1,265

$2,487 AED 9,134

-82.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 TND 758

$1,520 AED 5,581

-83.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 TND 1,924

$5,234 AED 19.2K

-87.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 TND 1,244

$3,028 AED 11.1K

-86.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,488 TND 4,423

$6,982 AED 25.6K

-78.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 TND 2,344

$4,433 AED 16.3K

-82.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$353 TND 1,051

$3,553 AED 13.0K

-90.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.65

4.57

133.04%

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

Last update for Tunis: October 31, 2026

Last update for Dubai: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tunis

$255 29.7%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.6% 496% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Tunis

$230 26.7%

Dubai

$297 10.3% 29.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Tunis

$133 15.5%

Dubai

$158 5.5% 18.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tunis

$91 10.6%

Dubai

$390 13.5% 328% $299

Eating Out

Tunis

$86 10%

Dubai

$307 10.6% 258% $221

Sport & Entertainment

Tunis

$47 5.5%

Dubai

$123 4.3% 163% $76

Getting Around

Tunis

$19 2.2%

Dubai

$95 3.3% 392% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Tunis and $2,487 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $22 in Tunis vs $83 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $297 per month, with Tunis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇳 Tunis

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

18:30 6:30 PM

21:30 9:30 PM

3 h ahead of Tunis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

728,453 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.336 USD

1 TND = 0.299 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar (د.ت)

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.97 TND (1 TND = 0.336 USD). 1 EUR = 3.34 TND (1 TND = 0.299 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to TND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tunis Dubai 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Tunis vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tunis is about 70% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Tunis. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $426 in Tunis versus $2,487 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tunis runs roughly 80% less than in Dubai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $108 in Tunis versus $934 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Tunis versus $2,889 in Dubai, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tunis but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Tunis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Tunis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.