Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunis and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tunis: $859 a month against $1,526 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Tunis
Learn more

Tunis Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

Jump to prices

Tunis

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$859

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tunis and in Istanbul

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 Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $859 per month in Tunis vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tunis $859
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $1,293 per month in Tunis vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tunis $1,293
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $1,728 per month in Tunis vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Tunis $1,728
Istanbul $3,272

Tunis is about 44% cheaper than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tunis sits 36% below the global median, while Istanbul is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.95 TND 11.77

$11.88 ₺585

-66.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.82 TND 68.1

$55.1 ₺2,715

-58.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 TND 17.49

$9.14 ₺450

-35.89%

Cappuccino

$1.17 TND 3.49

$4.24 ₺209

-72.41%

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

$0.79 TND 2.36

$1.75 ₺86.0

-54.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 TND 1.13

$0.54 ₺26.84

-29.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 TND 5.13

$4.69 ₺231

-63.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 TND 8.15

$5.97 ₺294

-54.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 TND 1.46

$1.26 ₺62.1

-61.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 TND 1.18

$0.95 ₺46.82

-58.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 TND 5.06

$2.31 ₺114

-26.41%

Eggs

$1.84 TND 5.49

$2.47 ₺122

-25.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 TND 29.97

$10.55 ₺520

-4.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 TND 17.85

$5.60 ₺276

6.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.51 TND 52.3

$21.21 ₺1,045

-17.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 TND 6.38

$1.93 ₺95.1

10.88%

Banana (1kg)

$5.88 TND 17.56

$2.29 ₺113

156.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 TND 3.32

$1.28 ₺63.1

-13.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 TND 2.40

$1.84 ₺90.8

-56.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 TND 2.44

$0.67 ₺32.87

22.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 TND 1.95

$0.59 ₺29.31

10.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 TND 1.49

$1.33 ₺65.4

-62.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 TND 1.02

$0.59 ₺29.11

-42.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 TND 11.30

$2.36 ₺116

60.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.52 TND 19.46

$13.47 ₺664

-51.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 TND 3.83

$2.42 ₺119

-47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 TND 4.70

$3.54 ₺174

-55.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 TND 1.02

$0.83 ₺40.65

-59.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.93 TND 50.5

$66.5 ₺3,274

-74.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 TND 0.97

$1.35 ₺66.6

-76.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.91

$0.85 ₺42.06

-63.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 TND 5.52

$10.86 ₺535

-82.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 TND 2.62

$1.47 ₺72.3

-40.14%

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

$39.6K TND 118.0K

$51.6K ₺2.5M

-23.38%

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

$36.0K TND 107.5K

$44.4K ₺2.2M

-18.97%

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

$61.2 TND 183

$89.2 ₺4,396

-31.37%

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

$8.82 TND 26.31

$11.60 ₺572

-23.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.50 TND 61.2

$16.10 ₺793

27.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.96 TND 104

$77.3 ₺3,806

-54.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.54 TND 37.42

$22.66 ₺1,116

-44.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 TND 17.88

$8.34 ₺411

-28.18%

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

$102 TND 305

$974 ₺48.0K

-89.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,211 TND 9,582

$25.8K ₺1.3M

-87.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.37 TND 129

$52.7 ₺2,597

-17.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.8 TND 178

$39.16 ₺1,930

52.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 TND 304

$103 ₺5,084

-1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 TND 258

$96.6 ₺4,760

-10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 TND 1,158

$994 ₺49.0K

-60.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 TND 756

$629 ₺31.0K

-59.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 TND 1,925

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-68.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 TND 1,166

$1,155 ₺56.9K

-66.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,467 TND 4,377

$3,160 ₺155.7K

-53.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 TND 2,317

$1,838 ₺90.5K

-57.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 TND 1,040

$1,203 ₺59.3K

-71.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.28

41.09

-74.98%

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

Last update for Tunis: October 6, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tunis

$253 29.9%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 148% $376

Groceries & Markets

Tunis

$222 26.3%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 18.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Tunis

$131 15.5%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 0.1% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tunis

$91 10.7%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 29.1% $26

Eating Out

Tunis

$82 9.7%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 166% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Tunis

$47 5.6%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 100% $47

Getting Around

Tunis

$20 2.4%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 274% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $388 in Tunis versus $994 in Istanbul. 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 245% higher in Istanbul, 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 $23.00 in Tunis versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $264 – making Tunis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇳 Tunis

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

04:06 4:06 AM

2 h ahead of Tunis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

728,453 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.335 USD

1 TND = 0.299 EUR

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar (د.ت)

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.98 TND (1 TND = 0.335 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.299 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 49.27 TRY (100 TRY = 2.03 USD). 1 EUR = 55.26 TRY (100 TRY = 1.81 EUR).

USD to TND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tunis Istanbul 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Tunis
Istanbul

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 Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Tunis and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $102 per month in Tunis and $974 in Istanbul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tunis, where all-in costs run around $859, than in Istanbul at $1,526. In Tunis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tunis – 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 Tunis. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.