Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunis and Kairouan Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunis and Kairouan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $743 per month in Tunis vs $558 in Kairouan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,160 per month in Tunis vs $881 in Kairouan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,576 per month in Tunis vs $1,204 in Kairouan, rent included.

Tunis costs about 33% more than Kairouan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Tunis and Kairouan are more affordable than the global median – Tunis 44% lower, Kairouan 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.14 TND 14.94

$2.41 TND 7.00

113.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.99 TND 72.6

$8.49 TND 24.67

194.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 TND 14.47

$3.31 TND 9.62

50.45%

Cappuccino

$1.04 TND 3.01

$0.77 TND 2.22

35.06%

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

$0.70 TND 2.04

$0.61 TND 1.77

14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 TND 0.75

$0.13 TND 0.38

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 TND 4.98

$1.47 TND 4.29

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 TND 7.76

$1.89 TND 5.50

41.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 TND 1.46

$0.46 TND 1.34

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.17 TND 0.50

$0.09 TND 0.26

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 TND 5.21

$1.47 TND 4.29

21.77%

Eggs

$1.55 TND 4.50

$1.54 TND 4.47

0.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 TND 30.79

$11.31 TND 32.88

-6.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 TND 18.28

$5.58 TND 16.22

12.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 TND 41.83

$12.00 TND 34.88

19.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 TND 6.12

$2.26 TND 6.57

-6.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.60 TND 10.46

$2.36 TND 6.86

52.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 TND 3.39

$1.05 TND 3.06

11.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 TND 2.08

$0.69 TND 2.00

4.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 TND 2.07

$0.70 TND 2.04

1.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 TND 1.86

$0.77 TND 2.25

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 TND 1.26

$0.48 TND 1.39

-10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.83

$0.25 TND 0.73

16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 TND 9.59

$3.49 TND 10.13

-5.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 TND 22.18

$7.70 TND 22.37

-0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 TND 3.73

$1.10 TND 3.20

16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 TND 4.55

$1.05 TND 3.06

49.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 TND 0.95

$0.33 TND 0.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.89 TND 40.38

$10.21 TND 29.68

36.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.30 TND 0.86

$0.31 TND 0.91

-3.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 TND 0.96

$0.34 TND 0.98

-2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 TND 9.80

$7.34 TND 21.35

-54.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 TND 2.53

$0.80 TND 2.32

8.75%

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

$40.6K TND 117.9K

$35.4K TND 103.0K

14.57%

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

$38.4K TND 111.7K

$34.9K TND 101.5K

10.00%

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

$59.5 TND 173

$44.88 TND 130

32.49%

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

$10.09 TND 29.33

$9.62 TND 27.96

4.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.87 TND 60.7

$14.89 TND 43.29

40.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.08 TND 99.1

$24.01 TND 69.8

41.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.41 TND 41.90

$12.61 TND 36.64

14.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 TND 16.21

$4.70 TND 13.66

18.51%

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

$112 TND 324

$108 TND 314

3.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,349 TND 9,735

$2,443 TND 7,103

37.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.57 TND 130

$23.95 TND 69.6

86.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.0 TND 174

$43.82 TND 127

36.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 TND 279

$46.97 TND 137

104.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 TND 227

$64.3 TND 187

21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 TND 816

$118 TND 342

138.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 TND 514

$135 TND 392

31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 TND 1,422

$381 TND 1,107

28.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 TND 852

$273 TND 794

7.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,450 TND 4,216

$1,148 TND 3,337

26.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$759 TND 2,207

$686 TND 1,994

10.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 TND 1,090

$337 TND 981

11.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

13.6

-19.41%

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

Last update for Tunis: June 14, 2026

Last update for Kairouan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $281 in Tunis versus $118 in Kairouan. 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 11% 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 $25.00 in Tunis versus $8.00 in Kairouan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $180 – making Kairouan 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 Kairouan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $743 in Tunis, $558 in Kairouan – roughly 33% apart. Tunis costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,115 per month in Tunis and $838 in Kairouan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 36% less in Kairouan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $112 per month in Tunis and $108 in Kairouan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $743 in Tunis and $558 in Kairouan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kairouan – 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 Kairouan. 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.