Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunis and Phuket
For one person, living is cheaper in Tunis: $857 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $857 in Tunis versus $1,278 in Phuket.
Tunis $857
Phuket $1,278
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,321 in Tunis versus $2,216 in Phuket.
Tunis $1,321
Phuket $2,216
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,786 in Tunis versus $3,154 in Phuket.
Tunis $1,786
Phuket $3,154
🌍
Living in Tunis costs roughly 33% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Tunis37% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Tunis
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.09TND 15.33
$4.47฿151
13.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.52TND 67.9
$32.41฿1,094
-30.52%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.08TND 18.31
$8.81฿297
-30.99%
Cappuccino
$1.15TND 3.46
$2.83฿95.5
-59.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83TND 2.49
$0.87฿29.43
-4.60%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36TND 1.08
$0.49฿16.67
-26.53%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.68TND 5.05
$2.56฿86.4
-34.38%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63TND 7.92
$3.68฿124
-28.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tunis
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.48TND 1.44
$1.66฿56.0
-71.08%
White Bread(500g)
$0.35TND 1.05
$1.46฿49.35
-76.03%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.69TND 5.08
$1.50฿50.6
12.67%
Eggs
$1.76TND 5.31
$2.09฿70.5
-15.79%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.06TND 30.29
$19.07฿644
-47.25%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.03TND 18.16
$3.30฿111
82.73%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.32TND 55.2
$10.91฿368
67.92%
Apples(1kg)
$2.09TND 6.31
$2.93฿99.0
-28.67%
Banana(1kg)
$6.30TND 18.97
$1.69฿57.1
272.78%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.25TND 3.75
$2.25฿75.8
-44.44%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.80TND 2.40
$2.08฿70.1
-61.54%
Potato(1kg)
$0.83TND 2.51
$1.51฿51.0
-45.03%
Onion(1kg)
$0.65TND 1.97
$1.38฿46.56
-52.90%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.51TND 1.53
$1.07฿35.99
-52.34%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.33TND 1.00
$0.52฿17.52
-36.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.56TND 10.74
$4.20฿142
-15.24%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.48TND 19.52
$18.79฿634
-65.51%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23TND 3.70
$1.82฿61.5
-32.42%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52TND 4.58
$2.84฿95.9
-46.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Tunis
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.32TND 0.95
$1.45฿49.03
-77.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$15.70TND 47.28
$56.7฿1,913
-72.29%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.31TND 0.93
$3.02฿102
-89.74%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.29TND 0.87
$1.02฿34.36
-71.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.77TND 5.33
$3.69฿125
-52.03%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.87TND 2.62
$1.47฿49.81
-40.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6KTND 116.1K
$26.8K฿904.3K
43.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.8KTND 107.8K
$26.7K฿901.3K
34.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tunis
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$59.3TND 179
$96.4฿3,254
-38.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.52TND 25.67
$11.26฿380
-24.33%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.30TND 64.2
$16.85฿569
26.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tunis
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$33.70TND 102
$67.2฿2,270
-49.87%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.51TND 37.67
$10.73฿362
16.59%
Cinema Ticket
$5.84TND 17.59
$7.50฿253
-22.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tunis
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$107TND 323
$476฿16.1K
-77.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$3,179TND 9,577
$11.3K฿380.4K
-71.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tunis
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.74TND 135
$62.4฿2,106
-28.26%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.0TND 184
$28.41฿959
114.71%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102TND 308
$94.3฿3,184
8.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.5TND 246
$85.8฿2,898
-5.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tunis
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$385TND 1,161
$716฿24.2K
-46.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$256TND 771
$491฿16.6K
-47.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$654TND 1,970
$1,927฿65.1K
-66.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$418TND 1,260
$1,431฿48.3K
-70.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,478TND 4,452
$4,175฿141.0K
-64.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$794TND 2,392
$3,045฿102.8K
-73.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tunis
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$360TND 1,083
$502฿17.0K
-28.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.65
5.57
91.20%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Tunis: October 25, 2026
Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Tunis
$256 29.9%
Phuket
$491 38.4% ↑ 91.8%$235
🛒Groceries & Markets
Tunis
$227 26.4%
Phuket
$266 20.8% ↑ 17.5%$40
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Tunis
$130 15.2%
Phuket
$122 9.5% ↓ 6.4%$8.4
🍽Eating Out
Tunis
$91 10.6%
Phuket
$122 9.5% ↑ 33.6%$31
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tunis
$89 10.4%
Phuket
$124 9.7% ↑ 39.7%$35
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Tunis
$45 5.3%
Phuket
$82 6.4% ↑ 81.2%$37
🚌Getting Around
Tunis
$19 2.2%
Phuket
$71 5.5% ↑ 277%$52
🏠Accommodation & Living
Tunis
$418 23.4%
Phuket
$1.4K 45.4% ↑ 242%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Tunis
$546 30.6%
Phuket
$600 19% ↑ 9.8%$54
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Tunis
$289 16.2%
Phuket
$271 8.6% ↓ 6.4%$19
🍽Eating Out
Tunis
$293 16.4%
Phuket
$398 12.6% ↑ 35.7%$105
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tunis
$98 5.5%
Phuket
$136 4.3% ↑ 39%$38
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Tunis
$103 5.8%
Phuket
$175 5.6% ↑ 69.6%$72
🚌Getting Around
Tunis
$38 2.1%
Phuket
$144 4.6% ↑ 278%$106
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Tunis and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Phuket pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.
🛒Dining out: $23 in Tunis vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $266 per month, with Tunis cheaper across the board.
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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tunis cheaper than Phuket?
Tunis is cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Tunis or Phuket?
On paper, salaries run 28% 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.
What is the rent difference between Tunis and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $385 in Tunis versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $107 in Tunis versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Tunis and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Tunis or in Phuket?
At $857 in Tunis versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tunis but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tunis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Tunis or in Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tunis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.