For one person, living is cheaper in Tunisia: $678 a month against $1,213 in Ethiopia, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Tunisia and in Ethiopia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Tunisia versus $1,213 in Ethiopia.
Tunisia $678
Ethiopia $1,213
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,067 in Tunisia versus $1,821 in Ethiopia.
Tunisia $1,067
Ethiopia $1,821
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,456 in Tunisia versus $2,429 in Ethiopia.
Tunisia $1,456
Ethiopia $2,429
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Ethiopia: monthly costs span $374 to $1,300, compared to $444–$857 in Tunisia. City choice carries more weight in Ethiopia.
🌍
Living in Tunisia costs about 44% less than in Ethiopia on average.
📊
Both countries sit below the global median: Tunisia 50% lower, Ethiopia 11% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.03TND 12.11
$4.11ETB 662
-1.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.23TND 60.8
$42.65ETB 6,862
-52.57%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.10TND 15.31
$6.45ETB 1,038
-20.93%
Cappuccino
$0.98TND 2.94
$0.86ETB 138
13.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69TND 2.06
$0.57ETB 92.5
21.05%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32TND 0.96
$0.56ETB 90.6
-42.86%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.71TND 5.13
$0.89ETB 143
92.13%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94TND 5.84
$1.94ETB 313
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.50TND 1.50
$1.03ETB 166
-51.46%
White Bread(500g)
$0.20TND 0.60
$0.90ETB 145
-77.78%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.49TND 4.47
$1.74ETB 280
-14.37%
Eggs
$1.54TND 4.63
$1.79ETB 288
-13.97%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.03TND 33.15
$7.49ETB 1,205
47.26%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.89TND 17.68
$10.49ETB 1,687
-43.85%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.35TND 43.12
$9.97ETB 1,605
43.93%
Apples(1kg)
$1.88TND 5.64
$4.43ETB 713
-57.56%
Banana(1kg)
$3.54TND 10.63
$0.78ETB 125
353.85%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.16TND 3.48
$2.45ETB 394
-52.65%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.71TND 2.15
$0.67ETB 108
5.97%
Potato(1kg)
$0.77TND 2.31
$0.55ETB 88.3
40.00%
Onion(1kg)
$0.60TND 1.81
$1.34ETB 216
-55.22%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.48TND 1.43
$0.77ETB 124
-37.66%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30TND 0.89
$0.57ETB 91.3
-47.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.73TND 11.21
$7.86ETB 1,264
-52.54%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.75TND 20.28
$5.38ETB 865
25.46%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22TND 3.66
$0.76ETB 122
60.53%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25TND 3.74
$1.49ETB 240
-16.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.34TND 1.02
$0.35ETB 55.7
-2.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$9.76TND 29.34
$16.78ETB 2,699
-41.84%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.29TND 0.86
$1.36ETB 218
-78.68%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.34TND 1.02
$0.27ETB 43.19
25.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.96TND 11.89
$1.97ETB 316
101.02%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.85TND 2.56
$1.00ETB 161
-15.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.6KTND 118.9K
$53.5KETB 8.6M
-26.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5KTND 106.8K
$55.1KETB 8.9M
-35.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$53.1TND 160
$142ETB 22.9K
-62.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.83TND 29.54
$9.63ETB 1,550
2.08%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.12TND 60.5
$236ETB 38.0K
-91.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$26.87TND 80.7
$42.81ETB 6,889
-37.23%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.48TND 34.50
$35.60ETB 5,728
-67.75%
Cinema Ticket
$5.41TND 16.27
$4.96ETB 799
9.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$85.6TND 257
$628ETB 101.0K
-86.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,758TND 8,287
$30.1KETB 4.9M
-90.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.84TND 120
$36.35ETB 5,849
9.60%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4TND 157
$62.8ETB 10.1K
-16.60%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$96.0TND 289
$78.3ETB 12.6K
22.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.8TND 219
$88.6ETB 14.3K
-17.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$228TND 686
$654ETB 105.2K
-65.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$157TND 471
$346ETB 55.7K
-54.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$391TND 1,174
$1,818ETB 292.5K
-78.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$276TND 830
$723ETB 116.3K
-61.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,084TND 3,258
$1,825ETB 293.6K
-40.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$662TND 1,990
$1,031ETB 165.8K
-35.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$320TND 963
$203ETB 32.7K
57.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.98
17
-35.41%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Tunisia: October 25, 2026
Last update for Ethiopia: October 25, 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.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Tunisia
$195 28.7%
Ethiopia
$210 17.3% ↑ 7.9%$15
🏠Accommodation & Living
Tunisia
$157 23.1%
Ethiopia
$346 28.5% ↑ 121%$189
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Tunisia
$117 17.3%
Ethiopia
$120 9.9% ↑ 1.9%$2.3
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tunisia
$83 12.3%
Ethiopia
$388 32% ↑ 367%$305
🍽Eating Out
Tunisia
$76 11.2%
Ethiopia
$75 6.2% ↓ 0.3%$0.3
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Tunisia
$38 5.6%
Ethiopia
$53 4.4% ↑ 39.9%$15
🚌Getting Around
Tunisia
$13 1.9%
Ethiopia
$21 1.7% ↑ 59.1%$7.8
🛒Groceries & Markets
Tunisia
$462 31.7%
Ethiopia
$498 20.5% ↑ 7.8%$36
🏠Accommodation & Living
Tunisia
$276 19%
Ethiopia
$723 29.7% ↑ 162%$447
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Tunisia
$261 17.9%
Ethiopia
$266 11% ↑ 2%$5.1
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tunisia
$93 6.4%
Ethiopia
$397 16.4% ↑ 328%$304
🍽Eating Out
Tunisia
$250 17.2%
Ethiopia
$362 14.9% ↑ 44.7%$112
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Tunisia
$87 6%
Ethiopia
$141 5.8% ↑ 62.4%$54
🚌Getting Around
Tunisia
$27 1.9%
Ethiopia
$42 1.8% ↑ 57.6%$15
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $202 in Tunisia, $421 in Ethiopia. Capital cities: $385 in Tunis vs $707 in Addis Ababa.
💰National salary averages: $306 in Tunisia, $180 in Ethiopia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 108% higher in Ethiopia.
⭐Dining out costs 139% more in Ethiopia.
⭐Public transport is 70% more expensive in Ethiopia.
⭐Salaries are 70% higher in Tunisia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Tunisia.
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
Tunisia vs Ethiopia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Ethiopia and Tunisia?
At $1,213 per month in Ethiopia and $678 in Tunisia, Tunisia comes out about 44% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Tunisia: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $421 in Ethiopia and $202 in Tunisia. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Ethiopia or in Tunisia?
In Tunisia, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Ethiopia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Ethiopia or to Tunisia?
It depends on what you’re after: Tunisia wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.