Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunisia and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunisia and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $658 per month in Tunisia vs $1,143 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,040 per month in Tunisia vs $1,781 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,421 per month in Tunisia vs $2,419 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Tunisia is roughly 42% lower than in South Africa on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Tunisia and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Tunisia 52% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($647–$1,815) than in Tunisia ($454–$863), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 TND 11.76

$11.30 R 182

-63.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.19 TND 58.3

$44.51 R 717

-54.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 TND 14.51

$5.90 R 95.0

-14.75%

Cappuccino

$1.02 TND 2.95

$2.44 R 39.22

-58.20%

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

$0.70 TND 2.01

$1.16 R 18.64

-39.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 TND 0.93

$0.96 R 15.39

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 TND 4.86

$2.56 R 41.29

-33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 TND 6.10

$3.08 R 49.60

-31.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 TND 1.48

$1.28 R 20.57

-60.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 TND 0.60

$1.13 R 18.15

-81.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 TND 4.15

$1.83 R 29.55

-21.31%

Eggs

$1.63 TND 4.71

$2.55 R 41.12

-36.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 TND 31.85

$8.35 R 134

32.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 TND 17.42

$5.44 R 87.6

11.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 TND 42.20

$7.88 R 127

85.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 TND 5.42

$1.90 R 30.61

-1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 TND 10.16

$1.70 R 27.36

107.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 TND 3.41

$1.81 R 29.14

-34.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 TND 2.36

$1.88 R 30.23

-56.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 TND 2.10

$1.54 R 24.76

-52.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 TND 1.94

$1.49 R 24.03

-55.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 TND 1.35

$1.33 R 21.45

-64.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 TND 0.89

$1.19 R 19.09

-73.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 TND 10.82

$3.41 R 55.0

9.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 TND 19.85

$5.08 R 81.7

35.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 TND 3.57

$1.51 R 24.28

-17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 TND 3.99

$2.03 R 32.64

-32.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 TND 1.03

$1.76 R 28.39

-79.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.35 TND 29.87

$63.1 R 1,016

-83.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 TND 0.93

$1.12 R 17.97

-71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 TND 0.93

$1.01 R 16.33

-68.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 TND 11.55

$8.07 R 130

-50.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 TND 2.59

$1.46 R 23.53

-38.36%

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

$39.7K TND 114.4K

$36.8K R 592.8K

7.72%

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

$37.0K TND 106.8K

$32.5K R 523.6K

13.82%

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

$56.0 TND 162

$136 R 2,185

-58.71%

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

$10.05 TND 29.01

$35.72 R 575

-71.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 TND 58.1

$41.40 R 667

-51.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.69 TND 77.0

$34.96 R 563

-23.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.56 TND 36.25

$12.46 R 201

0.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 TND 16.16

$7.62 R 123

-26.51%

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

$86.4 TND 249

$231 R 3,725

-62.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,808 TND 8,101

$5,726 R 92.2K

-50.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.81 TND 121

$56.4 R 908

-25.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 TND 159

$33.91 R 546

62.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 TND 296

$102 R 1,639

0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 TND 218

$93.0 R 1,497

-18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 TND 664

$506 R 8,154

-54.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 TND 468

$418 R 6,727

-61.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 TND 1,157

$979 R 15.8K

-59.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 TND 817

$838 R 13.5K

-66.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,034 TND 2,983

$1,151 R 18.5K

-10.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$637 TND 1,837

$800 R 12.9K

-20.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$327 TND 944

$1,554 R 25.0K

-78.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.18

11.24

-0.53%

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

Last update for Tunisia: September 5, 2026

Last update for South Africa: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $209 in Tunisia vs $445 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $375 in Tunis and $324 in Bloemfontein.

Average salary: $315 in Tunisia vs $1,553 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 113% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 111% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 70% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 393% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tunisia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 87% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in South Africa, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but South Africa consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Tunisia, contributing to the overall 87% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Tunisia, but in South Africa it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Tunisia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.