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 $616 per month in Tunisia vs $1,021 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $991 per month in Tunisia vs $1,594 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,366 per month in Tunisia vs $2,167 in South Africa, rent included.

Tunisia is roughly 40% cheaper than 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 54% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

South Africa has a wider regional cost range ($804–$1,352) than Tunisia ($460–$780), so location matters more when choosing where to live in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 TND 9.89

$9.20 R 152

-62.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.08 TND 57.8

$38.46 R 633

-47.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 TND 14.92

$5.11 R 84.2

1.37%

Cappuccino

$0.92 TND 2.64

$2.03 R 33.38

-54.68%

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

$0.68 TND 1.96

$0.95 R 15.60

-28.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.84

$0.79 R 13.06

-63.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 TND 4.92

$2.31 R 37.97

-25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 TND 6.88

$2.46 R 40.48

-2.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.47 TND 1.36

$1.08 R 17.77

-56.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 TND 0.52

$0.96 R 15.85

-81.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 TND 4.46

$1.60 R 26.41

-3.13%

Eggs

$1.57 TND 4.51

$2.32 R 38.28

-32.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 TND 31.44

$7.48 R 123

45.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 TND 17.56

$4.57 R 75.2

33.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.79 TND 39.71

$6.56 R 108

110.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 TND 5.41

$1.58 R 26.06

18.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 TND 8.35

$1.45 R 23.90

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 TND 3.29

$1.50 R 24.78

-24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 TND 2.10

$1.55 R 25.45

-52.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 TND 1.99

$1.26 R 20.83

-45.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.61 TND 1.76

$1.29 R 21.23

-52.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 TND 1.28

$1.07 R 17.64

-57.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 TND 0.93

$0.90 R 14.87

-64.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 TND 9.63

$2.92 R 48.11

14.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.15 TND 20.60

$4.99 R 82.2

43.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 TND 3.55

$1.39 R 22.87

-11.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 TND 3.80

$1.68 R 27.62

-21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 TND 1.02

$1.72 R 28.32

-79.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.06 TND 28.97

$45.17 R 744

-77.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 TND 0.82

$1.11 R 18.27

-73.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.89

$1.06 R 17.48

-70.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 TND 11.62

$4.84 R 79.8

-16.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 TND 2.54

$1.24 R 20.47

-29.03%

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

$41.0K TND 118.0K

$21.0K R 346.4K

94.75%

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

$36.2K TND 104.4K

$24.1K R 396.6K

50.54%

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

$52.6 TND 151

$112 R 1,846

-53.07%

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

$10.07 TND 29.01

$31.87 R 525

-68.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.88 TND 57.3

$40.80 R 672

-51.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.92 TND 80.4

$31.46 R 518

-11.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.43 TND 35.79

$9.71 R 160

28.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 TND 15.45

$6.68 R 110

-19.76%

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

$94.9 TND 273

$192 R 3,159

-50.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,700 TND 7,775

$4,306 R 70.9K

-37.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.83 TND 120

$49.12 R 809

-14.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 TND 153

$30.89 R 509

72.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 TND 284

$93.2 R 1,535

5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 TND 213

$78.6 R 1,295

-5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$232 TND 669

$451 R 7,426

-48.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 TND 453

$366 R 6,033

-57.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 TND 1,151

$888 R 14.6K

-54.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 TND 794

$709 R 11.7K

-61.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,061 TND 3,055

$1,148 R 18.9K

-7.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$632 TND 1,820

$807 R 13.3K

-21.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 TND 980

$1,467 R 24.2K

-76.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

11.55

-1.90%

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

Last update for Tunisia: April 21, 2026

Last update for South Africa: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $198 in Tunisia vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $272 in Tunis and $762 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $318 in Tunisia vs $1,458 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 86% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 75% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 358% higher in South Africa, giving South Africa stronger purchasing power.

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 74% 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 74% 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.