Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunisia and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Tunisia: $678 a month against $1,203 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Tunisia
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Tunisia Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

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🇹🇳 Tunisia

$678

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tunisia and in South Africa

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 South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $678 per month in Tunisia vs $1,203 in South Africa, rent included.

Tunisia $678
South Africa $1,203

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Tunisia vs $1,893 in South Africa, rent included.

Tunisia $1,067
South Africa $1,893

A family of three spends $1,456 per month in Tunisia vs $2,583 in South Africa, rent included.

Tunisia $1,456
South Africa $2,583

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($618–$1,556) than in Tunisia ($444–$857), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Tunisia is roughly 44% lower than in South Africa on average.

Both Tunisia and South Africa are more affordable than the global median – Tunisia 50% lower, South Africa 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 TND 12.14

$10.67 R 177

-62.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.23 TND 61.0

$41.66 R 693

-51.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 TND 15.35

$5.80 R 96.5

-12.07%

Cappuccino

$0.98 TND 2.95

$2.36 R 39.23

-58.47%

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

$0.69 TND 2.07

$1.12 R 18.56

-38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 TND 0.96

$0.90 R 15.00

-64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 TND 5.14

$2.42 R 40.20

-29.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 TND 5.85

$3.06 R 50.9

-36.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 TND 1.50

$1.18 R 19.58

-57.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 TND 0.60

$1.13 R 18.83

-82.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 TND 4.48

$1.74 R 28.90

-14.37%

Eggs

$1.54 TND 4.65

$2.57 R 42.80

-40.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 TND 33.24

$8.43 R 140

30.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.89 TND 17.73

$5.12 R 85.1

15.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 TND 43.23

$7.59 R 126

89.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 TND 5.66

$1.77 R 29.52

6.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 TND 10.66

$1.74 R 28.90

103.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 TND 3.49

$1.77 R 29.43

-34.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 TND 2.15

$1.76 R 29.26

-59.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 TND 2.32

$1.49 R 24.81

-48.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 TND 1.81

$1.47 R 24.38

-59.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 TND 1.43

$1.23 R 20.52

-60.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 TND 0.89

$1.10 R 18.25

-72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 TND 11.24

$3.24 R 54.0

15.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.75 TND 20.34

$5.00 R 83.2

35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 TND 3.67

$1.50 R 24.90

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 TND 3.75

$1.94 R 32.26

-35.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 TND 1.03

$1.48 R 24.58

-77.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.76 TND 29.41

$59.3 R 986

-83.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 TND 0.86

$1.09 R 18.21

-73.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 TND 1.03

$0.99 R 16.46

-65.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 TND 11.92

$7.46 R 124

-46.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 TND 2.56

$1.43 R 23.76

-40.56%

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

$39.6K TND 119.3K

$35.3K R 587.4K

12.14%

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

$35.5K TND 107.1K

$32.4K R 539.7K

9.57%

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

$53.1 TND 160

$133 R 2,208

-59.99%

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

$9.83 TND 29.62

$34.83 R 580

-71.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.12 TND 60.6

$39.76 R 662

-49.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.87 TND 81.0

$33.09 R 551

-18.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 TND 34.59

$11.65 R 194

-1.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.41 TND 16.31

$7.18 R 119

-24.65%

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

$85.6 TND 258

$224 R 3,728

-61.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,758 TND 8,309

$5,462 R 90.9K

-49.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.84 TND 120

$54.2 R 902

-26.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 TND 158

$34.13 R 568

53.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 TND 289

$102 R 1,699

-5.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.8 TND 219

$88.5 R 1,472

-17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 TND 688

$492 R 8,189

-53.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 TND 472

$398 R 6,617

-60.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 TND 1,177

$946 R 15.7K

-58.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 TND 832

$827 R 13.8K

-66.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,084 TND 3,267

$1,099 R 18.3K

-1.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$662 TND 1,996

$769 R 12.8K

-13.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$320 TND 965

$1,502 R 25.0K

-78.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.98

11.23

-2.23%

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

Last update for Tunisia: October 25, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Tunisia

$195 28.7%

South Africa

$196 16.3% 0.7% $1.4

Accommodation & Living

Tunisia

$157 23.1%

South Africa

$398 33.1% 154% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Tunisia

$117 17.3%

South Africa

$126 10.4% 6.9% $8.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tunisia

$83 12.3%

South Africa

$207 17.2% 150% $124

Eating Out

Tunisia

$76 11.2%

South Africa

$157 13.1% 108% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Tunisia

$38 5.6%

South Africa

$47 4% 25.8% $9.7

Getting Around

Tunisia

$13 1.9%

South Africa

$71 5.9% 443% $58

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $202 in Tunisia vs $422 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $385 in Tunis and $450 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $306 in Tunisia vs $1,488 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 109% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 117% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 510% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are about 4.9 times higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇹🇳 Tunisia

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

11:24 11:24 AM

12:24 12:24 PM

1 h ahead of Tunisia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,565,204

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 TND = 0.332 USD

1 TND = 0.298 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to TND – Tunisian Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar (د.ت)

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.01 TND (1 TND = 0.332 USD). 1 EUR = 3.35 TND (1 TND = 0.298 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to TND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tunisia South Africa 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Tunisia
South Africa

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tunisia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 44% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Africa: a central one-bedroom averages $422 versus $202 in Tunisia.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Tunisia, adding to the overall 77% price gap.

$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. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.