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 $619 per month in Tunisia vs $1,019 in South Africa, rent included.

A couple spends around $991 per month in Tunisia vs $1,585 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,363 per month in Tunisia vs $2,150 in South Africa, rent included.

Tunisia is roughly 39% 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 ($806–$1,361) than Tunisia ($470–$758), so location matters more when choosing where to live in South Africa.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 TND 9.67

$8.88 R 147

-62.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.48 TND 59.5

$39.40 R 652

-48.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.14 TND 14.93

$4.92 R 81.4

4.47%

Cappuccino

$0.98 TND 2.86

$2.00 R 33.01

-51.00%

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

$0.67 TND 1.95

$1.03 R 16.96

-34.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.85

$0.75 R 12.43

-61.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 TND 4.86

$2.26 R 37.33

-26.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 TND 7.04

$2.47 R 40.91

-2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 TND 1.49

$1.08 R 17.82

-52.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 TND 0.52

$1.04 R 17.17

-82.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 TND 4.37

$1.57 R 26.03

-3.82%

Eggs

$1.62 TND 4.71

$2.28 R 37.70

-28.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 TND 31.34

$7.73 R 128

39.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 TND 17.50

$4.56 R 75.5

32.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.05 TND 40.83

$6.72 R 111

109.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 TND 5.64

$1.50 R 24.86

29.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 TND 8.36

$1.41 R 23.39

104.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 TND 3.22

$1.51 R 24.93

-26.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 TND 2.21

$1.52 R 25.07

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 TND 1.98

$1.26 R 20.91

-46.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 TND 1.80

$1.30 R 21.43

-52.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 TND 1.37

$1.09 R 18.02

-56.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 TND 0.86

$0.99 R 16.36

-69.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 TND 10.05

$2.98 R 49.31

16.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.90 TND 20.05

$5.12 R 84.7

34.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 TND 3.76

$1.32 R 21.86

-2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 TND 3.95

$1.65 R 27.30

-17.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 TND 0.94

$1.71 R 28.24

-81.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.98 TND 29.00

$45.13 R 746

-77.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 TND 0.90

$1.11 R 18.34

-72.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.90

$1.11 R 18.32

-72.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 TND 11.63

$4.70 R 77.8

-14.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 TND 2.53

$1.28 R 21.22

-32.03%

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

$41.0K TND 119.1K

$20.8K R 343.5K

97.33%

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

$37.1K TND 107.7K

$23.5K R 388.1K

58.03%

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

$52.7 TND 153

$111 R 1,833

-52.42%

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

$10.18 TND 29.57

$32.41 R 536

-68.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.02 TND 58.2

$41.64 R 689

-51.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.70 TND 80.5

$31.24 R 517

-11.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 TND 36.39

$9.78 R 162

28.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 TND 15.53

$6.78 R 112

-21.24%

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

$94.7 TND 275

$189 R 3,118

-49.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,716 TND 7,891

$4,394 R 72.7K

-38.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.47 TND 123

$49.42 R 817

-14.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 TND 152

$30.39 R 503

72.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 TND 285

$94.1 R 1,557

4.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 TND 213

$79.4 R 1,313

-7.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 TND 682

$444 R 7,335

-47.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 TND 446

$368 R 6,084

-58.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 TND 1,157

$880 R 14.5K

-54.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 TND 798

$714 R 11.8K

-61.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,028 TND 2,986

$1,061 R 17.5K

-3.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$642 TND 1,864

$782 R 12.9K

-17.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 TND 958

$1,505 R 24.9K

-78.09%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for South Africa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $198 in Tunisia vs $368 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $280 in Tunis and $764 in Cape Town.

Average salary: $315 in Tunisia vs $1,501 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 84% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 377% 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 76% 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 76% 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.