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 $992 per month in Tunisia vs $1,583 in South Africa, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,365 per month in Tunisia vs $2,146 in South Africa, rent included.

The cost of living in Tunisia is roughly 39% 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 53% lower, South Africa 23% lower.

The regional cost range is wider in South Africa ($804–$1,358) than in Tunisia ($456–$775), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 TND 10.14

$8.89 R 148

-61.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.06 TND 59.2

$39.93 R 665

-49.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 TND 14.78

$4.90 R 81.7

2.24%

Cappuccino

$0.97 TND 2.86

$2.03 R 33.88

-52.22%

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

$0.62 TND 1.82

$1.04 R 17.26

-40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.86

$0.74 R 12.32

-60.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 TND 5.09

$2.29 R 38.17

-24.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 TND 6.92

$2.56 R 42.69

-8.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 TND 1.49

$1.07 R 17.74

-52.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.18 TND 0.54

$1.04 R 17.27

-82.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 TND 4.62

$1.56 R 25.96

0.64%

Eggs

$1.64 TND 4.84

$2.22 R 37.05

-26.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 TND 31.85

$7.93 R 132

36.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 TND 18.01

$4.57 R 76.1

33.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 TND 41.83

$6.63 R 110

113.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 TND 5.63

$1.50 R 25.03

27.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 TND 8.86

$1.47 R 24.46

104.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 TND 3.28

$1.45 R 24.11

-23.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 TND 2.30

$1.57 R 26.14

-50.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 TND 2.05

$1.20 R 19.97

-42.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 TND 1.83

$1.28 R 21.38

-51.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 TND 1.41

$1.03 R 17.23

-53.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 TND 0.88

$0.93 R 15.54

-67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 TND 9.85

$2.94 R 48.96

13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 TND 19.74

$5.14 R 85.7

30.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 TND 3.68

$1.36 R 22.67

-8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 TND 4.00

$1.66 R 27.66

-18.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 TND 1.03

$1.63 R 27.22

-78.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.24 TND 30.21

$44.21 R 736

-76.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 TND 0.85

$1.15 R 19.18

-74.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.91

$1.10 R 18.30

-71.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 TND 12.20

$4.77 R 79.5

-13.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 TND 2.59

$1.25 R 20.81

-29.60%

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

$40.4K TND 119.2K

$21.0K R 350.4K

92.09%

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

$37.0K TND 109.3K

$23.4K R 390.4K

57.97%

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

$54.3 TND 160

$114 R 1,892

-52.17%

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

$10.19 TND 30.07

$32.92 R 548

-69.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.61 TND 57.9

$40.72 R 678

-51.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.04 TND 82.7

$31.49 R 525

-10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.74 TND 37.61

$9.52 R 159

33.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 TND 16.03

$6.91 R 115

-21.42%

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

$95.6 TND 282

$188 R 3,124

-49.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,733 TND 8,065

$4,300 R 71.6K

-36.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.03 TND 124

$49.97 R 832

-15.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 TND 155

$30.67 R 511

71.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 TND 289

$94.3 R 1,571

3.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 TND 218

$79.9 R 1,331

-7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 TND 694

$444 R 7,398

-47.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 TND 460

$374 R 6,231

-58.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 TND 1,189

$902 R 15.0K

-55.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 TND 801

$720 R 12.0K

-62.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,029 TND 3,038

$1,102 R 18.4K

-6.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$619 TND 1,826

$756 R 12.6K

-18.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 TND 947

$1,494 R 24.9K

-78.52%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $198 in Tunisia vs $367 in South Africa. For reference, capital cities sit at $278 in Tunis and $399 in Pretoria.

Average salary: $310 in Tunisia vs $1,498 in South Africa. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 85% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 84% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 60% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 383% 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 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.