Cost of living in Tunisia – 2015

Hi!

I will try my best answering this question.
As for today (23/01/2015):
1 TND = 0.456 Euro
1 TND = 0.515 USD

Just to add something important: Tunisia is the 4th cheapest place to live in the world!


> accommodation prices: (long let)
one bedroom unfurnished: 200 TND
two bedrooms unfurnished: 300 TND
one bedroom furnished: 350 TND
two bedrooms unfurnished: 450 TND

> public transportation fares (tube, bus etc.)
Metro base ticket: 0.3 TND
Bus base ticket: 0.4 TND
Train (150 Km): 9 TND
Taxi (1 Km): 1 TND

> health prices (for those who need medical insurance)
Doctor consultation : 30 TND

> education prices:
Free! from preelimentary to University

> energy prices (oil, electricity)
Gasoil: 1.2 TND (1 Littre)
Gasoline: 1.6 TND (1 Littre)
Electricity: 0.1 TND (1 KWh)

> common bills (Internet, television, telephone, mobile phone)
Internet: 4 Mb/s => 40 TND, 8 Mb/s => 55 TND, 20 Mb/s => 80 TND
television: few tv packs (around 20 TND)
telephone: 0.045 TND/minute

> price for a good menu in a traditional restaurant
as low as 20 TND

> price for a coffee or a drink
from 0.7 TND to 3 TND

> price for cinema tickets
6 TND

Thanks a lot for this information Maleko. I am sure it will be useful to many members on here.

Shaazia

Hello.
We have just arrived and I don't think that the prices are as cheap as mentioned above, at least not in Lac1 or Lac2, La Marsa, Gammart in Tunis.

I don't know in which part of Tunis Meleko lives but in Tunis Capitol it is a bit different.

House (empty) for rent 4000-8000TND
Apartment furnished from 2500tnd

Coffe or tea 5-7tnd
Milkshake 7-8tnd
Beef steak 25-30tnd
Bananas 1 kg 3.5tnd
Pizza 12-20tnd
Pasta 15-22tnd
Cake 5-8tnd
Hairdresser (paid yesterday) done highlights on the roots only, 110tnd
An average meal for one person from 25Tnd


American School in Tunis; u can check their tuition on their website.
The English speaking school for expats is ACST and it is not FREE.

I don't know where some
Expats live but in these areas of Tunis (mentioned above) it is not cheap at all.

I thought this was an expat site and the prices from an expat's perspective and his pocket!

Maleko: r u an expat?

Thank you

Hi,

Almamc, I am really speechless.

In the first place, welcome to Tunisia. Hope you are having a nice and relaxed stay here.

Lac1, Lac2, La Marsa or Gammart are not Tunisia, The question is clear, asking about the average prices in Tunisia!

Lac1 and Lac2 are the luxurious business city with VERY high prices. Marsa and Gammart are known to be where most high ranking diplomatic personnel resides (do you want to compare your daily expenses to those of the Saudi ambassador for example?).

To be fair, you are for sure talking not about the AVERAGE COSTS IN TUNISIA.

Finally, to prove what I told earlier, see this article speaking about Tunisia being ranked 4th cheapest place in the world to live in: tunisia-live.net/2015/01/19/tunisia-ranked-among-cheapest-countries-in-the-world/

FYI, I am Tunisian, living in Tunisia.

Regards

I suggest that you try this website for average costs  www.numbeo.com

Thanks Meleko.
Your post was from your perspective as Tunisian in Tunisia.
It is a "bit" different for an expat and especially if they live in Tunis.

By the way any Ambassadors' house rent is covered by the respective Embassy so we can't compare those things here.
Because I have to pay from my pocket!
Even though his maid will buy items probably cheaper in the market then I would if I had to go and buy it myself.
And please let's not Be ridiculous here, there are many more average expats than Ambassadors in this country.
And you are talking about the prices that a local person would need to pay, not an expat. Beside common utilities.

The point is that if you lived as an expat in the area I mentioned, you would see that  prices are not as cheap as you said.
And lac1 lac 2 la Marsa are Tunisia as they r located on the map of Tunisia, Arabic and French spoken Tunisians everywhere in these areas of TUNISIA!
And most of expats that I know live in That area and they do pay different from what u said, much different.
From my personal experience, the houses showed to me were from 4000-8000tnd.

And  I don't think that it is fair and objective that you speak about the prices in Tunisia and especially if you don't live in Tunis because the foreigners do pay more in almost everything.
You are not an expat so I believe you actually haven't experienced what it means when local people do overprice things and you can't do anything about it! U either take it or leave it!

Maybe Tunisia is cheap from your point of view but again, I totally DISAGREE from my perspective!

Thanks
P.s. I am not interested to discuss this further, as I said, we come from different angles and live in different parts of TUNISIA!

Regards

"I am not interested to discuss this further"

OK, this replay is for anyone that it may be useful.

FYI, I live it Tunis.

Tunisia is not an open market economy, all prices are regulated, so if anyone "overprice" something for you it is simply because you are willing to pay without being sure.

1. Every single restaurant or coffee display it's price list and have menus with prices, so how you get overpriced?

2. When you look for apartment rent, see many posting and take a bigger look at the offerings don't follow your desire to get the best at ANY price then tells us that you get overpriced.

3. Taxis have a counter of how much to pay, then pay what is indicated.

4. everything else accordingly....

Simply, you are living as a TOURIST, not a resident.

I encourage you to visit "popular" very very cheap spaces (coffees and restaurants) and live in "normal" non-tourist places.

Thanks stumpy for the link, it says it all....

(btw, I am really sorry for my bad english)

Hi there, I am an expat, and I agree with Maleko.

I normally don't go to a coffee or restaurant in Lac or Gammarth but at least in Marsa, you can get a cafe or food for the prices indicated by Maleko. Not mentioning the centre or other quarters of Tunis, out of Tunis it's even cheaper (apart from the tourist places in Sousse, Hammamet etc.).

Actually, I like consuming in local places because I live here and want to spend most of my time with Tunisian locals, that's what I call integration.

Hello all

Could we please stop this little fight, we expect each and every member to respect the opinion of others. And if you do not, please do not make a public attack on each other!

We just want to know the cost of living, some prices that you experience as local and as expat..

we know that they are different, its a fact in many places!

Please, lets calm down and get back to the topic.

Thank you

kenjee
Expat.com Team

come and live in Monastir it's more cheaper than the capital city Tunis
monastir is a beautiful places and u can't get lost there
it has beautiful beach and it's super good

I was looking to rent an apt in La Marsa SafSaf and Corniche (expensive areas) I found for a two bd apt betwenn 600 DT and 1200 DT.

Hello everyone & maleko specially,

thanks everyone for the good & valuable info shared here.

Dears i am visiting tunis starting may 2015. And i need to rent a single bedroom apartment. kindly if you can mention the names of the areas which are good to live and also economical.

looking forward for your kind response.

cheers and have a good day ahead

Hi Masreh,

Welcome and hope for you a good experience visiting Tunisia.

I need more info so I can advice you better.

Is this a long stay? What do you expect to afford monthly for a rent? What area you will mostly frequent?

In fact, there is many places that can be said as good to live and generally accepted as economical (Menzeh, Lafayette, Montplaisir..). But this strongly depends on the area you will be around.

Cause we are entering hot summer season, and transportation (if you don't own a car) may be a hassle. It exist for sure (Taxi, Bus, Metro..) but mostly overcrowded (bus, metro) and hard to get (even taxi, you have to wait to get one at high hours).

So I highly recommend you to specify the area you are looking to stay in. I will provide you with links to professional furnished apartment renting agencies or public renting announcements.

But don't let transportation prevent you from residing in beautiful (not too close) areas like Sidi Bousaid or Marsa.

Anyway, please provide more details, and I will help you.

Regards

Hi Masreh > you are off topic on this thread. Also, you already posted the same topic  >here< Avoid duplicate posting and please continue on your other thread.

This topic here is on Cost of living in Tunisia.

Thank you.

True.  I agree with you.
I am an expat living in La Marsa and working in Lac 2. My expenses for a normal life are 4000 -5000 TND. An expat is coming in Tunisia yo have a life not to run 5 km far away to have a coffee at half price.

In La Marsa you will find prices starting from 1500 tnd for 2 bedrooms apartments. Same in Lac 2 and Berges du Lac.

I find the above discussion extremely interesting. From a purely expat perspective the cost of living is rather high compared to other cities on the continent. Yes, Tunisia is a cheap place to live if you avoid certain areas and only buy the subsidized foodstuffs. Internet and mobile services are quite inexpensive and one of the cost highlights.

However, this is not the reality of most expats. While we all attempt to immerse ourselves in the culture and way of life of locals, we may also be accustomed to a different way of life and standard of living and would naturally seek to maintain a similar standard, especially where families are concerned.

English language education is limited to either the American or British Schools, both of which are not cheap. Club activities and summer camps for children are also rather expensive if you want properly supervised options. Entertainment options are relatively limited for young children and options such as Carthageland are expensive.

An average trip to any supermarket to buy more than just bread, water, pasta, tuna and canned tomatoes will normally set you back between 200 and 300TND. While the use of taxis is regulated by meters, a trip from Tunis to the Northern Suburbs of La Marsa, Gammarth where most expats work will cost around 10TND one way. Such a commute on a daily basis also adds up. Purchasing a car is also expensive with decent new vehicles costing upwards of 30-40000 TND unless you can buy tax free.

Decent cuts of meat are also expensive in butcheries. While you can find cheaper meal options at streetside cafes for under 20TND the hygiene is often highly questionable. At more reputable restaurants meals (single course as you would get in most EU cities) including a bottle of local wine will set you back between 150-200 TND for two. Newly opened foreign fastfood franchises are also much more expensive than the local Schawarma or Baguette&Baguette option.

Accommodation prices in the neighbourhoods frequented by expats also run upwards of 1800TND per month for 2 bedroom apartments.

The fact remains that expat lifestyles do tend to differ from the local way of life and the reality is that most expats will in fact find Tunisia, and Tunis in particular to be an expensive place to live.

We r lookin 2 relocate 2 Tunisia. ..hoping to settle on the coast wit intentions of opening a business..looking 4 a decent accommodation with schools 4 the kids...We we'd luv 2 b mixing n living wit the local residents
I wud  like 2 know about cost of living...renting or buying property as a foreigner...n setting up business if possible