Moving to Tunisia from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Tunisia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Tunisia, you would find that Tunisia is 28.0% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,217,362 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly TND220,417 in Tunisia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Tunisia.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,217,362 → TND220,417
To maintain the same standard of living in Tunisia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 43.4% less
Groceries
pay 13.6% less
Transportation
pay 25.6% less
Housing
pay 55.8% less
Childcare
pay 38.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Tunisia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Tunisia performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Tunisia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Africa generally does better on environment, though Tunisia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
South Africa generally does better on infrastructure, though Tunisia leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
South Africa generally does better on employment & economy, though Tunisia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Tunisia generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in literacy rate.
Data: South African Revenue Service, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Pretoria | Tunis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 62°/46°F (17°/8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 89°/68°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Tunis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 60°/45°F (15.7°/7.2°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.4°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 65°/47°F (18.1°/8.3°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 69°/51°F (20.7°/10.4°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 77°/57°F (24.9°/13.7°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 84°/63°F (29.0°/17.3°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 91°/68°F (32.6°/20.0°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 91°/69°F (32.7°/20.8°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 85°/66°F (29.7°/19.0°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 77°/60°F (25.2°/15.5°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 69°/52°F (20.5°/11.3°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.2°C) |
South African Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Tunisia. To live, work, or study long-term in Tunisia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Tunisia's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Tunisia
Visa Free
Tunisia passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Tunisia than South Africa?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Tunisia and South Africa; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to Tunisia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ZAR1,217,362 comparable salary, that's around TND55,104 in Tunisia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Tunisia?
With 13.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Tunisia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Africa and Tunisia.
Is Tunisia safe for expats?
Tunisia performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Tunisia is 4.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa.
How is healthcare in Tunisia compared to South Africa?
Tunisia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in health coverage index. There are 12.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Tunisia, compared to 8.1 in South Africa. Tunisia scores 67 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Tunisia compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Tunis is 74°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Tunis receives around 18.3 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Tunisia?
The official language in Tunisia is Arabic. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Tunisia
At a Glance
ZA
|
TN
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 11,896,972 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Tunisian Dinar (TND) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Arabic |
| Driving side | Left | Right |
| Calling code | +27 | +216 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 197 |