Heya all, Could someone tell me how expensive Tunisia is, please? And what sort of budget is needed for a week’s holiday? In this article you find the answers to common money-related topics; the currency of Tunisia, exchanging and withdrawing money, is Tunisia expensive or cheap, cost of food, transportation, and accommodation. Now let’s talk about money, money, money.
Currency of Tunisia
The currency in Tunisia is called dinar, Latin symbol DT, and currency code TND. One dinar equals 1000 millimes. The most used notes are 5, 10, 20 and 50 dinars and coins are ½, 1, 2, 5 dinars and 50, 100, 200 millimes. The Tunisian dinars are called a closed currency which means that currency is only available in Tunisia. You can’t purchase Tunisian dinars in advance from your home country and bring those to Tunisia. Actually, it’s illegal to import and export Tunisian dinars.
Exchanging and withdrawing money in Tunisia
Cash is the most useful in Tunisia, so sooner or later you need to exchange or withdraw some money. If you need money already at the airport, you will find money exchange points or ATMs to withdraw dinars. In case you don’t need dinars immediately, the money exchange points are located in big hotels, banks, post offices, or on the street. Often the airports are the worst place to exchange money because the exchange rate isn’t good. So, my advice for the airport is to exchange a small amount of money (just for transportation) or if possible don’t exchange at all.
Exchanging money in Tunisia
When exchanging currency, it’s important first to compare the exchange rate between companies to get the best deal for you. Also, pay attention to possible additional fees and tips. You don’t necessarily need any cash as you can pay the exchange with a credit card. Always count the money which you receive and check that the amount matches the receipt. Also, save the receipt as you need it if you want to convert dinars back to your home currency. So don’t go overboard as you can’t take dinars out from Tunisia!
Withdrawing money in Tunisia
Instead of converting the currency I normally prefer to use ATM. Finding the ATM isn’t too difficult in bigger cities. Remember to ask your home bank about foreign transaction fees and be aware of other smaller fees when using a foreign bank network. Normally I withdraw a bit larger amount of dinars for once. That I don’t need to pay excessive fees. But carrying too much money with you isn’t advisable in case something happens.
You don’t always need cash either and you can ask about paying in euros, dollars, or pounds. When paying larger amounts at once or shopping in malls and international clothing stores you can normally pay by credit card. In restaurants, cafes, bars, small boutiques, and souks it is easier to pay by cash.
When leaving Tunisia, you should use your remaining dinars or exchange them back to your currency. As I mentioned before it’s illegal to take dinars out from Tunisia and authorities have the right to search your belongings at the airport.
What does a flight to Tunisia cost?
The price of the flight depends on where are you flying and if it’s high or low season. The closer you are to Tunisia the cheaper the flight is. Flights from central Europe to Tunisia during the low season (not in summer months) will cost 200-300 euros and during the high season about 350-600 euros. Flights from North America or Asia can easily cost 1000-3000 euros. Another great option is hotel + flight- deals. If you find a good package you can save a significant amount of money.
The earlier you book the flights the cheaper it will be for you. When searching flights from the internet it’s important to clear your cookies and use incognito mode, that’s how you avoid cookies which normally raise the prices. Another bit crazy tip I have based on my own experience. I was looking for a flight to Tunisia from Lufthansa’s official website and I had chosen the English language for this website but when I changed the language to German the prices of flights dropped quite much! I don’t speak any German but I managed to buy the tickets.
How much accommodation will cost?
One of the most important income sources for Tunisia is tourism, due to this there are thousands and thousands of hotels and hostels available. The prices of hotels range from 20€/night to 500€/night. For sure you will find accommodation which will fit your taste and a budget.
Hotel prices in Tunisia depend on the season, the number of nights, the location of the hotel, the city, the hotel you choose, and the number of people. That’s why it is hard to estimate how much your accommodation will cost. I have been very pleased with the price-quality level of hotels in Tunisia. To get a room from a nice hotel with access to the beach or pool is not too expensive!
Booking an apartment through Airbnb is a great option. Getting a hotel room from an expensive area during the high season might be costly, so go ahead and check Airbnb. There are many great options at an affordable price. And don’t stress about breakfast or cooking, eating outside is cheap, and is there any better way to start the day than having breakfast in a local café.
Food in Tunisia is cheap – How much to budget for restaurants?
Tunisian food is super delicious: fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables full of flavor, spicy sauces, the bread which is baked in the morning, refreshing lemonade, and much more! And the best part is that food, in general, is very inexpensive. Eating outside is cheap and also all the groceries are cheap.
Dining in a restaurant where also locals are eating, the meal for two persons cost just a couple of euros. There are also many street food restaurants where you can grab a sandwich and soft drink at the price of 1-2 €. Eating in a high-end restaurant will cost more but it is still very affordable compared to many other countries. We had dinner in Sidi Bou Said in a stunning hotel called La Villa Bleue. The place itself is very beautiful and the view is stunning! We ordered 2 main courses, a bottle of red wine and a plate of cheese. All of this cost around 70-80€.
Eating out prices in Tunisia
My advice is to go to places where also Tunisian locals eat. This way you will get real Tunisian food made from fresh ingredients. The prices are also very inexpensive. So how much to budget for restaurants? Here I have listed some common prices to help you to plan your budget. Nb! Prices are in Tunisian dinars.
A meal in an inexpensive restaurant for 2 persons (a lof of food + soft drinks) 10-15 DT.
A meal in a mid-range restaurant for 2 persons (main courses + bottle of wine) 60-70 DT.
A meal in a high-end restaurant for 2 persons (main courses + bottle of wine) 150-300 DT.
A plate of fresh seafood for 2 persons 45-150 DT.
Sandwich/ Mlawi + soft drink 3-5 DT.
Espresso 1-3 DT.
Cappuccino 1,20-3,50 DT.
Salty pastry 0,60-1,50 DT.
Sweet pastry 1-3 DT.
Beer in bar 3-9 DT.
Wine in restaurant 20-160 DT.
Soft drink 0,33l 1-2,50 DT.
Water Bottle 2l 0,8-3DT.
If you have been wondering is Tunisia expensive or cheap? At least we can say that food is cheap.
How much partying will cost in Tunisia?
Tunisia is a good option for having a great but cheap party. In tourist places such as Sousse and Hammamet, the nightclubs and bars are everywhere and that’s why you don’t need to spend money on taxis or transportation. In the capital, the nightclubs are out from the city center so some kind of transportation is needed. The nightclubs and bars are normally without an entry fee but if they have a special event then buying a ticket is needed. If there is a special event, I advise buying tickets beforehand or make a reservation.
The prices change a lot between the nightclubs, lounges, and bars. A bottle of wine will cost around 20-100DT, beers 3-9DT, cocktails 10-15DT, and shisha 5-40DT. Some restaurants have happy hour when drinks are cheaper during some hours. Most of the time I have paid 5 DT for a beer and 50DT for a bottle of wine but it really depends where are you and which kind of nightclubs, lounges, and bars you like to go to.
How much activities will cost in Tunisia?
The price of activities and entertainment aren’t high in Tunisia. Massages and different kinds of beauty treatments (manicure, hair care, pedicure, gel nails, facial care) are cheap. As mentioned before having dinner or drink outside is also cheap and if you are planning to go to the cinema after dinner it will cost about 30 dinars per two tickets.
One great idea is to buy an entertainment package, there are plenty of those available. Once we booked a short boat ride to the small island + chairs and table by the beach + meal and soft drinks + a boat ride back and it cost around 20DT/person. There are also many guided tours available, some cheaper and others more expensive: 3 days trip can cost 500-1000DT.
Is Tunisia expensive or cheap? Transportation and renting a car
If you plan to discover many places inside Tunisia then I recommend renting a car. Moving around by car is much more comfortable than using public transportations, especially on hot summer days. It also gives you much more freedom. But if you are mainly staying in one city then using a taxi is the best idea.
Whichever transport you decide to use it won’t cost a lot. The public transportation bus, train, and metro are the cheapest options to use. I rather use a taxi which is not much more expensive and it is faster. Renting a car is not too expensive either and the price of gasoline is also low. The rental price will depend on the season, size of the car, equipment of the car, and for how many days you are going to rent the car. Renting a car will cost 120-300DT/day and 800-2300DT/week.
So Is Tunisia expensive or cheap?
The size of the holiday budget is one of the factors which impacts where are you heading for a holiday. One common question is Tunisia expensive or cheap? To answer this question is a bit complicated as many things affect it. A thing that is cheap for one person might be expensive for another.
In Tunisia cost of living is low when we compare it to the other countries. In my opinion and own experience, Tunisia is cheap. What sort of budget you will need, depends on what kind of traveler you are and what kind of holiday you are planning to have? Are you looking for a 5-star beach resort or backpacker hostel? Are you having a trip alone or with family? If we compare the prices in Tunisia to other popular holiday destinations, we can conclude that Tunisia is cheap actually.
The great thing about Tunisia that you can easily have a low-budget holiday or luxury holiday and everything between those. Tunisia is a destination for nomads, backpackers, families, couples, groups of friends, and luxury lovers. You can manage one week with very little money if you are a bit adventurous. And you can easily spend thousands of euros if you are looking for luxury. You will find many great all-inclusive hotel+ flight package with good prices if you are looking for an easy solution.
I hope that this Tunisian budget guide – is Tunisia expensive or cheap? is useful for you and it answered at least some of your questions. Feel free to ask some more questions below! After all of this, I just want to wish you an amazing holiday in Tunisia!
Check also these before your trip Tunisia!
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Thank you for all the information you share with us. Hope to travel there one day.
Hello,
Thank you for your kind words 🙂 I hope that you will visit this beautiful country one day.
BR, Hanna