Gabes vs Sousse: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?

Sousse costs roughly 0% less than Gabes. Gabes has significantly faster average internet speeds (45 Mbps vs 25 Mbps). Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.

Household
Lifestyle
Schooling

Gabes is approximately 111% less expensive than Sousse based on cost of living including rent. This makes Gabes a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.

Gabes has a FIRE Score of 80/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 65, which is relatively safe.

Recommended profile: Gabes is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.

Overall Winner

About Gabes

Gabes is a bargain hunter's dream, with a 1-bedroom in the center at $114/mo and a 3-bedroom outside the center at just $117/mo, plus a $7/mo transit pass and $3 restaurant meals. The catch is that local salaries average $412/mo, so remote workers and retirees on foreign income win here while job seekers struggle. An expat score of 78/100 and a FIRE score of 80/100 are strong, but a retiree score of 52/100 and a digital nomad score of 54/100 reflect the limited English, no expat community, and fair healthcare. Come for the low costs and hot, dry climate, not for the social scene.

About Tunisia

Best for retirees on a tight budget, as Tunisia offers a retirement visa (Carte de séjour). A one-bedroom apartment in the city center averages just $241.52/month, making it a very affordable option in Africa. However, limited English proficiency and a low English-speaking doctor availability create significant daily hurdles for non-Arabic speakers.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$2,706/mo

Nomad Viability
Moderate Suitability

Cost of Living (Without Rent)

Single Person$493/mo
Family of Four$1,781/mo

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$114
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$70
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$200
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$117

Attractiveness

FIRE Score
89/100
Retiree Score
50/100
Nomad Score
25/100



City Details

About Sousse

Sousse is a cheap beach town with a catch: a 1-bedroom in the center runs $239/mo and a 3-bedroom outside it just $341/mo, yet the average local net salary is $375/mo, so most residents are not the ones renting those apartments. For remote workers pulling foreign income, the math is absurdly good, with utilities at $75/mo, internet at $19/mo, and a public transport pass at $10/mo. The trade-offs are real: English proficiency is limited, the nearest airport is 22 km away, and the retiree and digital nomad scores of 65 and 61 lag well behind the overall expat score of 82. Come for the Mediterranean climate and the $5 restaurant meals, but plan on learning French or Arabic and tolerating 25 Mbps internet.

About Tunisia

Best for retirees on a tight budget, as Tunisia offers a retirement visa (Carte de séjour). A one-bedroom apartment in the city center averages just $241.52/month, making it a very affordable option in Africa. However, limited English proficiency and a low English-speaking doctor availability create significant daily hurdles for non-Arabic speakers.

MONTHLY SAVINGS

$2,556/mo

Nomad Viability
Moderate Suitability

Cost of Living (Without Rent)

Single Person$491/mo
Family of Four$1,775/mo

Rent Per Month

1 Bedroom (City Centre)
$239
1 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$161
3 Bedroom (City Centre)
$517
3 Bedroom (Outside Centre)
$341

Attractiveness

FIRE Score
87/100
Retiree Score
63/100
Nomad Score
25/100



City Details

Battle of Lifestyles

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MetricGabesSousse
1BR Apartment (Center)$113.52$239.28
1BR Apartment (Outside)$70.11$161.37
3BR Apartment (Center)$200.32$516.95
3BR Apartment (Outside)$116.86$341.03
Safety Index6565
Internet Speed45Mbps25Mbps
Walkability ScoreN/AN/A

Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices

CategoryGabesSousse
Total (rent included)$316/mo$475/mo
Excluding rent$246/mo$314/mo
Rent$70.00/mo$161/mo
Groceries$95.00/mo$92.00/mo
Dining out$28.00/mo$50.00/mo
Entertainment & lifestyle$48.00/mo$54.00/mo
Utilities & connectivity$68.00/mo$108/mo
Transport$7.00/mo$10.00/mo

Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.

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Gabes vs Sousse -- Frequently Asked Questions

Click any question to expand the answer.

The Rewire Abroad city comparison tool lets you compare any two cities side by side across metrics that matter most for expats: cost of living, rent, safety, internet speed, and unique attractiveness scores like FIRE and Nomad scores.

The FIRE Score is a financial runway index based on your specific income relative to the local cost of living and rent in that city.

The Retiree Score is a holistic measure of healthcare quality, safety, and general pace of life.

The Nomad Score measures suitability for remote workers, prioritizing average internet speeds, coworking density, and the size of the local expat community.

The monthly cost includes rent and living expenses adjusted using country-level cost of living averages and lifestyle multipliers.

The Savings Rate is the percentage of your income left over after covering all estimated monthly costs in that city.

The tool compares exactly two cities at a time for a clean head-to-head breakdown.

Rewire Abroad has data on hundreds of cities worldwide. If a city appears in the search dropdown, full data is available.

We aggregate data from private and official international sources, adjusted by country-level data for accuracy.