Living in Tunisia?

Travel Info
I just want to know about cost of living and if anyone who lives in Tunisia likes it, and mabye a daily living example? thanks

Travel Tips

Costs depend on do you live n a house or apartment? How big is the home? Do you rent or buy? How much are you willing to spend for furniture? What part of the city do you want to live in? What city do you want to live in?

I'll give you two examples. The first is of my husband and I when I first moved to Tunis. My husband didn't make a lot of money at the time. We lived in El Menzah in a one bedroom apartment that was furnished, but not luxurious. It cost us 500TDN a month. Food was about 100-150TDN a month.

Now we live in Monastir. My husband makes more money so we bought a condo for almost 90,000TDN. Our sons room is the cheapest thing because we bought it at Muebletex - the whole thing cost around 200TDN including Muebletex (not from Muebletex). The other stuff we splurged on because we wanted high quality and something that would last. The closet in my bedroom alone cost 2,000TDN. http://flickr.com/photos/jamie_hassen/se... Food costs us about300TDN a month now.

But The average Tunisian makes between 200-500TDN and they do fine. There are nice thing and affordable housing to be had, you just have to know when and where to look.

Normal work hours differ. For the most part it is from 8-12 then again from 2-5. During summer and Ramadaan the work hours change to half days, working just from 8-12.

As for medical and dental costs, it all depends on the situation and where you go. For example, a regular pedatricians visit costs 25 dinars. The family doctor I go to for my husband and I, charges only 15 dinars a visit. Then you have to pay the costs of the medication, which those prices vary depending on what is wrong with you. Dental costs are usually about 25 dinars a visit, or more if you have work done. If there is an emergency, the hospital is a flat 10 dinar fee, but you will wait there for hours from the time you get there until the time you are discharged. If you go to the Clinique, the price is 30 dinars flat fee, and if you have your own doctor come, they may charge an additional fee.

The food is very delicious! A combination of traditional Berber, Middle Eastern, and French. Tunisian meals are social events and the longer the better.

Feel free to take a look at my photo albums to see what Tunisian life is like:
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jamie_hassen...
http://flickr.com/photos/jamie_hassen/se...

If you'd like to talk more about it, please feel free to contact me. Source(s): Have been living in Tunisia 5+ years
http://360.yahoo.com/jamie_hassen...
http://flickr.com/photos/jamie_hassen/se...
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/jamie_hassen...
http://flickr.com/photos/jamie_hassen/se...

Other Travel Tips
I love Tunisia, but the best thing is the warmth of the people! Believe me, you're in for a pleasant surprise: in your first few days, people will falling over themselves inviting you into their home for mint tea and cake!

In the larger cities, especially Tunis it is quite Westernised. I live in a small town with no other foreigners, and it's quite different. A few tips:

Mon - Thurs are full workdays, and Friday and Saturday are usually until 12 only. Each day you have a 2 hour lunch break where you can come home.

Everyone treats each other like extended family, the catch is that everything you say, no matter how mundane, will be repeated across the town. It just means they're interested in your wellbeing, but be careful.

Guard your reputation, otherwise the famed sexual harassment problem will be a lot worse. I have heard stories of girls with such problems that could have been avoided had they been more respecful of the culture. Also don't go out by yourself too much, don't go to cafes, especially not in the corner.

I hope you get a chance to eat psisa for breakfast. It's delicious.