---
title: "Living in Kairouan as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kairouan
description: "Tunisia's holy city, with the Great Mosque and a carpet-selling medina"
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Kairouan, Tunisia

Kairouan scores 51.5/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 1174 of 1501 cities. Expect about $1,300 per month (country-level estimate), no dedicated nomad visa, and a measured median download speed of 7 Mbps.

Kairouan is one of the oldest Islamic cities in North Africa, an inland UNESCO-listed medina with the Great Mosque, Aghlabid water basins and streets of carpet sellers and makroudh bakeries. It is affordable, conservative and calm, with few long-stay foreigners, little coworking or nightlife, summers above 40 degrees, and Sousse and the coast about an hour east.

Known for: Great Mosque of Kairouan, UNESCO-listed walled medina, Carpets and makroudh pastries, Hot, dry inland summers.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 51.5 |
| Cost of living | 61 |
| Safety | 48 |
| Healthcare | 77 |
| Internet | 34 |
| Visa ease | 50 |
| Getting there & around | 25 |
| Climate | 42 |
| Air quality | 76 |
| Quality of life | 51 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,300 | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 4.69 | country | 2020 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 53.4 | country | 2025 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 76 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | country | 2023 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 7 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 0.9 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Starlink residential service | Coming soon (Starting in 2026) | country | 2026-10 | [^9] |
| Nomad visa | none listed | country | 2026-07 | [^10] |
| Entry for US / EU / UK passports | 120 days / 120 days / 90 days | country | 2026-02 | [^11] |
| Non-stop destinations (NBE/TUN) | 68 | city | 2026-10 | [^12] |
| Restaurants within 3 km of the centre (OpenStreetMap) | 9 | city | 2026-11 | [^16] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 4 / 1 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^13] |
| Comfortable months | 5 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^14] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 15.8 | city | 2023 | [^15] |
| Human Development Index | 0.746 | country | 2023 | [^17] |
| English proficiency band | low | country | 2024 | [^18] |

## Tax on income from abroad

**Residents pay 0%–40% plus 0.5% on worldwide income, but foreign income already taxed abroad is exempt.** Tunisia taxes residents (a main home there, or 183 days in a calendar year) on worldwide income at 0% to 40%, plus a 0.5% solidarity contribution. Foreign-source income that was already taxed in its source country is exempt, and foreign pensions transferred to Tunisia are taxed on only 20% of their amount. Work you do from Tunisia is normally taxed there. Since 2026 a wealth tax of 0.5%–1% applies above TND 3 million.

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| How residents are taxed | worldwide income |
| Remote work for foreign clients or employers | taxed (0%–40% progressive, plus 0.5% solidarity contribution on income above TND 5,000) |
| Investments and pensions from abroad | reduced rate (Exempt if taxed in the source country; otherwise 0%–40% plus 0.5%; foreign pensions taxed on 20%) |
| Wealth | wealth tax; inheritance tax applies |
| Tax resident after | 183 days a year |
| Top income tax rate | 40.5% |

Residency: You are resident for income tax if you have your main home (habitation principale) in Tunisia, or, without one, if you stay 183 days or more in the calendar year, continuously or not (Code of IRPP and IS, Article 2). Either test is enough, so renting a flat that becomes your main home can make you resident before 183 days. A resident is taxed on all income for the year; a non-resident only on Tunisian-source income (Article 3). A tax treaty with your home country can settle dual residence. A visa-free tourist stay under 183 days with your home kept abroad normally leaves you non-resident.

Remote work: Residents are taxed on worldwide income. The exemption for foreign income in Article 36 only covers foreign-source income that has actually been taxed in its source country. A salary or fee for work you physically do in Tunisia is normally not taxed by the employer's or client's country (treaties give that right to the country where the work is done), so expect it to be taxed in Tunisia on the progressive scale. If another country does tax it, check your treaty. Salaries get a 10% professional deduction capped at TND 2,000 a year. A foreign employer does not withhold Tunisian tax, so you file an annual return yourself. Freelancers earn non-commercial professional income (BNC), need a Tunisian tax identifier and are taxed on actual profit: the optional lump-sum regime of TND 4,000 or 5,000 a year (LF 2026, Article 91) excludes non-commercial professions. Before you become resident, Article 3 taxes Tunisian-source income only; the Code does not say clearly whether remote work done during a short stay counts, and this profile does not settle it. Social security (CNSS) for foreign remote workers and freelancers was not verified here.

Investments: Foreign-source income counts as "other income" and is taxable only if it was not taxed in the country of source (Article 36), on the amount actually received from abroad (Article 37). So foreign dividends that bore withholding tax, and rent from property abroad that is taxed where it lies, are generally not taxed again in Tunisia, while foreign interest or gains that were not taxed at source fall under the progressive scale. The Code does not say how small a foreign tax can be and still count; keep proof of foreign tax paid. Foreign pensions and life annuities transferred to a Tunisian bank or postal account, or declared on import, are taxed after an 80% deduction, so only 20% is taxed (Article 37). Other pensions get a 25% deduction, rising to 30% in 2027, 40% in 2028 and 50% in 2029 (LF 2026, Article 56). Interest on foreign-currency or convertible-dinar accounts in Tunisia is exempt. Rent from Tunisian property gets a 20% flat deduction. Tunisian dividends, Tunisian share gains and Tunisian property gains have their own rates, which this profile does not cover.

On the nomad visa: Tunisia has no digital nomad or remote-work visa. Many nationalities can visit without a visa for a limited period that depends on nationality (the Foreign Ministry's list could not be loaded), and longer stays need a residence card. Neither status has its own tax rules: once you have a main home in Tunisia or reach 183 days in a calendar year, you are resident and taxed on worldwide income, with the exemption for foreign income already taxed abroad.

Schemes for newcomers:

- **80% deduction for foreign pensions transferred to Tunisia** (no fixed end): Only 20% of the gross pension is taxed, on the 0%–40% scale plus the 0.5% solidarity contribution, instead of 75% under the normal 25% pension deduction. A foreign pension already taxed in its source country is exempt anyway under Article 36. Who qualifies: Residents who receive a pension or life annuity from abroad and transfer it to a Tunisian bank or postal account, or declare its import, attaching proof to the annual return (Code of IRPP and IS, Article 37).

Official sources: [Law No 2025-17 of 12 December 2025, Finance Law for 2026 (JORT No 148 of 12 December 2025)](https://www.finances.gov.tn/sites/default/files/2026-01/115725.pdf) (Ministry of Finance of Tunisia (finances.gov.tn), read 2026-10-27); [Law No 2024-48 of 9 December 2024, Finance Law for 2025 (JORT No 149 of 10 December 2024)](https://www.finances.gov.tn/sites/default/files/2024-12/LF2025.pdf) (Ministry of Finance of Tunisia (finances.gov.tn), read 2026-10-27); [Aperçu général sur la fiscalité](https://www.finances.gov.tn/fr/apercu-general-sur-la-fiscalite) (Ministry of Finance of Tunisia (finances.gov.tn), read 2026-10-27); [Code of Personal Income Tax and Corporate Income Tax (Law No 89-114 of 30 December 1989), tax documentation portal](https://doc-fiscale.finances.gov.tn/cimf-internet/page/doc-portal/fr/) (Ministry of Finance of Tunisia (doc-fiscale.finances.gov.tn), read 2026-10-27).

Not yet reviewed by a person. General information, not tax advice. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live.

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 9.7 | 37 | 71 | no |
| Feb | 10.4 | 27 | 67 | no |
| Mar | 13.7 | 50 | 63 | no |
| Apr | 17.2 | 35 | 60 | yes |
| May | 21.4 | 29 | 54 | yes |
| Jun | 26.1 | 19 | 47 | yes |
| Jul | 29.7 | 9 | 42 | no |
| Aug | 29.3 | 25 | 46 | no |
| Sep | 25.1 | 53 | 59 | yes |
| Oct | 20.9 | 46 | 64 | yes |
| Nov | 14.9 | 34 | 68 | no |
| Dec | 10.8 | 41 | 72 | no |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Enfidha–Hammamet International Airport | NBE | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Tunis–Carthage International Airport | TUN | 57 | 55 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 68, of which 66 international (Wikipedia, 2026-10).

## Similar cities

- [Sfax](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sfax) (53.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kairouan-vs-sfax)
- [Fès](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/fes) (51.5) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/fes-vs-kairouan)
- [Meknes](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/meknes) (52.9) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kairouan-vs-meknes)
- [Oujda](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/oujda) (52.5) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kairouan-vs-oujda)
- [Agadir](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/agadir) (53.4) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/agadir-vs-kairouan)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Kairouan as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $1,300 per month in Kairouan (a country-level estimate for Tunisia). That is a 61/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Kairouan safe for digital nomads?

Kairouan scores 48/100 on safety. Tunisia records 4.69 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2020) and a political-stability score of 53.4/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Tunisia have a digital nomad visa?

No dedicated digital nomad visa was listed for Tunisia as of 2026-07. Visitors from the US can stay 120 days visa-free.

### How fast is the internet in Kairouan?

Measured median download speed in Kairouan was 7 Mbps (upload 0.9 Mbps) across 8,180 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Is Starlink available in Kairouan?

Not yet. Starlink's availability map lists Tunisia as coming soon (Starting in 2026) as of 2026-10. Roaming plans may work for short stays, but local rules on using them vary.

### Which airports serve Kairouan and how many nonstop flights are there?

Kairouan is served by Enfidha–Hammamet International Airport (NBE) with 14 nonstop destinations and Tunis–Carthage International Airport (TUN) with 57 nonstop destinations, 68 unique destinations across all of them, of which 66 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-10.

### When is the best time of year to be in Kairouan?

The most comfortable months are Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct. Mean temperatures range from 49°F (10°C) in Jan to 85°F (30°C) in Jul (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Kairouan or Sfax: which is better for digital nomads?

Sfax is the city with the closest factor profile to Kairouan in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Plan a trip

[Plan a trip to Kairouan](https://dashboard.navoy.io/trip/new?utm_source=nostos&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=plan_trip&utm_content=kairouan&destination=Kairouan%2C+Tunisia) on Navoy, the AI travel planner behind Nostos.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, dataUNODC. UNODC data, free to reuse with attribution. https://data.unodc.org/datareport/hom-victim (retrieved 2026-10-12)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. https://www.starlink.com/map (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^10]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^11]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^12]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^13]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04), Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis. CC BY 4.0. https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/surface-pm2-5/ (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^16]: OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. https://overpass-api.de/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
[^17]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^18]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

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