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tunis on 10 euros a day: a budget student's messy survival guide

@Topiclo Admin3/21/2026blog

okay, so i'm in tunis and it's a whole thing. the weather's doing that number: 12.77°c but feels like 12.03, humidity 74% - so it's not cold, it's just... damp. like the air is sweating. i just peeked outside and it's... exactly as described, hope you're into that sort of thing. pressure 1011, sea level 1011, whatever. the hostel i'm in has the code 2473913 on the door, which is weird because i thought it was the wifi password, but nope, it's the owner's lucky number or something. and there's a pizza place with 1788598421 on the sign - i keep mixing them up - and they deliver at 2 am, which is crucial when you're a student with a 3-euro budget and a craving.

i came here on a student loan that vanished faster than my self-respect at a hammam. tunis isn't what i expected - it's loud, chaotic, and the medina is a maze that swallows tourists whole. but in a good way? maybe. i'm writing this from a cafe charging 1 dinar for mint tea, which is basically theft it's so cheap. if you get bored, carthage is just a short train hop away, all ruins and overpriced espresso, or sousse if you feel like spending 15 dinars on a bus. i heard from a drunk aussie that the seafood spot by the port is amazing, but it might be a tourist snare. still, i went and the grilled fish was 7 dinars and solid.



so, where was i? oh yeah, surviving. i've got three tips: one, always haggle at the souks - i got a scarf for 5 dinars instead of 20 because i cried poor student. two, use the louage (shared taxis) for intercity trips - it's 3 dinars to carthage and you meet characters who might tell you their life story or try to sell you fake perfume. three, carry tiny bills because no one has change for a 20-dinar note, and you'll end up paying 10 for a bottle of water like a sucker.

the hostel with code 2473913 is run by mohammed who speaks three languages and charges 10 euros a night for a dorm with eight beds. i paid by card and he laughed, saying 'cash only, student' so i scrambled for an atm without fees for an hour. the bed was a squeaky mattress on a frame, and the bathroom down the hall had a 'shower 2 dinars' sign but i just used the sink for free. someone told me the hammam near the medina is a tourist trap, but i went anyway and it was actually brilliant, so take gossip with a grain of salt. i spent 5 dinars for 2 hours of steam and a scrub, and left feeling renewed but still broke.

\"Tunis


the medina is the messy core of the old city, and by core i mean it's a disorienting puzzle. i got lost for two hours yesterday and stumbled on a tiny mosque that smelled like frankincense and damp stone. someone claimed the zaouia of sidi mahrez is unmissable, but i found it shuttered. typical. i did uncover a free art gallery in a riad hosting tunisian calligraphy exhibits - i heard on a local facebook group it's only thursdays, and i lucked out. the art was stunning and the mint tea was on the house, so win.

for food, i've been living on lablabi (chickpea soup) from street carts for 2 dinars a bowl. there's a legendary spot near the southern gate, but i read on this yelp list that the ladle guy adds mystery powder, so i skip it. instead, i hit a family kitchen in the jewish quarter - crispy falafel for 1.5 dinars. i found a hole-in-the-wall serving mlokhiya for 3 dinars - it's green sludge that tastes like joy. someone whispered it's cooked with beef fat, but as a starving student, i don't ask. there's a bakery selling fresh bread for 0.5 dinars, so i make falafel sandwiches. my daily food tab is under 5 dinars, about 1.5 euros. how? sheer will and ignoring hunger pangs.

\"Tunis


markets here are a assault on the senses. spice mountains of cumin and saffron cost a fortune, but a polite 'for how much?' gets you a free sniff. i bought a microscopic harissa bag for 1 dinar and it cleared my sinuses for a week. the fish market by the harbor? seagulls are thugs and the catch is pricey. a fisherman muttered that dawn deals are best, but i'm not waking at 5 am. i hit the central market for produce - apples 2 dinars/kilo, bananas 1.5. i grabbed a whole watermelon for 3 dinars and shared it with hostel mates on the roof, watching minarets glow at dusk, and i had 1788598421 on speed dial for emergency pizza. never used it, but comforting.

\"Tunis


architecture is mind-blowing. al-zaytuna mosque is majestic but non-muslims only see the courtyard, bummer. i sneaked a peek and got shushed by a grandpa with a cane. worth the scolding. then there's art deco ruins from the french era, crumbling with grace. i checked tripadvisor and saw the cathedral is scaffolded, but the plaza buzzes with buskers. i heard a guy wailing italian songs - probably a tourist who never left. locals said the hotel afrique rooftop has epic views, but coffee's 10 dinars, so i found a free park hill instead. panorama for zero dinars.

transport is cheap but a maze. the metro is 0.5 dinars but only central. buses are 0.3 dinars if you decode the routes. google maps lied once, sending me to a suburb instead of the coast - i walked back dripping sweat, but free workout. louage to carthage leaves by the river, 3 dinars, just hop in. i sat next to an olive oil seller who gave me a样品 - her number? 2473913. spooky.

i've been using 2473913 as my pin and 1788598421 as a fake number when shopkeepers ask for contacts. it works 10% of the time, and when it does, i feel like a con artist. last night, i dialed 1788598421 for a hostel and got 'pizza?' so i ordered a large and it arrived at the wrong building but still tasted like salvation for 4 dinars.

overall, tunis is glorious chaos. i've shelled out under 50 euros for 5 days including everything. locals are warm if you don't scream 'tourist'. bring a rain jacket even at 12 degrees - that humidity clings like guilt. and ignore anyone shouting 'cheap, cheap' too enthusiastically. oh, and the bardo museum is free first sunday of the month, i got that from a guard. roll up early.

that's my rant. now to hunt a 1-dinar shower. later.

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About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

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