The Tunisia Road-Trip Cost Index 2026
What a self-drive trip around Tunisia actually costs — driving distances and times from Tunis to every major city, fuel and toll estimates, and full trip budgets for the three most popular routes. Calculated, not guessed. Reuse with attribution.
What each route costs
Total trip cost = economy car rental (from 120 TND/day) + fuel + motorway tolls. Accommodation, food and activities are extra.
| Route | Days | Distance | Driving | Fuel | Tolls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Classic North Tunis → Sidi Bou Saïd → Hammamet → Kairouan → Sousse | 5–7 | 284 km | 3h39 | 46 TND | 4 TND | 770 TND · €226 |
Islands & Beaches Tunis → Sousse → Mahdia → Djerba → Zarzis | 7 | 521 km | 6h41 | 85 TND | 12 TND | 937 TND · €276 |
Sahara & South Tunis → Kairouan → El Jem → Sfax → Matmata → Tozeur → Douz | 7–10 | 884 km | 11h19 | 143 TND | 27 TND | 1370 TND · €403 |
Driving distances & cost from Tunis
One-way, from Tunis-Carthage. Cost = fuel + motorway tolls for an economy car.
| Destination | Distance | Drive time | Fuel + tolls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidi Bou Saïd | 21 km | 16m | 3 TND |
| Bizerte | 76 km | 58m | 12 TND |
| Hammamet | 77 km | 59m | 13 TND |
| Nabeul | 82 km | 1h03 | 15 TND |
| Sousse | 152 km | 1h57 | 30 TND |
| Kairouan | 163 km | 2h05 | 31 TND |
| Tabarka | 166 km | 2h08 | 32 TND |
| Monastir | 167 km | 2h08 | 32 TND |
| Mahdia | 214 km | 2h45 | 41 TND |
| El Jem | 227 km | 2h55 | 44 TND |
| Sfax | 306 km | 3h55 | 59 TND |
| Gabès | 423 km | 5h25 | 82 TND |
| Djerba | 441 km | 5h39 | 85 TND |
| Matmata | 472 km | 6h03 | 91 TND |
| Tozeur | 482 km | 6h11 | 92 TND |
| Zarzis | 490 km | 6h17 | 95 TND |
| Douz | 502 km | 6h26 | 97 TND |
Build your own route & cost
Chain your own stops in our free planner and get live distance, time, fuel and toll estimates — then rent one car for the whole trip, no deposit.
How we calculated this
- • Distance: great-circle distance between city coordinates × 1.3 to approximate real road winding.
- • Drive time: a blended 78 km/h across motorway and open road (excludes stops).
- • Fuel: 6.5 L/100 km for an economy car at 2.5 TND per litre (2026 pump price).
- • Tolls: motorway-proxy of ~0.03 TND/km on legs over 80 km (the A1 south is tolled and inexpensive).
- • Rental: economy floor of 120 TND/day with unlimited mileage, from our live 2026 fleet pricing.
Estimates for planning, not exact quotes; real distances vary with route and traffic. Data may be reused with a link to this page (CC BY 4.0).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a road trip in Tunisia cost in 2026?
A one-week self-drive trip runs roughly 770–940 TND (about €225–275) all-in for two people, covering an economy rental car (from 120 TND/day), fuel and motorway tolls. A longer 7–10 day Sahara loop costs around 1,370 TND (≈ €400). Fuel and tolls are cheap by European standards — the car rental is the largest line item.
How many days do you need to drive around Tunisia?
Plan 5–7 days for the north (Tunis, Cap Bon, Kairouan, Sousse), 7 days for a coast-and-islands loop down to Djerba, and 7–10 days to add the Sahara (Tozeur, Douz, Matmata). Tunisia is compact: no single leg from Tunis exceeds about 6.5 hours of driving.
How much is fuel for a Tunisia road trip?
At about 2.5 TND per litre and 6.5 L/100 km for an economy car, fuel costs roughly 16 TND (≈ €5) per 100 km. A full 884 km Sahara loop uses about 143 TND (≈ €42) of fuel plus 27 TND of tolls.
What is the cheapest car to rent for a Tunisia road trip?
An economy hatchback (Toyota Yaris, Dacia Sandero, Hyundai i10/i20 class) is the cheapest, from 120 TND/day with unlimited mileage. It handles cities and coastal roads comfortably; for the deep south and desert pistes, an SUV (from 160 TND/day) is worth the extra.
How far is Djerba from Tunis by car?
Djerba is about 441 km from Tunis — roughly 5h40 of driving via the A1 motorway south, with an estimated 85 TND (≈ €25) in combined fuel and tolls one way.