Tunis - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
2/3 of the staff loved the housing. Houses usually large, some with ocean views. Most expats live in La Marsa, Carthage, and Gammarth - all nice neighborhoods close to the sea, with breezes. Some houses are older and require maintenance. Ours required a lot of work when we first moved in. - Jan 2024
Big apartment with a terrace and pool access. Others live in houses in slightly more suburban areas, but we wanted to be more in the centre of the neighborhood. Most expats live in La Marsa, Carthage or Gammarth, which are all beach areas. La Marsa is a buzzing neighbourhood with lots of cafes and shops. Some people in Gammarth complain about noise from clubs in the summer. Houses do not always have decent gardens, but will usually have a bit of outside space. Couples and singles are more likely to have an apartment in a block. Commute time is about 20 minutes to embassies by road. - Jun 2022
Houses are typically large. When we first arrived in 2019 the housing pool was pretty terrible in my opinion, but they are working hard to improve it. A pool and/or sea view is the exception rather than the rule. There are three neighborhoods, one is closest to the US Embassy, one is about 10-15 minutes away, and the third is 20 minutes. - May 2022
Most of it is basic concrete houses with variations of views. Most everything is a little bit up, but you can find some charm in it. - Nov 2020
Housing is adequate size but run down. Some have pools. Attempts to improve the housing pool are being made. Typical locations include La Marsa, Carthage, Lac, and Sidi Bou. Commute time is about 15-20 minutes. - May 2020
Housing is split between villas in La Marsa/Sidi Bou Said/Carthage and apartments in the Lac area. The villas are usually pretty large and charming but with weird layouts and in various states of minor disrepair. Commute times are around 20-30 minutes. The apartments are smaller, more modern, and within walking distance to the Embassy. - Nov 2017
I wasn't impressed with the housing -- mostly single-family homes with little green space. Most are old and in neighborhoods with walls facing directly onto the street. Commute times vary from 10 to 40 minutes. Traffic is heavy at times, with few "rules-of-the road" followed by drivers. - Nov 2015
Villas or apartments. A lot of the Villas are old and/or haven't been built well. - Nov 2014
Housing is generally large and quite nice. Houses are spacious, and floors are almost always tile or marble. Lots to clean! Many houses have swimming pools (though not in the embassy housing), large terraces and beautiful gardens (again...lots of maintenance for this). Housing locations are usually anywhere in the Banlieu Nord, which is north of downtown and the airport. La Marsa, Carthage, Gammarth are all lovely areas. - Jul 2013
Apartments/villas. They aren't built very well, though, so make sure you find a plumber once you get settled in. People drive crazy here! - Jun 2013
Houses range from villas to apartments. The construction isn't first world and has some electrical and plumbing issues. Commute time ranges from 15-30 minutes. Vehicles rarely move at high speeds because of the number of pedestrians crossing the streets. You rarely go over 35 miles an hour in the city areas. - Feb 2012
La Marsa is probably the best all-round place to live. Nice amenities, schools, shopping, a decent beach, and still close to the rest of metropolitan Tunis. Carthage and Sidi Bou Said are of course wonderful, but even more expensive. Maybe some parts of Le Kram and La Goulette too. And of course Tunis itself ... - Oct 2011
Most embassy housing is in the northern suburbs, although there are some houses downtown and in the newer development of Berges de Lac. Of all embassy houses that I saw, they were plenty big - mostly in attached or some stand alone houses. All are fenced in. We had a 4-bedroom house, with multiple balconies and a pretty yard for which we hired a gardener for about $80/month. - Jul 2010
Standalone homes with tiny yards (so don't expect nice gardens) and newly constructed apartment buildings. - May 2010
Most embassy employees live in stand-alone homes closer to the Mediterranean (note: there are only a few homes over looking the sea- don't get your hopes up).The homes tend to be spacious, with small yards full of fruit trees and just a bit if grass. Singles might be assigned to duplexes or condos. New housing assignments are coming up in the neighborhood across from the embassy in an area called Berges du Lac II.While the proximity cannot be beat, the current major construction projects in the area make that neighborhood undesirable. Beware. - Jan 2010
