Tébessa vs Mascara Cost of Living Comparison

Executive summary: Tébessa leads on CPI (12.3 vs 12.5, NYC=100), Tébessa leads on rent index, and Mascara leads on purchasing power. Validate neighbourhood rents before relocating — city-wide winners can reverse at district scale.

Overall Cost Winner

Tébessa

Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Housing (6% gap, Tébessa ahead); Utilities (6% gap, Tébessa ahead).

Monthly Cost Difference

Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $8 lower in Tébessa than in Mascara (~6% gap; converted via exchange rates).

Estimated monthly difference: $8 (favoring Tébessa).

Category Winners

CategoryWinnerNote
Overall CPITébessaCPI 12.3 vs 12.5 (lower is better)
HousingTébessaRent index 3.3 vs 3.5 (lower is better)
FoodTébessaGroceries index 19.7 vs 20.1 (lower is better)
TransportTébessaOne-way ticket 22.71 vs 23.1 (lower is better)
UtilitiesTébessaUtilities (85m²) 891 vs 945 (lower is better)
InternetTébessaInternet 1426.95 vs 1455.3 (lower is better)
RestaurantsTébessaRestaurant index 10.8 vs 10.8 (lower is better)
SalaryMascaraAvg net salary 99603 vs 95418 (higher is better)
Purchasing PowerMascaraPP index 11.9 vs 11.4 (higher is better)

Biggest Difference

Housing: Tébessa leads with a 6% gap.

Rent index 3.3 vs 3.5 (lower is better)

Quick Decision

  • Students: Tébessa — Lower housing / rent index (6% gap).
  • Families: Tébessa — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Tébessa; purchasing power favors Mascara.
  • Remote Workers: Tébessa — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Tébessa (~2% gap).
  • Budget Living: Tébessa — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.

Key Takeaways

  • Tébessa is the overall cost winner on CPI (~2% lower everyday-cost index than Mascara).
  • Housing: Tébessa leads on rent index (6% gap).
  • Food / groceries: Tébessa is lower (2% gap).
  • Purchasing power: Mascara scores higher (4% gap).
  • Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$8 cheaper in Tébessa.

Analysis

Detailed breakdown uses only paired indices: CPI 12.3/12.5, rent 3.3/3.5, purchasing power 11.4/11.9. Category winners can diverge — a city may win rent while losing CPI. No GDP, climate, or industry claims are invented for either city.

City pages

  • Tébessa, Tébessa
  • Mascara, Mascara

Country pages

  • Algeria

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Trust & data transparency

Last updated: 2026-08-21

Data Sources

This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):

  • Regional
  • Regional

On-page labels for this view: Regional · Regional.

Methodology

Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.

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