Eastern Europe Isn’t Broken — It’s Crowded

For years, German startups and SMEs turned to Eastern Europe to fill their tech talent gaps. Poland, Romania, Ukraine — they offered timezone alignment, solid engineers, and reasonable rates.

But by 2025, even nearshoring Eastern Europe has its limits. Rising salaries, high turnover, and saturated markets make projects unpredictable. Companies often start with Eastern Europe, only to struggle to scale efficiently. For more context, check out our blog post on Hiring Developers in 2025 – What German Companies Need to Know.

Meanwhile, Tunisia has quietly grown a pool of highly skilled developers who are cost-effective, reliable, and experienced with European clients.

1. Cost: Tunisia Beats Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe used to be 30–50% cheaper than Germany. Today, those savings are shrinking, especially for senior developers.

Plus, Tunisia avoids hidden costs like recruitment agencies, turnover, and compliance overhead. Nearshoring Eastern Europe may seem straightforward, but Tunisia delivers better value per euro without compromise.

2. Talent Saturation: Eastern Europe vs. Tunisia

Top-tier engineers in Warsaw or Cluj are highly sought after — even small startups struggle to compete with Google, Amazon, and Revolut paying $120K+ for remote work.

Tunisia, on the other hand, produces over 25,000 STEM graduates annually, many multilingual and experienced in agile, product-driven development. Unlike Eastern Europe, the talent pool is deep, untapped, and ready to grow with German companies. Learn why access to top developers matters more than location in our blog post on remote hiring in Germany.

3. Retention: Stability Matters

Developer turnover in Eastern Europe averages 12–18 months. In Tunisia, developers often stay 3–4 years.

Why? Tunisian developers aren’t bombarded with recruiter offers. They seek stable, interesting international companies. For startups scaling a product over years, retention isn’t optional — it’s critical.

4. Timezone & Communication: Both Are Strong

Tunisia and Eastern Europe are both within an hour of CET, making timezone alignment effortless.

English proficiency is strong across both regions, and many Tunisian developers are also fluent in French. Zoom calls, Slack, GitHub, and Jira — all standard.

5. Cultural Fit: Tunisia Is Surprisingly European

Tunisia has long-standing ties with France and Germany, translating into a strong alignment with European work culture. Agile practices, product ownership, and quality-first thinking are standard.

Over 80% of the engineers we place have prior experience with European clients, making collaboration smooth and productive. To learn more about how we rigorously vet our developers, see our Top 2% page.

6. Risk & Stability: Tunisia Is Ready for German Tech

Some executives hesitate: “Tunisia? Is it stable?”

Tunisia has been a stable democracy since 2011, with strong European partnerships and a supportive startup ecosystem. The 2018 Startup Act supports tech companies, IP protection, and international collaboration. Germany’s largest automotive suppliers are already operating successfully there.

Conclusion – Look South, Even If You’re Considering Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe helped German companies get a head start in nearshoring. But now it’s crowded, expensive, and volatile.

Tunisia offers a better alternative: lower costs, strong retention, timezone alignment, and a deep pool of untapped, highly capable developers.

At KothonTech, we help German startups and SMEs hire remote developers in Tunisia, handling legal compliance, contracts, onboarding, and cultural training — so you can focus on building faster, leaner, and with less churn. Learn why clients choose us on our Why Us page.

Ready to access Tunisia’s top 2% of software engineers? Contact us today and start building your high-performing team.