Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Benghazi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Benghazi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $424 in Benghazi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $722 in Benghazi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $1,021 in Benghazi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 489% more expensive than in Benghazi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Benghazi is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$2.42 LYD 15.31

659.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$12.52 LYD 79.3

452.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$2.37 LYD 15.01

496.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 LYD 13.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 LYD 2.57

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$0.64 LYD 4.07

389.06%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.59

$0.44 LYD 2.77

586.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.13 LYD 0.83

1407.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.82 LYD 5.22

52.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.19 LYD 1.20

1036.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.35 LYD 8.54

25.19%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$1.66 LYD 10.49

196.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$6.33 LYD 40.11

182.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$2.74 LYD 17.34

250.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

$11.59 LYD 73.4

66.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.27 LYD 14.39

42.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.73 LYD 10.94

26.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.15 LYD 7.26

132.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$0.75 LYD 4.77

269.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.86 LYD 5.47

156.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.65 LYD 4.13

236.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.34 LYD 2.17

347.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.23 LYD 1.46

300.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.39 LYD 15.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 LYD 3.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 LYD 5.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$1.91 LYD 12.08

272.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$1.60 LYD 10.11

103.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.30 LYD 1.88

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.02 LYD 0.11

8650.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.7K €31.5K

$12.8K LYD 81.1K

186.36%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.9K €26.6K

$14.9K LYD 94.6K

107.08%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$188 €161

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.44 €13.27

$4.55 LYD 28.83

239.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$19.14 LYD 121

97.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$17.52 LYD 111

226.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

$3.96 LYD 25.07

324.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$6.42 LYD 40.66

80.37%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,003 €862

$77.3 LYD 489

1197.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

$358 LYD 2,269

4649.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$42.91 LYD 272

107.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$34.87 LYD 221

17.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$44.06 LYD 279

149.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$68.2 LYD 432

79.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$192 LYD 1,213

773.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$120 LYD 760

1009.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$429 LYD 2,718

504.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$259 LYD 1,640

652.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$267 LYD 1,692

799.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Benghazi: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $192 in Benghazi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 799% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $13.00 in Benghazi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $128 per month, with Benghazi cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Benghazi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Benghazi differ by about 489% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $424 including rent). Benghazi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 799% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $192 in Benghazi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $77.3 in Benghazi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Benghazi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $424 in Benghazi versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benghazi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Benghazi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Benghazi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Benghazi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 489% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.