Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tripoli Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tripoli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $502 in Tripoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $794 in Tripoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,085 in Tripoli.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 371% more expensive than Tripoli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Tripoli is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$4.50 LYD 28.60

290.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$18.44 LYD 117

271.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$3.70 LYD 23.52

280.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.58 LYD 3.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.18

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$0.48 LYD 3.05

479.17%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.48 LYD 3.08

483.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.12 LYD 0.76

1616.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.98 LYD 6.23

26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.21 LYD 1.33

866.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.23 LYD 7.85

56.10%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.45 LYD 9.25

128.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$4.87 LYD 30.94

278.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.25 LYD 20.64

192.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.38 LYD 66.0

84.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.19 LYD 13.92

20.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.28 LYD 8.17

91.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.78 LYD 4.95

171.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.52 LYD 3.33

448.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.65 LYD 4.14

213.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.56 LYD 3.58

230.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.38 LYD 2.42

286.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.22 LYD 1.40

281.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 LYD 8.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$1.86 LYD 11.86

283.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.29 LYD 1.85

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$21.42 LYD 136

36.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.95 LYD 6.02

384.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.85 LYD 5.41

143.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$4.49 LYD 28.54

549.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.03 LYD 0.17

6033.33%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$13.9K LYD 88.2K

181.31%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$16.6K LYD 105.6K

96.97%

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

$188 €162

$31.84 LYD 202

489.89%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$8.02 LYD 51.0

185.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$22.67 LYD 144

61.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$28.49 LYD 181

101.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$12.20 LYD 77.6

69.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.62 LYD 29.35

142.21%

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

$721 €621

$52.4 LYD 333

1277.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$914 LYD 5,812

1546.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$21.51 LYD 137

300.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$35.82 LYD 228

3.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$49.76 LYD 316

105.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$55.2 LYD 351

110.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$207 LYD 1,316

640.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$123 LYD 780

894.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$393 LYD 2,496

586.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$226 LYD 1,434

792.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$248 LYD 1,574

853.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

17.5

-80.63%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tripoli: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $207 in Tripoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 853% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Tripoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $116 per month, with Tripoli 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 Tripoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tripoli differ by about 371% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $502 including rent). Tripoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 853% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $207 in Tripoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $52.4 in Tripoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 173% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $502 in Tripoli versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tripoli but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tripoli 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 Tripoli 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 Tripoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 371% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.