Cost of Living Comparison Between Benghazi and Chennai (Madras) Cost of Living Comparison Between Benghazi and Chennai (Madras)

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $439 per month in Benghazi vs $475 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

A couple spends around $706 per month in Benghazi vs $741 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

A family of three spends $973 per month in Benghazi vs $1,007 in Chennai (Madras), rent included.

Benghazi is about 7% cheaper than Chennai (Madras), driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Benghazi and Chennai (Madras) are more affordable than the global median – Benghazi 67% lower, Chennai (Madras) 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.69 LYD 17.15

$2.30 ₹221

16.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.71 LYD 93.7

$11.59 ₹1,116

26.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 LYD 17.28

$4.10 ₹395

-33.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 LYD 3.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 LYD 2.26

Cappuccino

$0.68 LYD 4.31

$2.16 ₹208

-68.52%

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

$0.40 LYD 2.57

$0.49 ₹47.17

-18.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 LYD 0.96

$0.17 ₹16.45

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ₹199

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ₹393

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 LYD 5.72

$0.59 ₹56.4

52.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 LYD 1.47

$0.50 ₹47.77

-54.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 LYD 4.17

$0.77 ₹74.6

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.32 LYD 8.41

$0.87 ₹84.1

51.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.14 LYD 39.13

$7.08 ₹681

-13.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 LYD 23.64

$3.57 ₹344

3.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 LYD 55.0

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 LYD 9.05

$2.84 ₹273

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 LYD 7.54

$0.86 ₹82.7

37.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 LYD 4.34

$1.27 ₹122

-46.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 LYD 3.11

$0.48 ₹46.34

2.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 LYD 3.09

$0.55 ₹53.0

-10.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 LYD 2.83

$0.54 ₹51.7

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.27 LYD 1.72

$0.55 ₹52.7

-50.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 LYD 1.40

$0.33 ₹31.48

-33.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.33 LYD 14.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.27

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 LYD 17.80

$4.06 ₹391

-31.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 ₹688

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₹174

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₹336

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.08 ₹585

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 LYD 5.96

$0.34 ₹32.57

176.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.20 LYD 58.6

$11.59 ₹1,115

-20.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 LYD 5.77

$1.54 ₹148

-40.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 LYD 9.43

$0.30 ₹29.18

393.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 LYD 24.89

$1.70 ₹164

130.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 LYD 0.21

$1.18 ₹113

-97.46%

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

$16.4K LYD 104.8K

$17.3K ₹1.7M

-4.68%

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

$14.8K LYD 94.1K

$23.8K ₹2.3M

-37.80%

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

$14.44 LYD 92.0

$47.66 ₹4,589

-69.70%

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

$7.16 LYD 45.60

$4.90 ₹472

46.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.89 LYD 216

$9.78 ₹941

246.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.05 LYD 121

$17.77 ₹1,710

7.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.56 LYD 67.3

$7.12 ₹686

48.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 LYD 29.98

$2.87 ₹276

64.11%

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

$60.0 LYD 382

$79.5 ₹7,653

-24.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$869 LYD 5,534

$1,738 ₹167.3K

-50.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.57 LYD 176

$26.12 ₹2,515

5.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.98 LYD 185

$23.16 ₹2,230

25.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.49 LYD 309

$49.19 ₹4,736

-1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.3 LYD 403

$36.39 ₹3,504

74.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$194 LYD 1,238

$195 ₹18.8K

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 LYD 731

$115 ₹11.1K

-0.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 LYD 2,409

$441 ₹42.4K

-14.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 LYD 1,472

$260 ₹25.0K

-11.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,817 ₹174.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 ₹76.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 LYD 1,675

$754 ₹72.6K

-65.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.42

165.39%

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

Last update for Benghazi: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chennai (Madras): July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $194 in Benghazi versus $195 in Chennai (Madras). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 187% higher in Chennai (Madras), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Benghazi versus $12.00 in Chennai (Madras). Groceries tell a different story – $108 in Benghazi vs $122 in Chennai (Madras) – so Benghazi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Benghazi vs Chennai (Madras): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $439 in Benghazi, $475 in Chennai (Madras) – roughly 8% apart. Chennai (Madras) costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $659 per month in Benghazi and $712 in Chennai (Madras). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benghazi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chennai (Madras), though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Benghazi and $12.00 in Chennai (Madras). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $439 in Benghazi and $475 in Chennai (Madras), leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Chennai (Madras) has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $439 in Benghazi to $475 in Chennai (Madras). Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Benghazi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chennai (Madras) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.