Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benghazi and Derna

For one person, living is cheaper in Derna: $172 a month against $424 in Benghazi, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Benghazi
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Benghazi Living Index

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Benghazi

🇱🇾 Libya

$424

/mo nomad

Derna

🇱🇾 Libya

$172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benghazi and in Derna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Benghazi and in Derna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $424 per month in Benghazi vs $172 in Derna, rent included.

Benghazi $424
Derna $172

A couple spends around $713 per month in Benghazi vs $335 in Derna, rent included.

Benghazi $713
Derna $335

A family of three spends $1,003 per month in Benghazi vs $497 in Derna, rent included.

Benghazi $1,003
Derna $497

Benghazi costs about 146% more than Derna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Benghazi and Derna are more affordable than the global median – Benghazi 69% lower, Derna 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.47 LYD 15.84

$3.80 LYD 24.32

-35.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.64 LYD 81.0

$7.73 LYD 49.56

63.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.39 LYD 15.34

$3.20 LYD 20.50

-25.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 LYD 13.63

$0.46 LYD 2.92

363.04%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 LYD 2.60

$0.63 LYD 4.06

-34.92%

Cappuccino

$0.66 LYD 4.21

$0.48 LYD 3.09

37.50%

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

$0.43 LYD 2.75

$0.32 LYD 2.08

34.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 LYD 0.91

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 LYD 4.85

$0.74 LYD 4.77

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 LYD 0.93

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 LYD 8.72

$2.34 LYD 15.00

-41.88%

Eggs

$1.65 LYD 10.55

$0.89 LYD 5.71

85.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 LYD 40.17

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.77 LYD 17.77

$3.08 LYD 19.74

-10.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 LYD 73.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 LYD 15.14

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 LYD 11.74

$0.75 LYD 4.79

144.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 LYD 7.42

$0.94 LYD 6.02

23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 LYD 4.50

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 LYD 5.24

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 LYD 4.09

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 LYD 2.38

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 LYD 1.47

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.33 LYD 14.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 LYD 3.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 LYD 4.77

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 LYD 12.12

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 LYD 10.21

$0.82 LYD 5.24

93.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LYD 2.06

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.13

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

$12.6K LYD 80.6K

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

$14.7K LYD 94.3K

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

$4.45 LYD 28.50

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.67 LYD 120

$14.18 LYD 90.9

31.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.33 LYD 111

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.82 LYD 24.46

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 LYD 40.94

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

$76.7 LYD 492

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$352 LYD 2,258

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.16 LYD 270

$31.15 LYD 200

35.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 LYD 224

$38.11 LYD 244

-8.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.12 LYD 270

$38.50 LYD 247

9.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.4 LYD 438

$38.94 LYD 250

75.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 LYD 1,220

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 LYD 762

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 LYD 2,755

$157 LYD 1,009

173.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 LYD 1,667

$94.3 LYD 604

175.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$191 LYD 1,224

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$76.9 LYD 493

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 LYD 1,718

$169 LYD 1,084

58.58%

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

Last update for Benghazi: October 20, 2026

Last update for Derna: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Benghazi

$127 30%

Derna

–

Accommodation & Living

Benghazi

$119 28.1%

Derna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Benghazi

$84 19.9%

Derna

–

Eating Out

Benghazi

$37 8.8%

Derna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Benghazi

$30 7.1%

Derna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benghazi

$23 * 5.5%

Derna

–

Getting Around

Benghazi

$3.2 * 0.8%

Derna

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 59% higher in Benghazi, 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 $13.00 in Benghazi versus $8.00 in Derna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $127 vs $44.00 – making Derna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Benghazi

🇱🇾 Derna

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

Same time as Benghazi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,555

50,000

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Benghazi Derna 250 km

From you

Benghazi
Derna

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Derna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $424 in Benghazi, $172 in Derna – roughly 146% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $636 per month in Benghazi and $258 in Derna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Benghazi and $8.00 in Derna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $424 in Benghazi and $172 in Derna. That's a gap of about 146%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $424 in Benghazi and $172 in Derna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Derna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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