Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benghazi and Misrata

For one person, living is cheaper in Benghazi: $420 a month against $439 in Misrata, rent and utilities included – about $230 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Benghazi, Libya
Misrata, Libya
Benghazi
🇱🇾 Libya
$420
/mo nomad
Misrata
🇱🇾 Libya
$439
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benghazi and in Misrata

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 Misrata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $420 per month in Benghazi vs $439 in Misrata, rent included.

  • Benghazi $420
  • Misrata $439

A couple spends around $706 per month in Benghazi vs $709 in Misrata, rent included.

  • Benghazi $706
  • Misrata $709

A family of three spends $992 per month in Benghazi vs $979 in Misrata, rent included.

  • Benghazi $992
  • Misrata $979

Benghazi is about 4% cheaper than Misrata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Benghazi and Misrata are more affordable than the global median – Benghazi 69% lower, Misrata 68% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Benghazi
Misrata
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.39 LYD 15.32
$2.73 LYD 17.52
-12.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.49 LYD 80.2
$7.98 LYD 51.2
56.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.37 LYD 15.19
$2.64 LYD 16.93
-10.23%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 LYD 13.08
$0.60 LYD 3.85
240.00%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41 LYD 2.63
$0.49 LYD 3.15
-16.33%
Cappuccino
$0.70 LYD 4.50
$0.48 LYD 3.06
45.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 LYD 2.78
$0.43 LYD 2.73
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.14 LYD 0.90
$0.10 LYD 0.65
40.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Benghazi
Misrata
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.76 LYD 4.88
$0.85 LYD 5.43
-10.59%
White Bread (500g)
$0.19 LYD 1.19
$0.20 LYD 1.28
-5.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.41 LYD 9.08
$0.95 LYD 6.09
48.42%
Eggs
$1.69 LYD 10.88
$1.21 LYD 7.80
39.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.32 LYD 40.55
$4.05 LYD 26.01
56.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.80 LYD 17.95
$3.41 LYD 21.89
-17.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.21 LYD 71.9
$9.05 LYD 58.1
23.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 LYD 14.76
$2.22 LYD 14.26
3.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 LYD 11.07
$1.53 LYD 9.83
13.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.19 LYD 7.65
$0.74 LYD 4.75
60.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.75 LYD 4.84
$0.60 LYD 3.85
25.00%
Potato (1kg)
$0.82 LYD 5.27
$0.72 LYD 4.62
13.89%
Onion (1kg)
$0.59 LYD 3.81
$0.46 LYD 2.95
28.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 LYD 2.22
$0.43 LYD 2.75
-18.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.23 LYD 1.48
$0.19 LYD 1.21
21.05%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.41 LYD 15.46
$2.22 LYD 14.27
8.56%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.56 LYD 3.61
$0.69 LYD 4.45
-18.84%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 LYD 5.09
$0.85 LYD 5.46
-7.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.83 LYD 11.77
$1.89 LYD 12.15
-3.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Benghazi
Misrata
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.64 LYD 4.13
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$39.49 LYD 254
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 LYD 9.87
$0.81 LYD 5.19
90.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.30 LYD 1.91
$0.49 LYD 3.11
-38.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.31 LYD 14.81
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.02 LYD 0.14
$0.02 LYD 0.13
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.3K LYD 79.1K
$23.4K LYD 150.4K
-47.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.7K LYD 94.3K
$19.1K LYD 122.8K
-23.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benghazi
Misrata
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$62.0 LYD 398
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.50 LYD 28.91
$6.05 LYD 38.83
-25.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.51 LYD 119
$27.12 LYD 174
-31.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Benghazi
Misrata
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.63 LYD 113
$14.29 LYD 91.8
23.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.81 LYD 24.45
$7.66 LYD 49.19
-50.26%
Cinema Ticket
$6.35 LYD 40.73
$4.78 LYD 30.66
32.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Benghazi
Misrata
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$78.6 LYD 504
$26.32 LYD 169
198.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$350 LYD 2,243
$805 LYD 5,166
-56.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Benghazi
Misrata
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.65 LYD 267
$22.81 LYD 146
82.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.51 LYD 222
$17.16 LYD 110
101.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$42.93 LYD 276
$45.36 LYD 291
-5.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.4 LYD 439
$41.88 LYD 269
63.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Benghazi
Misrata
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$188 LYD 1,205
$147 LYD 941
28.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$115 LYD 741
$71.4 LYD 458
61.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$435 LYD 2,795
$326 LYD 2,092
33.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$253 LYD 1,623
$214 LYD 1,375
18.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$516 LYD 3,309
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$103 LYD 660
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Benghazi
Misrata
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$263 LYD 1,689
$398 LYD 2,552
-33.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
20
-

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

Last update for Benghazi: October 27, 2026

Last update for Misrata: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Benghazi
$127
Misrata
$109 14.1% $18
Accommodation & Living
Benghazi
$115
Misrata
$71 38.2% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Benghazi
$84
Misrata
$57 32.1% $27
Eating Out
Benghazi
$37
Misrata
$38 1.8% $0.7
Sport & Entertainment
Benghazi
$30
Misrata
$24 21.3% $6.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benghazi
$23 *
Misrata
$95 314% $72
Getting Around
Benghazi
$3 *
Misrata
$45 1400% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $188 in Benghazi versus $147 in Misrata. 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 51% higher in Misrata. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Benghazi versus $8 in Misrata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $127 vs $109 – making Misrata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇱🇾 Benghazi
🇱🇾 Misrata
🕒 Local time
03:01 3:01 AM
03:01 3:01 AM
Same time as Benghazi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,555
600,000
💱 Currency
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.42 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.15 LYD (1 LYD = 0.14 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Benghazi Misrata 470 km
From you
  • Benghazi
  • Misrata

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 Misrata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Benghazi and in Misrata compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $420 in Benghazi, $439 in Misrata – Benghazi comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Benghazi compared to Misrata?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $629 per month in Benghazi and $659 in Misrata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Benghazi and Misrata?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Misrata, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $147 there versus $188 in Benghazi.
Which city is more expensive overall: Benghazi or Misrata?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $420 in Benghazi and $439 in Misrata. That makes Benghazi about 4% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Benghazi and Misrata?
Kindergarten costs $79 per month in Benghazi and $26 in Misrata. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $1,200 go in Benghazi compared to Misrata?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $420 in Benghazi and $439 in Misrata, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Benghazi and Misrata?
It depends on your priorities. Benghazi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $420 in Benghazi to $439 in Misrata. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Benghazi and Misrata?
If budget matters most, go with Benghazi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Misrata makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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