Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benghazi and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Benghazi: $412 a month against $1,837 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Benghazi
🇱🇾 Libya
$412
/mo nomad
Nosara
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benghazi and in Nosara

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

A single person spends $412 per month in Benghazi vs $1,837 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Benghazi $412
  • Nosara $1,837

A couple spends around $695 per month in Benghazi vs $2,775 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Benghazi $695
  • Nosara $2,775

A family of three spends $978 per month in Benghazi vs $3,712 in Nosara, rent included.

  • Benghazi $978
  • Nosara $3,712

Benghazi is about 78% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Benghazi sits 69% below the global median, while Nosara is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Benghazi
Nosara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.36 LYD 15.08
$12.22 ₡5,509
-80.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.50 LYD 80.0
$60.2 ₡27.1K
-79.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.30 LYD 14.70
$7.54 ₡3,399
-69.50%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.07 LYD 13.24
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 LYD 2.43
-
-
Cappuccino
$0.68 LYD 4.37
$4.31 ₡1,941
-84.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 LYD 2.74
$1.72 ₡773
-75.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.12 LYD 0.77
$1.35 ₡608
-91.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.24 ₡1,459
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.48 ₡2,018
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Benghazi
Nosara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 LYD 5.22
$1.57 ₡707
-47.77%
White Bread (500g)
$0.19 LYD 1.22
$3.17 ₡1,429
-94.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 LYD 8.92
$2.42 ₡1,091
-42.56%
Eggs
$1.65 LYD 10.58
$3.57 ₡1,609
-53.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.56 LYD 41.97
$7.43 ₡3,349
-11.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.80 LYD 17.92
$10.42 ₡4,697
-73.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.17 LYD 71.5
$13.66 ₡6,156
-18.23%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 LYD 14.52
$2.32 ₡1,044
-2.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.82 LYD 11.66
$1.61 ₡728
13.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.20 LYD 7.70
$4.74 ₡2,138
-74.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.69 LYD 4.40
$1.66 ₡747
-58.43%
Potato (1kg)
$0.85 LYD 5.45
$3.72 ₡1,679
-77.15%
Onion (1kg)
$0.63 LYD 4.06
$3.57 ₡1,611
-82.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 LYD 2.23
$1.10 ₡497
-68.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.23 LYD 1.47
$2.55 ₡1,149
-90.98%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.35 LYD 15.02
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 LYD 3.32
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 LYD 4.93
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.84 LYD 11.77
$4.95 ₡2,232
-62.83%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$20.01 ₡9,020
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.79 ₡1,256
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.53 ₡1,589
-
🚌 Getting Around
Benghazi
Nosara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.19 ₡537
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$72.1 ₡32.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.52 LYD 9.73
$2.24 ₡1,011
-32.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.30 LYD 1.89
$1.55 ₡701
-80.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.86 ₡3,993
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.02 LYD 0.14
$1.57 ₡708
-98.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.4K LYD 79.4K
$21.8K ₡9.8M
-43.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.9K LYD 95.1K
$34.6K ₡15.6M
-57.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benghazi
Nosara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$93.5 ₡42.1K
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.44 LYD 28.44
$35.11 ₡15.8K
-87.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.29 LYD 117
$51.5 ₡23.2K
-64.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Benghazi
Nosara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.54 LYD 112
$71.4 ₡32.2K
-75.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.84 LYD 24.56
$35.44 ₡16.0K
-89.16%
Cinema Ticket
$6.06 LYD 38.75
$7.84 ₡3,535
-22.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Benghazi
Nosara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$78.0 LYD 499
$490 ₡220.7K
-84.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$347 LYD 2,221
$11.9K ₡5.4M
-97.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Benghazi
Nosara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.51 LYD 272
$53.5 ₡24.1K
-20.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.84 LYD 223
$55.8 ₡25.1K
-37.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$42.28 LYD 271
$79.3 ₡35.7K
-46.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.0 LYD 442
$78.9 ₡35.6K
-12.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Benghazi
Nosara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$186 LYD 1,191
$786 ₡354.3K
-76.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$115 LYD 737
$780 ₡351.6K
-85.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$434 LYD 2,776
$3,860 ₡1.7M
-88.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$259 LYD 1,655
$1,407 ₡634.4K
-81.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,972 ₡3.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,201 ₡541.3K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Benghazi
Nosara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$265 LYD 1,699
$876 ₡395.0K
-69.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
8.62
-

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

Last update for Benghazi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Benghazi
$128
Nosara
$350 173% $222
Accommodation & Living
Benghazi
$115
Nosara
$780 577% $665
Clothing & Footwear
Benghazi
$85
Nosara
$120 41.8% $35
Eating Out
Benghazi
$36
Nosara
$209 480% $173
Sport & Entertainment
Benghazi
$30
Nosara
$87 194% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benghazi
$23 *
Nosara
$180 692% $157
Getting Around
Benghazi
$3 *
Nosara
$87 2795% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $186 in Benghazi versus $786 in Nosara. 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 230% higher in Nosara, 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 $60.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $128 vs $350 – making Benghazi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇱🇾 Benghazi
🇨🇷 Nosara
🕒 Local time
05:49 5:49 AM
21:49 9:49 PM
8 h behind Benghazi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,555
4,912
💱 Currency
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Benghazi Nosara 10,860 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Benghazi
  • Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Benghazi and in Nosara compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $412 in Benghazi, $1,837 in Nosara – roughly 346% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Benghazi compared to Nosara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $618 per month in Benghazi and $2,756 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Benghazi and Nosara?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Benghazi or Nosara?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $412 in Benghazi and $1,837 in Nosara. That's a gap of about 346%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Benghazi and Nosara?
Kindergarten costs $78.0 per month in Benghazi and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benghazi, where all-in costs run around $412, than in Nosara at $1,837. In Benghazi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Benghazi and Nosara?
It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $412 in Benghazi to $1,837 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Benghazi or Nosara safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Benghazi and Nosara?
If budget matters most, go with Benghazi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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