Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Libya

Name: Libya
Address: LY

For one person, living is cheaper in Libya: $541 a month against $791 in China, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Libya
Learn more

Libya Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇱🇾 Libya

$541

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Libya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $541 in Libya.

China $791
Libya $541

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $813 in Libya.

China $1,251
Libya $813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $1,085 in Libya.

China $1,711
Libya $1,085

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $10–$541 in Libya. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China is roughly 46% more expensive than in Libya on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Libya 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.78

$3.18 LYD 20.40

-6.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$12.36 LYD 79.3

78.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.55

$2.70 LYD 17.33

92.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 LYD 3.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 LYD 3.90

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.71

$0.55 LYD 3.54

440.00%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$0.41 LYD 2.64

17.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.00

$0.14 LYD 0.88

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.13

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.94

$0.94 LYD 6.05

91.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.13

$0.24 LYD 1.55

600.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$1.14 LYD 7.30

-19.30%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.72

$1.38 LYD 8.86

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥88.9

$5.27 LYD 33.83

153.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.25

$3.27 LYD 21.01

2.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.4

$9.15 LYD 58.7

24.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.11

$2.30 LYD 14.75

-20.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.68

$1.56 LYD 9.99

-16.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$0.85 LYD 5.45

75.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.46

$0.60 LYD 3.82

111.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$0.71 LYD 4.58

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$0.48 LYD 3.06

93.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$0.42 LYD 2.68

47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.22 LYD 1.40

154.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 LYD 11.60

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 LYD 4.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 LYD 5.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.12

$1.84 LYD 11.80

105.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.6

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.53

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.64 LYD 4.12

-54.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥118

$39.50 LYD 253

-54.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$0.80 LYD 5.11

86.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.45 LYD 2.87

-17.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.17

$2.37 LYD 15.21

199.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.36

$0.02 LYD 0.11

6200.00%

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

$19.4K ¥129.2K

$23.1K LYD 148.1K

-15.78%

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

$17.5K ¥116.5K

$17.4K LYD 111.8K

0.64%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$109 LYD 701

-50.08%

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

$8.73 ¥58.0

$5.37 LYD 34.47

62.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.5

$20.10 LYD 129

-44.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$18.43 LYD 118

121.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.2

$5.22 LYD 33.46

177.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.05

$4.54 LYD 29.14

49.34%

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

$517 ¥3,433

$50.2 LYD 322

929.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.6K

$745 LYD 4,776

2560.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$26.33 LYD 169

76.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$31.39 LYD 201

13.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$44.30 LYD 284

73.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥533

$39.72 LYD 255

102.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,564

$239 LYD 1,531

61.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,558

$111 LYD 713

111.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,461

$422 LYD 2,704

94.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,011

$213 LYD 1,363

113.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$307 LYD 1,968

1430.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$108 LYD 691

2101.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,264

$261 LYD 1,673

319.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

-82.70%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Libya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Libya

$111 20.5% 52.6% $123

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Libya

$116 21.5% 44.7% $94

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Libya

$64 11.8% 40.8% $44

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Libya

$42 7.8% 51.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Libya

$135 24.9% 81.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Libya

$28 5.1% 49.3% $27

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Libya

$45 8.3% 102% $23

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $188 in Libya. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $359 in Tripoli.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $253 in Libya. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 59% higher in China.

Dining out costs 57% more in China.

Public transport is 117% more expensive in Libya.

Salaries are about 3.5 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇱🇾 Libya

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

6 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

6,678,567

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.14 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.16 LYD (1 LYD = 0.14 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Libya 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Libya

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

China vs Libya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $541 in Libya, Libya comes out about 32% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $298 in China and $188 in Libya. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Libya, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Libya wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.