Cost of Living Comparison Between Egypt and Libya Cost of Living Comparison Between Egypt and Libya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $455 in Egypt versus $148 in Libya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $730 in Egypt versus $242 in Libya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,004 in Egypt versus $336 in Libya.

Living in Egypt is roughly 207% more expensive than in Libya on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Egypt 66% lower, Libya 89% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Egypt
Libya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.89 E£199
$3.77 LYD 24.01
3.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.99 E£1,021
$15.80 LYD 101
26.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.89 E£250
$2.79 LYD 17.80
75.27%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.57 LYD 3.66
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.62 LYD 3.94
-
Cappuccino
$1.42 E£72.4
$0.51 LYD 3.26
178.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 E£16.74
$0.45 LYD 2.85
-26.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.14 E£6.94
$0.16 LYD 0.99
-12.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.37 E£69.9
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 E£153
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Egypt
Libya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 E£43.41
$0.97 LYD 6.17
-12.37%
White Bread (500g)
$0.63 E£32.05
$0.26 LYD 1.65
142.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.66 E£33.80
$1.04 LYD 6.66
-36.54%
Eggs
$1.45 E£74.2
$1.35 LYD 8.57
7.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.15 E£161
$4.80 LYD 30.55
-34.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.33 E£221
$3.27 LYD 20.81
32.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.42 E£430
$9.52 LYD 60.7
-11.55%
Apples (1kg)
$1.45 E£74.0
$1.72 LYD 10.99
-15.70%
Banana (1kg)
$0.57 E£29.10
$1.30 LYD 8.25
-56.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.48 E£24.41
$0.73 LYD 4.66
-34.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.41 E£20.76
$0.56 LYD 3.54
-26.79%
Potato (1kg)
$0.48 E£24.56
$0.60 LYD 3.81
-20.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.44 E£22.72
$0.49 LYD 3.15
-10.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.24 E£12.26
$0.40 LYD 2.53
-40.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.19 E£9.76
$0.24 LYD 1.53
-20.83%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.17 LYD 7.48
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.67 LYD 4.30
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.71 LYD 4.54
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.99 E£101
$1.93 LYD 12.31
3.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.79 E£347
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 E£66.4
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 E£95.4
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Egypt
Libya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 E£14.99
$0.38 LYD 2.44
-23.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.17 E£315
$20.15 LYD 128
-69.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 E£19.74
$0.91 LYD 5.79
-57.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 E£15.91
$1.04 LYD 6.60
-70.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.25 E£63.9
$3.68 LYD 23.45
-66.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.31 E£15.75
$0.03 LYD 0.19
933.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K E£1.8M
$16.1K LYD 102.3K
113.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.9K E£1.6M
$16.1K LYD 102.6K
91.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Egypt
Libya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$21.05 E£1,075
$32.39 LYD 206
-35.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.02 E£358
$7.38 LYD 47.04
-4.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.61 E£593
$21.68 LYD 138
-46.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Egypt
Libya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.78 E£755
$20.83 LYD 133
-29.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.97 E£356
$8.05 LYD 51.3
-13.42%
Cinema Ticket
$2.89 E£147
$4.49 LYD 28.62
-35.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Egypt
Libya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$86.0 E£4,393
$48.42 LYD 308
77.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,931 E£98.6K
$833 LYD 5,304
131.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Egypt
Libya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.03 E£1,329
$26.15 LYD 167
-0.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.67 E£2,230
$32.45 LYD 207
34.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 E£5,478
$41.18 LYD 262
160.49%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.4 E£2,623
$44.25 LYD 282
16.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Egypt
Libya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$163 E£8,301
$172 LYD 1,096
-5.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$102 E£5,196
$98.8 LYD 629
3.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$319 E£16.3K
$324 LYD 2,061
-1.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$189 E£9,641
$184 LYD 1,174
2.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$773 E£39.5K
$449 LYD 2,858
72.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$449 E£22.9K
$117 LYD 747
282.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Egypt
Libya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$155 E£7,901
$256 LYD 1,632
-39.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.38
15.79
3.74%

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

Last update for Egypt: July 14, 2026

Last update for Libya: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $183 in Egypt, $30.00 in Libya. Capital cities: $207 in Cairo vs $212 in Tripoli.

National salary averages: $142 in Egypt, $251 in Libya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 510% higher in Egypt.

Dining out costs 167% more in Egypt.

Public transport is 50% more expensive in Libya.

Salaries are 77% higher in Libya, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Libya.

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
Egypt vs Libya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Egypt and Libya?
At $511 per month in Egypt and $253 in Libya, there's a 102% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Libya: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Egypt is consistently higher than in Libya across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Egypt or in Libya?
In Libya, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Egypt it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Egypt or to Libya?
It depends on what you're after: Libya wins on affordability; Egypt may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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