Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Libya and China

Name: China
Address: CN

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.

26

Cost of Living Index in Libya
Learn more

Libya Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇱🇾 Libya

$541

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Libya and in China

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

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

Libya $541
China $791

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

Libya $813
China $1,251

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

Libya $1,085
China $1,711

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 Libya costs about 32% less than in China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.18 LYD 20.40

$2.98 ¥19.78

6.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.36 LYD 79.3

$22.09 ¥147

-44.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.70 LYD 17.33

$5.20 ¥34.55

-48.08%

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

$0.55 LYD 3.54

$2.97 ¥19.71

-81.48%

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

$0.41 LYD 2.64

$0.48 ¥3.18

-14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 LYD 0.88

$0.30 ¥2.00

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.13

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 LYD 6.05

$1.80 ¥11.94

-47.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.24 LYD 1.55

$1.68 ¥11.13

-85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 LYD 7.30

$0.92 ¥6.13

23.91%

Eggs

$1.38 LYD 8.86

$1.61 ¥10.72

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.27 LYD 33.83

$13.38 ¥88.9

-60.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 LYD 21.01

$3.35 ¥22.25

-2.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 LYD 58.7

$11.35 ¥75.4

-19.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 LYD 14.75

$1.82 ¥12.11

26.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 LYD 9.99

$1.31 ¥8.68

19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 LYD 5.45

$1.49 ¥9.88

-42.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 LYD 3.82

$1.27 ¥8.46

-52.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.58

$0.71 ¥4.73

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 LYD 3.06

$0.93 ¥6.20

-48.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 LYD 2.68

$0.62 ¥4.11

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 LYD 1.40

$0.56 ¥3.73

-60.71%

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)

$1.84 LYD 11.80

$3.78 ¥25.12

-51.32%

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)

$0.64 LYD 4.12

$0.29 ¥1.91

120.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.50 LYD 253

$17.83 ¥118

121.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 LYD 5.11

$1.49 ¥9.88

-46.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 LYD 2.87

$0.37 ¥2.49

21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 LYD 15.21

$7.10 ¥47.17

-66.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.11

$1.26 ¥8.36

-98.41%

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

$23.1K LYD 148.1K

$19.4K ¥129.2K

18.73%

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

$17.4K LYD 111.8K

$17.5K ¥116.5K

-0.63%

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

$109 LYD 701

$54.6 ¥363

100.31%

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

$5.37 LYD 34.47

$8.73 ¥58.0

-38.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.10 LYD 129

$11.07 ¥73.5

81.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.43 LYD 118

$40.77 ¥271

-54.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.22 LYD 33.46

$14.48 ¥96.2

-63.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 LYD 29.14

$6.78 ¥45.05

-33.04%

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

$50.2 LYD 322

$517 ¥3,433

-90.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$745 LYD 4,776

$19.8K ¥131.6K

-96.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.33 LYD 169

$46.53 ¥309

-43.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.39 LYD 201

$35.66 ¥237

-11.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.30 LYD 284

$77.0 ¥512

-42.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.72 LYD 255

$80.3 ¥533

-50.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 LYD 1,531

$386 ¥2,564

-38.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$111 LYD 713

$235 ¥1,558

-52.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 LYD 2,704

$822 ¥5,461

-48.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 LYD 1,363

$453 ¥3,011

-53.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$307 LYD 1,968

$4,697 ¥31.2K

-93.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$108 LYD 691

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-95.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$261 LYD 1,673

$1,093 ¥7,264

-76.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

478.03%

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

Last update for Libya: October 26, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Libya

$135 24.9%

China

$74 9.4% 44.8% $60

Groceries & Markets

Libya

$116 21.5%

China

$210 26.5% 80.8% $94

Accommodation & Living

Libya

$111 20.5%

China

$235 29.6% 111% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Libya

$64 11.8%

China

$108 13.6% 68.9% $44

Getting Around

Libya

$45 8.3%

China

$22 2.8% 50.5% $23

Eating Out

Libya

$42 7.8%

China

$88 11.1% 108% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Libya

$28 5.1%

China

$54 6.9% 97.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $253 in Libya, $873 in China. 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

🇱🇾 Libya

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

19:31 7:31 PM

6 h ahead of Libya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,678,567

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.14 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

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

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

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Libya China 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Libya
China

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

Libya vs China: 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.