Cost of Living Comparison Between Libya and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Libya and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $135 in Libya versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $211 in Libya versus $1,147 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $287 in Libya versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Libya costs about 81% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Libya 90% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.12 LYD 19.80

$2.92 ¥19.58

6.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.83 LYD 81.3

$22.23 ¥149

-42.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.44 LYD 15.46

$5.13 ¥34.34

-52.44%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 LYD 3.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 LYD 3.59

Cappuccino

$0.57 LYD 3.63

$2.99 ¥20.03

-80.94%

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

$0.42 LYD 2.68

$0.52 ¥3.50

-19.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 LYD 0.71

$0.28 ¥1.87

-60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥15.17

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 LYD 5.58

$1.81 ¥12.11

-51.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 LYD 1.60

$1.68 ¥11.23

-85.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 LYD 7.41

$0.90 ¥6.05

30.00%

Eggs

$1.25 LYD 7.90

$1.56 ¥10.43

-19.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 LYD 32.58

$13.24 ¥88.7

-61.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 LYD 21.21

$3.49 ¥23.40

-4.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 LYD 59.9

$11.23 ¥75.2

-15.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 LYD 14.13

$1.86 ¥12.43

19.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 LYD 10.01

$1.26 ¥8.47

25.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 LYD 5.65

$1.53 ¥10.22

-41.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 LYD 3.45

$1.26 ¥8.45

-56.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 LYD 4.57

$0.73 ¥4.91

-1.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 LYD 3.32

$0.88 ¥5.89

-40.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 LYD 2.46

$0.65 ¥4.33

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 LYD 1.24

$0.58 ¥3.88

-67.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.27 LYD 8.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 LYD 4.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 LYD 5.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.90 LYD 12.04

$3.71 ¥24.84

-48.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥79.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥5.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥11.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 LYD 3.89

$0.29 ¥1.93

110.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.33 LYD 249

$22.67 ¥152

73.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 LYD 5.12

$1.50 ¥10.07

-46.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 LYD 2.90

$0.35 ¥2.32

31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 LYD 14.62

$7.29 ¥48.84

-68.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.14

$1.22 ¥8.18

-98.36%

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

$23.2K LYD 147.0K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

22.14%

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

$16.4K LYD 104.2K

$17.4K ¥116.2K

-5.29%

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

$112 LYD 708

$54.0 ¥362

107.04%

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

$5.11 LYD 32.39

$8.41 ¥56.4

-39.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.27 LYD 128

$10.82 ¥72.5

87.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.89 LYD 107

$40.41 ¥271

-58.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.98 LYD 31.56

$14.63 ¥98.0

-65.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 LYD 30.47

$6.60 ¥44.18

-27.12%

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

$52.4 LYD 332

$452 ¥3,025

-88.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$755 LYD 4,783

$19.2K ¥128.9K

-96.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.61 LYD 169

$44.23 ¥296

-39.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.93 LYD 183

$35.46 ¥238

-18.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.89 LYD 253

$74.7 ¥500

-46.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.63 LYD 251

$78.6 ¥527

-49.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 LYD 1,551

$394 ¥2,642

-37.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 LYD 726

$243 ¥1,630

-52.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 LYD 2,783

$845 ¥5,660

-48.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 LYD 1,346

$481 ¥3,221

-55.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$453 LYD 2,874

$4,609 ¥30.9K

-90.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$117 LYD 739

$2,327 ¥15.6K

-94.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$264 LYD 1,675

$1,060 ¥7,100

-75.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

476.37%

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

Last update for Libya: September 13, 2026

Last update for China: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $22.00 in Libya, $294 in China. Capital cities: $357 in Tripoli vs $985 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $255 in Libya, $867 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1236% higher in China.

Dining out costs 320% more in China.

Public transport is 750% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 240% higher in China, 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

Libya vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $837 per month in China and $266 in Libya, there's a 215% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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.

Rent in China 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.

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; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.