For one person, living is cheaper in Egypt: $483 a month against $537 in Libya, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Libya outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.
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 Egypt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $537 in Libya versus $483 in Egypt.
Libya $537
Egypt $483
Estimated couple costs with rent: $804 in Libya versus $785 in Egypt.
Libya $804
Egypt $785
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,072 in Libya versus $1,088 in Egypt.
Libya $1,072
Egypt $1,088
🌍
Living in Libya is roughly 11% more expensive than in Egypt on average.
📊
Both countries sit below the global median: Libya 60% lower, Egypt 64% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Libya
Egypt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.02LYD 19.34
$3.69E£197
-18.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.67LYD 81.2
$18.73E£1,000
-32.35%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$2.68LYD 17.14
$4.72E£252
-43.22%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.55LYD 3.54
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65LYD 4.15
-
-
Cappuccino
$0.57LYD 3.62
$1.53E£81.5
-62.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44LYD 2.83
$0.35E£18.95
25.71%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.11LYD 0.70
$0.14E£7.69
-21.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.46E£78.0
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.88E£154
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Libya
Egypt
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.87LYD 5.58
$0.85E£45.14
2.35%
White Bread(500g)
$0.24LYD 1.55
$0.72E£38.42
-66.67%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.13LYD 7.26
$0.65E£34.58
73.85%
Eggs
$1.38LYD 8.84
$1.26E£67.3
9.52%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.22LYD 33.48
$3.50E£187
49.14%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.31LYD 21.20
$4.26E£228
-22.30%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.87LYD 56.9
$8.73E£466
1.60%
Apples(1kg)
$2.23LYD 14.26
$1.53E£82.0
45.75%
Banana(1kg)
$1.56LYD 10.02
$0.68E£36.11
129.41%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.85LYD 5.42
$0.48E£25.45
77.08%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.60LYD 3.86
$0.41E£21.92
46.34%
Potato(1kg)
$0.71LYD 4.58
$0.35E£18.89
102.86%
Onion(1kg)
$0.47LYD 3.01
$0.38E£20.24
23.68%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.39LYD 2.47
$0.28E£14.74
39.29%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.18LYD 1.14
$0.20E£10.61
-10.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$1.84LYD 11.76
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78LYD 4.97
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81LYD 5.16
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.85LYD 11.85
$1.95E£104
-5.13%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$6.71E£358
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.32E£70.3
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.11E£113
-
🚌 Getting Around
Libya
Egypt
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.65LYD 4.17
$0.27E£14.27
140.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$38.42LYD 246
$8.02E£428
379.05%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.81LYD 5.20
$0.39E£21.07
107.69%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.45LYD 2.90
$0.29E£15.55
55.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$2.39LYD 15.34
$1.93E£103
23.83%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.02LYD 0.13
$0.42E£22.45
-95.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.5KLYD 150.5K
$32.5KE£1.7M
-27.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.2KLYD 110.2K
$26.3KE£1.4M
-34.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Libya
Egypt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$110LYD 707
$21.49E£1,148
413.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.12LYD 32.81
$7.27E£388
-29.57%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.25LYD 130
$13.17E£703
53.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Libya
Egypt
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$18.25LYD 117
$18.32E£978
-0.38%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.12LYD 32.78
$6.59E£352
-22.31%
Cinema Ticket
$4.69LYD 30.05
$3.04E£162
54.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Libya
Egypt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$51.4LYD 329
$102E£5,448
-49.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$756LYD 4,846
$2,562E£136.8K
-70.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Libya
Egypt
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.11LYD 167
$26.81E£1,431
-2.61%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.97LYD 198
$43.03E£2,298
-28.03%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$43.97LYD 282
$113E£6,020
-61.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$39.62LYD 254
$50.1E£2,676
-20.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Libya
Egypt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$241LYD 1,541
$153E£8,149
57.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$112LYD 715
$97.2E£5,193
14.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$432LYD 2,765
$298E£15.9K
44.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$209LYD 1,339
$191E£10.2K
9.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$300LYD 1,920
$717E£38.3K
-58.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$108LYD 690
$439E£23.5K
-75.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Libya
Egypt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$259LYD 1,661
$146E£7,821
76.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
20
17.11
16.89%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Libya: October 12, 2026
Last update for Egypt: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Libya
$136 25.3%
Egypt
$42 8.7% ↓ 69.1%$94
🛒Groceries & Markets
Libya
$114 21.2%
Egypt
$127 26.2% ↑ 11.3%$13
🏠Accommodation & Living
Libya
$112 20.8%
Egypt
$97 20.1% ↓ 12.9%$14
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Libya
$63 11.8%
Egypt
$105 21.7% ↑ 65.4%$41
🚌Getting Around
Libya
$44 8.2%
Egypt
$11 2.3% ↓ 75.2%$33
🍽Eating Out
Libya
$41 7.7%
Egypt
$77 16% ↑ 87.2%$36
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Libya
$28 5.1%
Egypt
$24 5.1% ↓ 11.7%$3.2
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Libya
$141 13.1%
Egypt
$49 4.5% ↓ 65.1%$92
🛒Groceries & Markets
Libya
$283 26.4%
Egypt
$290 26.7% ↑ 2.5%$7.1
🏠Accommodation & Living
Libya
$209 19.5%
Egypt
$191 17.6% ↓ 8.4%$18
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Libya
$141 13.1%
Egypt
$233 21.4% ↑ 65.4%$92
🚌Getting Around
Libya
$89 8.4%
Egypt
$22 2.1% ↓ 74.9%$67
🍽Eating Out
Libya
$148 13.8%
Egypt
$247 22.7% ↑ 66.7%$99
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Libya
$60 5.6%
Egypt
$55 5.1% ↓ 8.2%$5
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $22.00 in Libya, $140 in Egypt. Capital cities: $362 in Tripoli vs $222 in Cairo.
💰National salary averages: $254 in Libya, $138 in Egypt. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 536% higher in Egypt.
⭐Dining out costs 240% more in Egypt.
⭐Public transport is 50% more expensive in Egypt.
⭐Salaries are 84% higher in Libya, and purchasing power comes out stronger in 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
Libya vs Egypt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Egypt and Libya?
At $483 per month in Egypt and $537 in Libya, there's a 11% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Does the cost gap hold in every spending category?
Overall, Egypt is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget in Egypt or in Libya?
In Egypt, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Libya 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: Egypt wins on affordability; Libya may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.