Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Libya and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

For one person, living is cheaper in Libya: $537 a month against $1,209 in South Africa, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Libya
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Libya Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in South Africa
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South Africa Living Index

Jump to prices

🇱🇾 Libya

$537

/mo nomad

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Libya and in South Africa

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 South Africa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $537 in Libya versus $1,209 in South Africa.

Libya $537
South Africa $1,209

Estimated couple costs with rent: $804 in Libya versus $1,900 in South Africa.

Libya $804
South Africa $1,900

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,072 in Libya versus $2,590 in South Africa.

Libya $1,072
South Africa $2,590

Living in Libya costs about 56% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Libya 60% lower, South Africa 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 LYD 19.34

$10.95 R 180

-72.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.67 LYD 81.2

$42.96 R 708

-70.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.68 LYD 17.14

$5.76 R 94.9

-53.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.55 LYD 3.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.15

Cappuccino

$0.57 LYD 3.62

$2.38 R 39.20

-76.05%

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

$0.44 LYD 2.83

$1.16 R 19.15

-62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 LYD 0.70

$0.87 R 14.33

-87.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R 40.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 R 49.14

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 LYD 5.58

$1.18 R 19.38

-26.27%

White Bread (500g)

$0.24 LYD 1.55

$1.11 R 18.30

-78.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 LYD 7.26

$1.74 R 28.71

-35.06%

Eggs

$1.38 LYD 8.84

$2.49 R 40.95

-44.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.22 LYD 33.48

$8.50 R 140

-38.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 LYD 21.20

$5.16 R 85.0

-35.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 LYD 56.9

$7.50 R 124

18.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 LYD 14.26

$1.88 R 31.00

18.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 LYD 10.02

$1.68 R 27.71

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 LYD 5.42

$1.78 R 29.39

-52.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 LYD 3.86

$1.83 R 30.21

-67.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.58

$1.49 R 24.51

-52.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 LYD 3.01

$1.50 R 24.77

-68.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 LYD 2.47

$1.27 R 20.99

-69.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 LYD 1.14

$1.10 R 18.09

-83.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.84 LYD 11.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 LYD 4.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 LYD 5.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.85 LYD 11.85

$3.27 R 53.9

-43.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 R 82.9

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R 32.16

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 LYD 4.17

$1.58 R 26.08

-58.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.42 LYD 246

$61.4 R 1,011

-37.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 LYD 5.20

$1.11 R 18.34

-27.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 LYD 2.90

$0.95 R 15.64

-52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 LYD 15.34

$7.46 R 123

-67.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.13

$1.46 R 23.98

-98.63%

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

$23.5K LYD 150.5K

$35.4K R 583.7K

-33.72%

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

$17.2K LYD 110.2K

$30.9K R 509.0K

-44.34%

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

$110 LYD 707

$134 R 2,201

-17.41%

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

$5.12 LYD 32.81

$34.44 R 567

-85.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.25 LYD 130

$40.37 R 665

-49.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.25 LYD 117

$34.11 R 562

-46.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.12 LYD 32.78

$11.59 R 191

-55.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 LYD 30.05

$7.17 R 118

-34.59%

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

$51.4 LYD 329

$227 R 3,746

-77.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$756 LYD 4,846

$5,487 R 90.4K

-86.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.11 LYD 167

$53.7 R 885

-51.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.97 LYD 198

$33.60 R 554

-7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.97 LYD 282

$99.9 R 1,645

-55.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.62 LYD 254

$87.4 R 1,440

-54.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 LYD 1,541

$482 R 7,943

-50.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 LYD 715

$399 R 6,568

-72.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 LYD 2,765

$935 R 15.4K

-53.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 LYD 1,339

$818 R 13.5K

-74.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$300 LYD 1,920

$1,096 R 18.1K

-72.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$108 LYD 690

$785 R 12.9K

-86.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LYD 1,661

$1,515 R 25.0K

-82.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.23

78.09%

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

Last update for Libya: October 12, 2026

Last update for South Africa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Libya

$136 25.3%

South Africa

$208 17.2% 53.6% $73

Groceries & Markets

Libya

$114 21.2%

South Africa

$197 16.3% 73.1% $83

Accommodation & Living

Libya

$112 20.8%

South Africa

$399 33% 257% $287

Clothing & Footwear

Libya

$63 11.8%

South Africa

$124 10.2% 95.2% $60

Getting Around

Libya

$44 8.2%

South Africa

$74 6.1% 66.8% $29

Eating Out

Libya

$41 7.7%

South Africa

$160 13.2% 288% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Libya

$28 5.1%

South Africa

$48 4% 75.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $22.00 in Libya, $421 in South Africa. Capital cities: $362 in Tripoli vs $1,021 in Cape Town.

National salary averages: $254 in Libya, $1,487 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1814% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 660% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 750% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 485% higher in South Africa, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Africa.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Libya

🇿🇦 South Africa

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

Same time as Libya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,678,567

62,027,503

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Libya South Africa 7,030 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Libya
South Africa

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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $537 per month in Libya and $1,209 in South Africa, there's a 125% 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 cheaper in Libya: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $421 in South Africa and $22.00 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 South Africa 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; South Africa may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.