Cost of Living Comparison Between Libya and South Africa Cost of Living Comparison Between Libya and South Africa

Name: South Africa
Address: ZA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $134 in Libya versus $1,144 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $211 in Libya versus $1,780 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $287 in Libya versus $2,415 in South Africa.

Living in Libya costs about 88% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Libya 90% lower, South Africa 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 LYD 19.55

$10.96 R 176

-71.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.69 LYD 80.5

$43.98 R 707

-71.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.38 LYD 15.08

$6.02 R 96.7

-60.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 LYD 3.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 LYD 3.81

Cappuccino

$0.56 LYD 3.56

$2.46 R 39.47

-77.24%

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

$0.46 LYD 2.90

$1.15 R 18.40

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 LYD 0.74

$0.94 R 15.08

-87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R 40.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 R 50.7

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 LYD 5.57

$1.26 R 20.17

-30.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 LYD 1.59

$1.15 R 18.53

-78.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 LYD 7.01

$1.78 R 28.65

-37.64%

Eggs

$1.29 LYD 8.19

$2.63 R 42.26

-50.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.06 LYD 32.06

$8.31 R 133

-39.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 LYD 21.99

$5.34 R 85.7

-35.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 LYD 59.8

$7.81 R 125

20.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 LYD 14.02

$1.90 R 30.48

16.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 LYD 10.05

$1.70 R 27.28

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 LYD 5.67

$1.72 R 27.61

-48.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 LYD 3.52

$1.87 R 30.01

-70.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 LYD 4.64

$1.52 R 24.47

-51.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 LYD 3.34

$1.50 R 24.10

-64.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 LYD 2.44

$1.25 R 20.13

-68.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 LYD 1.33

$1.16 R 18.70

-81.90%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 LYD 8.19

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 LYD 4.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 LYD 5.15

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 LYD 11.82

$3.33 R 53.4

-44.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 R 83.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 25.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R 32.49

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 LYD 4.11

$1.84 R 29.55

-64.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.01 LYD 247

$61.3 R 985

-36.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 LYD 4.85

$1.13 R 18.20

-32.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 LYD 2.85

$0.90 R 14.39

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 LYD 15.18

$7.68 R 123

-68.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.12

$1.44 R 23.19

-98.61%

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

$23.2K LYD 147.0K

$36.5K R 587.1K

-36.56%

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

$16.3K LYD 103.1K

$32.1K R 515.2K

-49.30%

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

$112 LYD 709

$132 R 2,118

-15.18%

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

$5.33 LYD 33.77

$35.05 R 563

-84.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 LYD 130

$40.77 R 655

-49.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.25 LYD 109

$34.05 R 547

-49.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.25 LYD 33.30

$12.06 R 194

-56.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.66 LYD 29.53

$7.44 R 119

-37.37%

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

$51.6 LYD 327

$232 R 3,727

-77.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$748 LYD 4,740

$5,509 R 88.5K

-86.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.76 LYD 170

$54.0 R 867

-50.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.64 LYD 188

$35.03 R 563

-15.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.18 LYD 255

$104 R 1,674

-61.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.18 LYD 255

$89.0 R 1,430

-54.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 LYD 1,532

$498 R 8,003

-51.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 LYD 716

$418 R 6,718

-73.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 LYD 2,849

$991 R 15.9K

-54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$211 LYD 1,335

$830 R 13.3K

-74.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$446 LYD 2,830

$1,136 R 18.3K

-60.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$120 LYD 762

$815 R 13.1K

-85.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$264 LYD 1,677

$1,548 R 24.9K

-82.92%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for South Africa: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $22.00 in Libya, $432 in South Africa. Capital cities: $361 in Tripoli vs $333 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $256 in Libya, $1,547 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1864% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 700% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 750% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 504% higher in South Africa, 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 South Africa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $265 per month in Libya and $1,234 in South Africa, there's a 365% 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 South Africa 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 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.