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: $148 in Libya versus $1,020 in South Africa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $242 in Libya versus $1,587 in South Africa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $336 in Libya versus $2,154 in South Africa.

Living in Libya costs about 85% less than in South Africa on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Libya 89% lower, South Africa 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 LYD 24.01

$9.14 R 151

-58.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.80 LYD 101

$39.14 R 648

-59.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.79 LYD 17.80

$5.19 R 85.9

-46.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 LYD 3.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 LYD 3.94

Cappuccino

$0.51 LYD 3.26

$1.98 R 32.73

-74.24%

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

$0.45 LYD 2.85

$1.00 R 16.57

-55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 LYD 0.99

$0.79 R 13.01

-79.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R 42.58

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 LYD 6.17

$1.12 R 18.56

-13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.26 LYD 1.65

$0.97 R 16.01

-73.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 LYD 6.66

$1.54 R 25.55

-32.47%

Eggs

$1.35 LYD 8.57

$2.25 R 37.22

-40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.80 LYD 30.55

$7.86 R 130

-38.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 LYD 20.81

$4.58 R 75.8

-28.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 LYD 60.7

$6.68 R 111

42.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 LYD 10.99

$1.57 R 26.06

9.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 LYD 8.25

$1.47 R 24.35

-11.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 LYD 4.66

$1.52 R 25.18

-51.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 LYD 3.54

$1.51 R 24.98

-62.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 LYD 3.81

$1.26 R 20.85

-52.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 LYD 3.15

$1.27 R 21.11

-61.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 LYD 2.53

$1.09 R 17.99

-63.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 LYD 1.53

$0.97 R 16.04

-75.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.17 LYD 7.48

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 LYD 12.31

$2.84 R 46.95

-32.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 R 86.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 LYD 2.44

$1.72 R 28.50

-77.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.15 LYD 128

$44.22 R 732

-54.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 LYD 5.79

$1.15 R 19.06

-20.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 LYD 6.60

$1.07 R 17.64

-2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 LYD 23.45

$4.74 R 78.4

-22.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 LYD 0.19

$1.28 R 21.24

-97.66%

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

$16.1K LYD 102.3K

$20.4K R 337.1K

-21.13%

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

$16.1K LYD 102.6K

$24.0K R 397.0K

-32.87%

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

$32.39 LYD 206

$113 R 1,869

-71.32%

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

$7.38 LYD 47.04

$32.35 R 536

-77.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.68 LYD 138

$41.46 R 686

-47.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.83 LYD 133

$31.04 R 514

-32.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.05 LYD 51.3

$9.72 R 161

-17.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.49 LYD 28.62

$6.67 R 110

-32.68%

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

$48.42 LYD 308

$186 R 3,072

-73.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$833 LYD 5,304

$4,399 R 72.8K

-81.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.15 LYD 167

$50.2 R 830

-47.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.45 LYD 207

$30.37 R 503

6.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.18 LYD 262

$93.4 R 1,546

-55.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.25 LYD 282

$80.4 R 1,332

-44.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$172 LYD 1,096

$439 R 7,261

-60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.8 LYD 629

$372 R 6,155

-73.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$324 LYD 2,061

$903 R 14.9K

-64.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 LYD 1,174

$705 R 11.7K

-73.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$449 LYD 2,858

$1,116 R 18.5K

-59.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$117 LYD 747

$793 R 13.1K

-85.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$256 LYD 1,632

$1,506 R 24.9K

-82.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.79

11.55

36.71%

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

Last update for Libya: July 13, 2026

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $30.00 in Libya, $368 in South Africa. Capital cities: $212 in Tripoli vs $292 in Bloemfontein.

National salary averages: $251 in Libya, $1,513 in South Africa. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1127% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 483% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 433% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 503% 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 $253 per month in Libya and $1,083 in South Africa, there's a 329% 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.