Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Libya and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Libya: $537 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Libya
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Libya Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

Jump to prices

🇱🇾 Libya

$537

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Libya and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $537 in Libya versus $2,701 in the United States.

Libya $537
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $804 in Libya versus $3,980 in the United States.

Libya $804
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,072 in Libya versus $5,258 in the United States.

Libya $1,072
United States $5,258

Living in Libya costs about 80% less than in the United States on average.

Libya (60% below) and the United States (100% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 LYD 19.34

$19.92 $19.92

-84.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.67 LYD 81.2

$81.0 $81.0

-84.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.68 LYD 17.14

$12.07 $12.07

-77.80%

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

$5.55 $5.55

-89.73%

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

$0.44 LYD 2.83

$2.67 $2.67

-83.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 LYD 0.70

$2.09 $2.09

-94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 LYD 5.58

$1.05 $1.05

-17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.24 LYD 1.55

$3.55 $3.55

-93.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 LYD 7.26

$4.64 $4.64

-75.65%

Eggs

$1.38 LYD 8.84

$4.18 $4.18

-66.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.22 LYD 33.48

$12.76 $12.76

-59.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 LYD 21.20

$12.63 $12.63

-73.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 LYD 56.9

$17.22 $17.22

-48.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 LYD 14.26

$5.15 $5.15

-56.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 LYD 10.02

$1.64 $1.64

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 LYD 5.42

$4.46 $4.46

-80.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 LYD 3.86

$4.98 $4.98

-87.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.58

$2.84 $2.84

-75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 LYD 3.01

$3.09 $3.09

-84.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 LYD 2.47

$2.19 $2.19

-82.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 LYD 1.14

$2.27 $2.27

-92.07%

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

$10.61 $10.61

-82.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 LYD 4.17

$2.35 $2.35

-72.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.42 LYD 246

$64.1 $64.1

-40.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 LYD 5.20

$3.57 $3.57

-77.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 LYD 2.90

$1.85 $1.85

-75.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 LYD 15.34

$30.19 $30.19

-92.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.13

$1.07 $1.07

-98.13%

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

$23.5K LYD 150.5K

$35.3K $35.3K

-33.45%

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

$17.2K LYD 110.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

-33.60%

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

$110 LYD 707

$217 $217

-49.07%

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

$5.12 LYD 32.81

$61.4 $61.4

-91.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.25 LYD 130

$74.4 $74.4

-72.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.25 LYD 117

$45.08 $45.08

-59.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.12 LYD 32.78

$23.07 $23.07

-77.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.69 LYD 30.05

$14.79 $14.79

-68.29%

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

$51.4 LYD 329

$1,480 $1,480

-96.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$756 LYD 4,846

$25.5K $25.5K

-97.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.11 LYD 167

$53.0 $53.0

-50.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.97 LYD 198

$42.75 $42.75

-27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.97 LYD 282

$94.3 $94.3

-53.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.62 LYD 254

$115 $115

-65.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 LYD 1,541

$1,678 $1,678

-85.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 LYD 715

$1,313 $1,313

-91.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 LYD 2,765

$2,649 $2,649

-83.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$209 LYD 1,339

$2,183 $2,183

-90.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$300 LYD 1,920

$3,374 $3,374

-91.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$108 LYD 690

$2,661 $2,661

-95.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$259 LYD 1,661

$4,404 $4,404

-94.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

205.34%

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

Last update for Libya: October 12, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Libya

$136 25.3%

United States

$352 13% 160% $217

Groceries & Markets

Libya

$114 21.2%

United States

$411 15.2% 262% $297

Accommodation & Living

Libya

$112 20.8%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 1076% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Libya

$63 11.8%

United States

$137 5.1% 117% $74

Getting Around

Libya

$44 8.2%

United States

$86 3.2% 95.6% $42

Eating Out

Libya

$41 7.7%

United States

$327 12.1% 694% $285

Sport & Entertainment

Libya

$28 5.1%

United States

$75 2.8% 170% $47

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $22.00 in Libya, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $362 in Tripoli vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $254 in Libya, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7214% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 1400% more in the United States.

Public transport is 1250% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 1685% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Libya

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

06:01 6:01 AM

6 h behind Libya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,678,567

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Libya United States 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Libya
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $537 per month in Libya and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 403% 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 $1,609 in the United States 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 the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.