Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tripoli Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Tripoli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $502 in Tripoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $794 in Tripoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,085 in Tripoli.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 192% more expensive than Tripoli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Tripoli is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$4.50 LYD 28.60

192.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$934

$18.44 LYD 117

192.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$3.70 LYD 23.52

154.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.58 LYD 3.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.18

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.5

$0.48 LYD 3.05

639.58%

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

$1.62 MX$28.03

$0.48 LYD 3.08

237.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.31

$0.12 LYD 0.76

825.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.48

$0.98 LYD 6.23

73.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.10

$0.21 LYD 1.33

1195.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.13

$1.23 LYD 7.85

55.28%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.94

$1.45 LYD 9.25

75.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$4.87 LYD 30.94

105.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$3.25 LYD 20.64

148.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.38 LYD 66.0

11.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.4

$2.19 LYD 13.92

35.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.30

$1.28 LYD 8.17

41.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.88

$0.78 LYD 4.95

157.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.26

$0.52 LYD 3.33

290.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.82

$0.65 LYD 4.14

226.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.32

$0.56 LYD 3.58

305.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.26

$0.38 LYD 2.42

268.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.59

$0.22 LYD 1.40

413.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 LYD 8.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.0

$1.86 LYD 11.86

129.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.64

$0.29 LYD 1.85

31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$21.42 LYD 136

-10.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.84

$0.95 LYD 6.02

45.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.79

$0.85 LYD 5.41

-67.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.4

$4.49 LYD 28.54

21.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.60

$0.03 LYD 0.17

4233.33%

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

$18.7K MX$323.8K

$13.9K LYD 88.2K

34.74%

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

$23.1K MX$400.8K

$16.6K LYD 105.6K

39.33%

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

$40.86 MX$708

$31.84 LYD 202

28.33%

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

$26.81 MX$465

$8.02 LYD 51.0

234.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$519

$22.67 LYD 144

32.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$901

$28.49 LYD 181

82.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$465

$12.20 LYD 77.6

120.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$4.62 LYD 29.35

36.36%

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

$436 MX$7,558

$52.4 LYD 333

733.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.5K

$914 LYD 5,812

1039.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$982

$21.51 LYD 137

163.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$769

$35.82 LYD 228

23.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,784

$49.76 LYD 316

106.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,829

$55.2 LYD 351

91.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$207 LYD 1,316

393.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$123 LYD 780

414.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$37.0K

$393 LYD 2,496

444.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$226 LYD 1,434

450.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$248 LYD 1,574

350.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

17.5

-35.20%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tripoli: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $207 in Tripoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 350% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $18.00 in Tripoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $116 per month, with Tripoli cheaper across the board.

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

Mexico City vs Tripoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Tripoli differ by about 192% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $502 including rent). Tripoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 350% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $207 in Tripoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tripoli runs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $52.4 in Tripoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $502 in Tripoli versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tripoli but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Tripoli the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Tripoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 192% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.