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

Name: Libya
Address: LY

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in South Africa versus $148 in Libya.

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

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

Living in South Africa is roughly 589% more expensive than in Libya on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 151

$3.77 LYD 24.01

142.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.14 R 648

$15.80 LYD 101

147.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 R 85.9

$2.79 LYD 17.80

86.02%

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

$1.98 R 32.73

$0.51 LYD 3.26

288.24%

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

$1.00 R 16.57

$0.45 LYD 2.85

122.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R 13.01

$0.16 LYD 0.99

393.75%

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)

$1.12 R 18.56

$0.97 LYD 6.17

15.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.26 LYD 1.65

273.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.55

$1.04 LYD 6.66

48.08%

Eggs

$2.25 R 37.22

$1.35 LYD 8.57

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 130

$4.80 LYD 30.55

63.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.8

$3.27 LYD 20.81

40.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 111

$9.52 LYD 60.7

-29.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.06

$1.72 LYD 10.99

-8.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.35

$1.30 LYD 8.25

13.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.18

$0.73 LYD 4.66

108.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.98

$0.56 LYD 3.54

169.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R 20.85

$0.60 LYD 3.81

110.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R 21.11

$0.49 LYD 3.15

159.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.99

$0.40 LYD 2.53

172.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.04

$0.24 LYD 1.53

304.17%

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)

$2.84 R 46.95

$1.93 LYD 12.31

47.15%

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)

$1.72 R 28.50

$0.38 LYD 2.44

352.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 R 732

$20.15 LYD 128

119.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.06

$0.91 LYD 5.79

26.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 R 17.64

$1.04 LYD 6.60

2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 R 78.4

$3.68 LYD 23.45

28.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.24

$0.03 LYD 0.19

4166.67%

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

$20.4K R 337.1K

$16.1K LYD 102.3K

26.80%

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

$24.0K R 397.0K

$16.1K LYD 102.6K

48.97%

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

$113 R 1,869

$32.39 LYD 206

248.66%

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

$32.35 R 536

$7.38 LYD 47.04

338.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.46 R 686

$21.68 LYD 138

91.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 R 514

$20.83 LYD 133

49.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 R 161

$8.05 LYD 51.3

20.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 R 110

$4.49 LYD 28.62

48.55%

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

$186 R 3,072

$48.42 LYD 308

283.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,399 R 72.8K

$833 LYD 5,304

428.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$26.15 LYD 167

91.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.37 R 503

$32.45 LYD 207

-6.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 R 1,546

$41.18 LYD 262

126.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 R 1,332

$44.25 LYD 282

81.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 R 7,261

$172 LYD 1,096

154.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 R 6,155

$98.8 LYD 629

276.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R 14.9K

$324 LYD 2,061

179.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 R 11.7K

$184 LYD 1,174

282.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,116 R 18.5K

$449 LYD 2,858

148.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$793 R 13.1K

$117 LYD 747

576.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,506 R 24.9K

$256 LYD 1,632

487.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

15.79

-26.85%

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

Last update for South Africa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Libya: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,513 in South Africa, $251 in Libya. 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

South Africa vs Libya: 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.