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 $147 in Libya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in South Africa versus $240 in Libya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,175 in South Africa versus $333 in Libya.

Living in South Africa is roughly 594% more expensive than Libya on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R 148

$3.63 LYD 23.06

149.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 R 645

$15.32 LYD 97.4

157.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 R 80.7

$2.72 LYD 17.30

81.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.54 LYD 3.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 LYD 3.95

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 33.66

$0.52 LYD 3.28

296.15%

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

$0.95 R 15.49

$0.48 LYD 3.07

97.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.21

$0.18 LYD 1.13

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.57

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.18

$0.99 LYD 6.32

12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.74

$0.28 LYD 1.78

264.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.43

$1.09 LYD 6.90

43.12%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.28

$1.34 LYD 8.53

74.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.73 R 126

$4.80 LYD 30.50

61.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.49 R 73.5

$3.36 LYD 21.34

33.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.73 R 110

$9.44 LYD 60.1

-28.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.55

$1.76 LYD 11.21

-11.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.36

$1.25 LYD 7.94

14.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.62

$0.78 LYD 4.97

84.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.69

$0.55 LYD 3.48

174.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.93

$0.64 LYD 4.07

90.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.86

$0.53 LYD 3.35

141.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 R 16.99

$0.40 LYD 2.54

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.30

$0.24 LYD 1.53

291.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 LYD 7.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.27

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R 48.84

$1.97 LYD 12.55

51.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 R 84.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.09

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.64

$0.35 LYD 2.25

365.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.05 R 736

$20.38 LYD 130

121.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.51

$0.95 LYD 6.01

18.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R 18.03

$1.05 LYD 6.66

4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 R 79.4

$3.59 LYD 22.84

35.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.26

$0.03 LYD 0.19

4033.33%

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

$20.3K R 332.1K

$16.0K LYD 101.8K

26.89%

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

$23.5K R 383.6K

$16.1K LYD 102.5K

45.61%

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

$113 R 1,854

$32.71 LYD 208

246.77%

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

$32.36 R 529

$7.47 LYD 47.49

333.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.45 R 678

$21.64 LYD 138

91.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 R 516

$20.51 LYD 130

54.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.61 R 157

$8.21 LYD 52.2

17.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R 112

$4.63 LYD 29.44

47.52%

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

$187 R 3,057

$48.02 LYD 305

289.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,362 R 71.3K

$823 LYD 5,232

430.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.50 R 809

$25.81 LYD 164

91.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.42 R 497

$32.27 LYD 205

-5.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,498

$42.15 LYD 268

117.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 R 1,289

$44.68 LYD 284

76.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 R 7,218

$171 LYD 1,084

158.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 R 5,998

$98.8 LYD 628

271.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 R 14.4K

$320 LYD 2,036

176.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R 11.8K

$184 LYD 1,173

292.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,090 R 17.8K

$500 LYD 3,178

118.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 R 12.7K

$93.7 LYD 596

732.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,558 R 25.5K

$261 LYD 1,660

496.52%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Libya: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $368 in South Africa, $29.00 in Libya. Capital cities: $765 in Cape Town vs $207 in Tripoli.

National salary averages: $1,520 in South Africa, $268 in Libya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1169% higher in South Africa.

Dining out costs 483% more in South Africa.

Public transport is 433% more expensive in South Africa.

Salaries are 467% higher in South Africa, giving Libya stronger purchasing power.

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 $251 per month in Libya and $1,079 in South Africa, there's a 330% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Libya is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.