Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Tripoli

For one person, living is cheaper in Tripoli: $538 a month against $633 in Tehran, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Tripoli
Learn more

Tripoli Living Index

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Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$633

/mo nomad

Tripoli

🇱🇾 Libya

$538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tehran and in Tripoli

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tehran and in Tripoli actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $633 per month in Tehran vs $538 in Tripoli, rent included.

Tehran $633
Tripoli $538

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Tehran vs $812 in Tripoli, rent included.

Tehran $1,074
Tripoli $812

A family of three spends $1,515 per month in Tehran vs $1,087 in Tripoli, rent included.

Tehran $1,515
Tripoli $1,087

Tehran costs about 18% more than Tripoli, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tehran and Tripoli are more affordable than the global median – Tehran 53% lower, Tripoli 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 $3.77

$3.82 LYD 24.48

-1.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.66 $17.66

$15.79 LYD 101

11.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.60 LYD 16.69

50.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

$0.63 LYD 4.04

9.52%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.69 LYD 4.41

120.29%

Cappuccino

$1.34 $1.34

$0.44 LYD 2.83

204.55%

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

$0.49 $0.49

$0.42 LYD 2.68

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.10 LYD 0.63

1600.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$0.97 LYD 6.25

-31.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.20 LYD 1.28

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.19 LYD 7.62

186.55%

Eggs

$1.24 $1.24

$1.38 LYD 8.83

-10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.33 LYD 34.13

-18.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.61 LYD 23.16

-7.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$9.17 LYD 58.7

11.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.23 LYD 14.29

-40.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.49 LYD 9.57

25.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.71 LYD 4.54

60.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 $0.68

$0.55 LYD 3.55

23.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.77 LYD 4.94

-23.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.49 LYD 3.14

4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 $0.57

$0.39 LYD 2.51

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 $0.28

$0.20 LYD 1.31

40.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.77 LYD 11.32

-57.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.99 LYD 6.34

-48.48%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.77 LYD 4.95

184.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.91 LYD 12.24

27.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.30 LYD 1.91

-70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.39 $5.39

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$0.80 LYD 5.10

-35.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.48 LYD 3.09

-35.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$0.02 LYD 0.13

350.00%

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

$50.1K $50.1K

$23.6K LYD 151.3K

112.04%

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

$46.2K $46.2K

$21.0K LYD 134.7K

119.70%

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

$12.77 $12.77

$93.1 LYD 597

-86.28%

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

$1.63 $1.63

$6.05 LYD 38.75

-73.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.74 $3.74

$27.35 LYD 175

-86.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.64 $24.64

$24.58 LYD 158

0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.67 $13.67

$2.36 LYD 15.14

479.24%

Cinema Ticket

$2.02 $2.02

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

$107 $107

$53.1 LYD 340

101.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,597 $2,597

$1,534 LYD 9,830

69.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.72 $26.72

$22.65 LYD 145

17.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.79 $37.79

$17.61 LYD 113

114.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$63.3 LYD 406

80.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 $76.6

$67.1 LYD 430

14.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 $418

$351 LYD 2,251

19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 $271

$143 LYD 917

89.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$619 LYD 3,968

56.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 $627

$258 LYD 1,655

142.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,279 $1,279

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$728 $728

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$213 $213

$257 LYD 1,646

-17.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.79

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

Last update for Tehran: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tripoli: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tehran

$271 42.8%

Tripoli

$143 26.6% 47.2% $128

Groceries & Markets

Tehran

$126 19.9%

Tripoli

$117 21.7% 7.3% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Tehran

$115 18.2%

Tripoli

$77 14.3% 33.2% $38

Eating Out

Tehran

$67 10.5%

Tripoli

$46 8.5% 31.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Tehran

$29 4.5%

Tripoli

$25 * 4.6% 14.3% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tehran

$18 2.9%

Tripoli

$126 23.5% 597% $108

Getting Around

Tehran

$7.8 1.2%

Tripoli

$4.4 * 0.8% 43.8% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Tehran versus $351 in Tripoli. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Tripoli, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Tehran versus $16.00 in Tripoli. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $126 vs $117 – making Tripoli the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Tehran

🇱🇾 Tripoli

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

14:29 2:29 PM

1 h 30 min behind Tehran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000,000 Capital

2,127,000 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.2 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

LYD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Tehran Tripoli 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tehran
Tripoli

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tehran vs Tripoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tehran is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $949 per month in Tehran and $807 in Tripoli. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tripoli, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $633 in Tehran and $538 in Tripoli. That's a gap of about 18%.

Kindergarten costs $107 per month in Tehran and $53.1 in Tripoli. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $633 in Tehran and $538 in Tripoli, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tripoli – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Tripoli. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tehran makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.