Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Tripoli: $538 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Tripoli
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Tripoli Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Tripoli

🇱🇾 Libya

$538

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tripoli and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $538 in Tripoli versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

Tripoli $538
Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $812 in Tripoli versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

Tripoli $812
Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,087 in Tripoli versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

Tripoli $1,087
Barcelona $4,431

Living in Tripoli costs roughly 77% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tripoli is 60% below, Barcelona is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 LYD 24.48

$17.89 €15.92

-78.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.79 LYD 101

$66.2 €58.9

-76.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.60 LYD 16.69

$13.69 €12.18

-81.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.63 LYD 4.04

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 LYD 4.41

Cappuccino

$0.44 LYD 2.83

$3.06 €2.72

-85.62%

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

$0.42 LYD 2.68

$3.07 €2.73

-86.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.10 LYD 0.63

$1.94 €1.73

-94.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.87 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.10

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 LYD 6.25

$1.30 €1.16

-25.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 LYD 1.28

$2.10 €1.87

-90.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 LYD 7.62

$1.83 €1.62

-34.97%

Eggs

$1.38 LYD 8.83

$4.62 €4.11

-70.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 LYD 34.13

$17.36 €15.44

-69.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 LYD 23.16

$9.28 €8.25

-61.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 LYD 58.7

$19.83 €17.64

-53.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 LYD 14.29

$3.01 €2.68

-25.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 LYD 9.57

$2.03 €1.81

-26.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.54

$2.65 €2.36

-73.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 LYD 3.55

$2.87 €2.55

-80.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 LYD 4.94

$2.16 €1.92

-64.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 LYD 3.14

$2.15 €1.91

-77.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 LYD 2.51

$1.47 €1.31

-73.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 LYD 1.31

$0.88 €0.79

-77.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 LYD 11.32

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 LYD 6.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 LYD 4.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.91 LYD 12.24

$6.93 €6.16

-72.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 LYD 1.91

$2.91 €2.59

-89.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.46 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 LYD 5.10

$3.00 €2.66

-73.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 LYD 3.09

$1.44 €1.28

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.13

$1.86 €1.65

-98.92%

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

$23.6K LYD 151.3K

$32.3K €28.8K

-26.97%

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

$21.0K LYD 134.7K

$31.7K €28.2K

-33.70%

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

$93.1 LYD 597

$183 €163

-49.06%

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

$6.05 LYD 38.75

$13.61 €12.11

-55.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.35 LYD 175

$32.93 €29.29

-16.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.58 LYD 158

$54.7 €48.65

-55.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.36 LYD 15.14

$16.52 €14.70

-85.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

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

$53.1 LYD 340

$954 €849

-94.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,534 LYD 9,830

$16.6K €14.8K

-90.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.65 LYD 145

$86.0 €76.5

-73.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.61 LYD 113

$39.11 €34.78

-54.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 LYD 406

$104 €92.2

-38.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 LYD 430

$119 €106

-43.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 LYD 2,251

$1,695 €1,508

-79.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$143 LYD 917

$1,276 €1,135

-88.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 LYD 3,968

$2,576 €2,291

-75.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 LYD 1,655

$1,922 €1,710

-86.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 LYD 1,646

$2,227 €1,981

-88.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Tripoli: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tripoli

$143 26.6%

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6% 792% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tripoli

$126 23.5%

Barcelona

$229 9.6% 81.3% $103

Groceries & Markets

Tripoli

$117 21.7%

Barcelona

$325 13.7% 179% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Tripoli

$77 14.3%

Barcelona

$156 6.6% 104% $80

Eating Out

Tripoli

$46 8.5%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 489% $224

Sport & Entertainment

Tripoli

$25 * 4.6%

Barcelona

$77 3.2% 214% $53

Getting Around

Tripoli

$4.4 * 0.8%

Barcelona

$47 2% 975% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $351 in Tripoli and $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 767% 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: $16.00 in Tripoli vs $66.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $117 vs $325 per month, with Tripoli cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Tripoli

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

Same time as Tripoli

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,127,000 Capital

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tripoli Barcelona 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tripoli
Barcelona

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

Tripoli vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tripoli and Barcelona differ by about 343% in total monthly costs ($538 vs $2,381 including rent). Tripoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 767% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $351 in Tripoli versus $1,695 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $53.1 in Tripoli versus $954 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tripoli – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $66.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $538 in Tripoli versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tripoli but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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.

Safety-wise, Tripoli and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tripoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 343% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.