Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $530 in Tripoli versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $804 in Tripoli versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,079 in Tripoli versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Tripoli costs roughly 79% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tripoli is 61% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 LYD 24.59

$18.39 €15.81

-78.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.99 LYD 94.9

$69.2 €59.5

-78.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.49 LYD 15.77

$14.13 €12.15

-82.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 LYD 3.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 LYD 3.82

Cappuccino

$0.44 LYD 2.76

$3.13 €2.69

-85.94%

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

$0.42 LYD 2.65

$3.02 €2.59

-86.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.09 LYD 0.59

$1.96 €1.69

-95.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 LYD 5.96

$1.25 €1.07

-24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 LYD 1.27

$2.16 €1.86

-90.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 LYD 7.10

$1.69 €1.45

-33.73%

Eggs

$1.33 LYD 8.44

$4.93 €4.24

-73.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.03 LYD 31.87

$17.88 €15.37

-71.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 LYD 20.73

$9.61 €8.26

-65.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 LYD 62.4

$19.34 €16.63

-49.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 LYD 14.70

$3.24 €2.78

-28.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 LYD 9.55

$2.18 €1.87

-30.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.47

$2.67 €2.30

-73.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 LYD 3.50

$2.77 €2.38

-80.14%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.47

$2.21 €1.90

-67.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 LYD 2.90

$2.19 €1.88

-79.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LYD 2.70

$1.52 €1.31

-71.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 LYD 1.17

$0.92 €0.79

-79.35%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 LYD 11.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 LYD 6.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 LYD 5.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 LYD 12.64

$7.12 €6.12

-71.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 LYD 2.04

$3.15 €2.71

-89.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 LYD 5.08

$3.25 €2.79

-75.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 LYD 2.86

$1.50 €1.29

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.11

$1.75 €1.50

-98.86%

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

$24.0K LYD 152.0K

$36.7K €31.5K

-34.53%

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

$14.1K LYD 89.2K

$30.9K €26.6K

-54.46%

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

$96.2 LYD 609

$188 €161

-48.73%

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

$5.63 LYD 35.65

$15.44 €13.27

-63.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 LYD 177

$37.80 €32.49

-26.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.88 LYD 151

$57.2 €49.16

-58.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.39 LYD 15.16

$16.80 €14.44

-85.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

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

$53.6 LYD 339

$1,003 €862

-94.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$623 LYD 3,945

$17.0K €14.6K

-96.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.54 LYD 130

$89.2 €76.7

-76.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.80 LYD 113

$40.87 €35.14

-56.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.7 LYD 353

$110 €94.5

-49.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.3 LYD 426

$123 €105

-45.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 LYD 2,288

$1,673 €1,438

-78.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 LYD 919

$1,331 €1,145

-89.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 LYD 3,810

$2,596 €2,232

-76.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 LYD 1,661

$1,950 €1,676

-86.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 LYD 1,584

$2,402 €2,065

-89.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

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

Last update for Tripoli: August 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Tripoli and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 860% 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: $15.00 in Tripoli vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $115 vs $332 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

Tripoli vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tripoli and Barcelona differ by about 371% in total monthly costs ($530 vs $2,495 including rent). Tripoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 860% 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: $361 in Tripoli versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $53.6 in Tripoli versus $1,003 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 $15.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $530 in Tripoli versus $2,495 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 371% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.