Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Benghazi Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Benghazi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $502 per month in Tripoli vs $442 in Benghazi, rent included.

A couple spends around $794 per month in Tripoli vs $708 in Benghazi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,085 per month in Tripoli vs $973 in Benghazi, rent included.

Tripoli costs about 14% more than Benghazi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tripoli and Benghazi are more affordable than the global median – Tripoli 63% lower, Benghazi 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.50 LYD 28.56

$2.78 LYD 17.64

61.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.44 LYD 117

$14.40 LYD 91.5

28.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 LYD 23.49

$2.79 LYD 17.69

32.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.58 LYD 3.66

$0.56 LYD 3.59

3.57%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.18

$0.36 LYD 2.28

83.33%

Cappuccino

$0.48 LYD 3.05

$0.64 LYD 4.07

-25.00%

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

$0.48 LYD 3.07

$0.44 LYD 2.76

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 LYD 0.76

$0.13 LYD 0.80

-7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 LYD 6.23

$0.90 LYD 5.73

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 LYD 1.33

$0.23 LYD 1.46

-8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 LYD 7.84

$0.65 LYD 4.15

89.23%

Eggs

$1.45 LYD 9.24

$1.32 LYD 8.37

9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 LYD 30.90

$6.06 LYD 38.45

-19.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 LYD 20.61

$3.60 LYD 22.86

-9.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.38 LYD 65.9

$8.52 LYD 54.1

21.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 LYD 13.91

$1.42 LYD 8.99

54.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 LYD 8.16

$1.14 LYD 7.23

12.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 LYD 4.94

$0.67 LYD 4.25

16.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 LYD 3.33

$0.50 LYD 3.16

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 LYD 4.14

$0.52 LYD 3.31

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 LYD 3.58

$0.48 LYD 3.05

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 LYD 2.42

$0.29 LYD 1.86

31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 LYD 1.40

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 LYD 8.10

$2.43 LYD 15.41

-47.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.49

$0.69 LYD 4.39

2.90%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.10

$0.70 LYD 4.43

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 LYD 11.84

$2.69 LYD 17.08

-30.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LYD 1.85

$0.95 LYD 6.03

-69.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 LYD 136

$9.39 LYD 59.6

128.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LYD 6.01

$0.89 LYD 5.66

6.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 LYD 5.40

$1.56 LYD 9.88

-45.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 LYD 28.50

$3.96 LYD 25.12

13.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 LYD 0.17

$0.03 LYD 0.21

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

$13.9K LYD 88.1K

$16.8K LYD 106.4K

-17.23%

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

$16.6K LYD 105.4K

$15.1K LYD 95.8K

10.06%

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

$31.84 LYD 202

$13.99 LYD 88.8

127.59%

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

$8.02 LYD 50.9

$7.16 LYD 45.45

12.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.67 LYD 144

$34.02 LYD 216

-33.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.49 LYD 181

$18.88 LYD 120

50.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.20 LYD 77.5

$10.24 LYD 65.0

19.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 LYD 29.31

$4.54 LYD 28.85

1.76%

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

$52.4 LYD 332

$62.1 LYD 394

-15.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$914 LYD 5,803

$866 LYD 5,500

5.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.51 LYD 137

$28.08 LYD 178

-23.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.82 LYD 227

$29.11 LYD 185

23.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.76 LYD 316

$48.53 LYD 308

2.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 LYD 350

$62.6 LYD 397

-11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 LYD 1,315

$189 LYD 1,200

9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 LYD 779

$115 LYD 731

6.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 LYD 2,493

$369 LYD 2,343

6.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 LYD 1,432

$231 LYD 1,466

-2.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 LYD 1,572

$271 LYD 1,720

-8.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.5

-30.00%

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

Last update for Tripoli: May 30, 2026

Last update for Benghazi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $207 in Tripoli versus $189 in Benghazi. 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 9% higher in Benghazi, 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 Tripoli versus $14.00 in Benghazi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $116 vs $106 – making Benghazi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Benghazi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $502 in Tripoli, $442 in Benghazi – roughly 14% apart. Tripoli costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $753 per month in Tripoli and $664 in Benghazi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 9% more in Tripoli, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Tripoli and $14.00 in Benghazi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $502 in Tripoli and $442 in Benghazi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Benghazi – 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 Benghazi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tripoli makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.