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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $530 per month in Tripoli vs $424 in Benghazi, rent included.

A couple spends around $804 per month in Tripoli vs $722 in Benghazi, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,079 per month in Tripoli vs $1,021 in Benghazi, rent included.

Tripoli costs about 25% more than Benghazi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Tripoli and Benghazi are more affordable than the global median – Tripoli 61% lower, Benghazi 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 LYD 24.59

$2.42 LYD 15.31

60.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.99 LYD 94.9

$12.52 LYD 79.3

19.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.49 LYD 15.77

$2.37 LYD 15.01

5.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 LYD 3.91

$2.16 LYD 13.67

-71.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 LYD 3.82

$0.41 LYD 2.57

46.34%

Cappuccino

$0.44 LYD 2.76

$0.64 LYD 4.07

-31.25%

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

$0.42 LYD 2.65

$0.44 LYD 2.77

-4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.09 LYD 0.59

$0.13 LYD 0.83

-30.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 LYD 5.96

$0.82 LYD 5.22

14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 LYD 1.27

$0.19 LYD 1.20

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 LYD 7.10

$1.35 LYD 8.54

-17.04%

Eggs

$1.33 LYD 8.44

$1.66 LYD 10.49

-19.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.03 LYD 31.87

$6.33 LYD 40.11

-20.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 LYD 20.73

$2.74 LYD 17.34

19.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 LYD 62.4

$11.59 LYD 73.4

-14.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 LYD 14.70

$2.27 LYD 14.39

2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 LYD 9.55

$1.73 LYD 10.94

-12.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.47

$1.15 LYD 7.26

-38.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 LYD 3.50

$0.75 LYD 4.77

-26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.47

$0.86 LYD 5.47

-17.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 LYD 2.90

$0.65 LYD 4.13

-29.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LYD 2.70

$0.34 LYD 2.17

26.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 LYD 1.17

$0.23 LYD 1.46

-17.39%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 LYD 11.18

$2.39 LYD 15.12

-25.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 LYD 6.56

$0.53 LYD 3.34

96.23%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 LYD 5.39

$0.82 LYD 5.18

3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 LYD 12.64

$1.91 LYD 12.08

4.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 LYD 2.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 LYD 5.08

$1.60 LYD 10.11

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 LYD 2.86

$0.30 LYD 1.88

50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.11

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

$24.0K LYD 152.0K

$12.8K LYD 81.1K

87.47%

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

$14.1K LYD 89.2K

$14.9K LYD 94.6K

-5.71%

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

$96.2 LYD 609

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

$5.63 LYD 35.65

$4.55 LYD 28.83

23.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 LYD 177

$19.14 LYD 121

45.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.88 LYD 151

$17.52 LYD 111

36.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.39 LYD 15.16

$3.96 LYD 25.07

-39.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 LYD 40.66

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

$53.6 LYD 339

$77.3 LYD 489

-30.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$623 LYD 3,945

$358 LYD 2,269

73.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.54 LYD 130

$42.91 LYD 272

-52.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.80 LYD 113

$34.87 LYD 221

-48.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.7 LYD 353

$44.06 LYD 279

26.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.3 LYD 426

$68.2 LYD 432

-1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 LYD 2,288

$192 LYD 1,213

88.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 LYD 919

$120 LYD 760

20.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 LYD 3,810

$429 LYD 2,718

40.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 LYD 1,661

$259 LYD 1,640

1.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 LYD 1,584

$267 LYD 1,692

-6.36%

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

Last update for Tripoli: August 31, 2026

Last update for Benghazi: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Tripoli versus $192 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 7% 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 $15.00 in Tripoli versus $13.00 in Benghazi. Groceries tell a different story – $115 in Tripoli vs $128 in Benghazi – so Tripoli wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $530 in Tripoli, $424 in Benghazi – roughly 25% apart. Tripoli costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $794 per month in Tripoli and $636 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $530 in Tripoli and $424 in Benghazi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $53.6 per month in Tripoli and $77.3 in Benghazi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $530 in Tripoli and $424 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.