Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tripoli: $537 a month against $643 in Cairo, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

26

Cost of Living Index in Tripoli
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Tripoli Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Cairo
Learn more

Cairo Living Index

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Tripoli

🇱🇾 Libya

$537

/mo nomad

Cairo

🇪🇬 Egypt

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tripoli and in Cairo

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 Cairo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $537 per month in Tripoli vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

Tripoli $537
Cairo $643

A couple spends around $822 per month in Tripoli vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

Tripoli $822
Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $1,108 per month in Tripoli vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

Tripoli $1,108
Cairo $1,431

Tripoli is about 17% cheaper than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tripoli and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Tripoli 60% lower, Cairo 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 LYD 25.47

$4.69 E£245

-15.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.24 LYD 97.5

$28.49 E£1,491

-46.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.58 LYD 16.53

$6.03 E£315

-57.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.60 LYD 3.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.30

Cappuccino

$0.45 LYD 2.86

$1.81 E£94.7

-75.14%

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

$0.43 LYD 2.73

$0.35 E£18.18

22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 LYD 0.70

$0.15 E£7.95

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 E£76.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 E£117

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 LYD 5.77

$0.97 E£50.7

-7.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 LYD 1.28

$0.73 E£37.96

-72.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 LYD 7.54

$0.77 E£40.24

53.25%

Eggs

$1.36 LYD 8.72

$1.17 E£61.2

16.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.24 LYD 33.54

$4.32 E£226

21.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 LYD 22.21

$5.07 E£265

-31.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 LYD 59.2

$8.92 E£467

3.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 LYD 14.46

$1.83 E£95.8

23.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 LYD 9.35

$0.75 E£39.07

94.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.68 LYD 4.36

$0.57 E£29.78

19.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 LYD 3.81

$0.51 E£26.62

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 LYD 4.86

$0.38 E£20.05

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 LYD 3.20

$0.42 E£21.88

19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LYD 2.75

$0.35 E£18.43

22.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 LYD 1.31

$0.24 E£12.57

-12.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.76 LYD 11.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 LYD 6.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 LYD 5.30

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 LYD 12.57

$1.99 E£104

-1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 E£391

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 E£79.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 E£112

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 LYD 1.89

$0.33 E£17.10

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 E£453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 LYD 5.19

$0.37 E£19.27

118.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 LYD 3.12

$0.20 E£10.65

145.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 E£77.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.11

$0.46 E£23.94

-95.65%

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

$23.4K LYD 150.0K

$32.6K E£1.7M

-28.17%

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

$21.2K LYD 135.9K

$28.4K E£1.5M

-25.22%

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

$93.3 LYD 597

$27.54 E£1,441

238.93%

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

$6.11 LYD 39.10

$8.27 E£432

-26.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.55 LYD 170

$14.05 E£735

88.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.99 LYD 160

$28.27 E£1,479

-11.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.30 LYD 14.70

$6.70 E£350

-65.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 E£230

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

$52.3 LYD 335

$121 E£6,356

-56.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,579 LYD 10.1K

$3,619 E£189.3K

-56.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.63 LYD 145

$40.16 E£2,101

-43.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.54 LYD 112

$49.61 E£2,596

-64.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 LYD 406

$115 E£6,033

-45.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 LYD 424

$60.6 E£3,170

9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 LYD 2,280

$220 E£11.5K

61.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 LYD 934

$194 E£10.2K

-24.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 LYD 3,815

$514 E£26.9K

15.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 LYD 1,644

$334 E£17.5K

-23.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 E£42.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$513 E£26.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 LYD 1,645

$200 E£10.5K

28.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.21

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

Last update for Tripoli: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tripoli

$146 27%

Cairo

$194 30.1% 33.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tripoli

$126 23.3%

Cairo

$50 7.7% 60.4% $76

Groceries & Markets

Tripoli

$115 21.3%

Cairo

$141 21.9% 22.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Tripoli

$76 14.2%

Cairo

$120 18.6% 56.4% $43

Eating Out

Tripoli

$47 8.7%

Cairo

$91 14.1% 93.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Tripoli

$25 * 4.6%

Cairo

$37 5.8% 48.3% $12

Getting Around

Tripoli

$4.4 * 0.8%

Cairo

$11 1.8% 156% $6.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $356 in Tripoli versus $220 in Cairo. 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 28% 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 $15.00 in Tripoli versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $141 – making Tripoli the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇾 Tripoli

🇪🇬 Cairo

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

08:23 8:23 AM

1 h ahead of Tripoli

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,127,000 Capital

9,120,350 Capital

💱 Currency

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

100 EGP = 1.91 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to LYD – Libyan Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

USD to LYD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tripoli Cairo 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tripoli
Cairo

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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cairo is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $805 per month in Tripoli and $965 in Cairo. 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 $537 in Tripoli and $643 in Cairo. That's a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $52.3 per month in Tripoli and $121 in Cairo. 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 $537 in Tripoli and $643 in Cairo, 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, Cairo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.