Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Tripoli and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $530 in Tripoli versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $804 in Tripoli versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,079 in Tripoli versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Tripoli costs roughly 68% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tripoli is 61% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 LYD 24.59

$12.11 MX$205

-67.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.99 LYD 94.9

$52.2 MX$883

-71.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.49 LYD 15.77

$10.90 MX$184

-77.16%

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

$4.05 MX$68.5

-89.14%

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

$0.42 LYD 2.65

$1.72 MX$29.00

-75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.09 LYD 0.59

$1.38 MX$23.29

-93.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$58.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 MX$98.2

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 LYD 5.96

$1.85 MX$31.33

-49.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 LYD 1.27

$3.22 MX$54.5

-93.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 LYD 7.10

$2.09 MX$35.25

-46.41%

Eggs

$1.33 LYD 8.44

$2.91 MX$49.18

-54.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.03 LYD 31.87

$12.49 MX$211

-59.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 LYD 20.73

$10.11 MX$171

-67.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 LYD 62.4

$15.89 MX$269

-37.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 LYD 14.70

$3.31 MX$56.0

-29.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 LYD 9.55

$2.13 MX$35.95

-29.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.47

$2.19 MX$37.03

-67.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 LYD 3.50

$2.45 MX$41.37

-77.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 LYD 4.47

$2.19 MX$37.00

-67.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 LYD 2.90

$1.90 MX$32.20

-75.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 LYD 2.70

$1.62 MX$27.31

-73.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 LYD 1.17

$1.35 MX$22.82

-85.93%

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

$5.43 MX$91.7

-63.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.59 MX$297

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$34.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 MX$80.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 LYD 2.04

$0.34 MX$5.75

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$365

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 LYD 5.08

$2.04 MX$34.49

-60.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 LYD 2.86

$0.58 MX$9.77

-22.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.02 LYD 0.11

$1.62 MX$27.31

-98.77%

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

$24.0K LYD 152.0K

$22.8K MX$385.6K

5.21%

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

$14.1K LYD 89.2K

$26.7K MX$450.7K

-47.16%

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

$96.2 LYD 609

$65.2 MX$1,103

47.44%

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

$5.63 LYD 35.65

$29.87 MX$505

-81.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 LYD 177

$36.55 MX$618

-23.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.88 LYD 151

$61.0 MX$1,031

-60.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.39 LYD 15.16

$26.70 MX$451

-91.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 MX$116

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

$53.6 LYD 339

$453 MX$7,664

-88.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$623 LYD 3,945

$13.4K MX$226.0K

-95.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.54 LYD 130

$75.0 MX$1,267

-72.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.80 LYD 113

$55.3 MX$935

-67.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.7 LYD 353

$114 MX$1,920

-51.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.3 LYD 426

$123 MX$2,073

-45.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 LYD 2,288

$1,134 MX$19.2K

-68.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 LYD 919

$712 MX$12.0K

-79.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 LYD 3,810

$2,571 MX$43.5K

-76.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 LYD 1,661

$1,311 MX$22.2K

-79.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,095 MX$35.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 LYD 1,584

$1,047 MX$17.7K

-76.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

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

Last update for Tripoli: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Tripoli and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 318% 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 $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $115 vs $345 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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tripoli and Mexico City differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($530 vs $1,646 including rent). Tripoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 318% lower in Mexico City. 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 $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $53.6 in Tripoli versus $453 in Mexico City. 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 $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $530 in Tripoli versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tripoli but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.

Expats usually find Tripoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.