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: $502 in Tripoli versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $794 in Tripoli versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,085 in Tripoli versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Tripoli costs roughly 66% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tripoli is 63% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.50 LYD 28.60

$13.18 MX$228

-65.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.44 LYD 117

$53.9 MX$934

-65.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 LYD 23.52

$9.42 MX$163

-60.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.58 LYD 3.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.18

Cappuccino

$0.48 LYD 3.05

$3.55 MX$61.5

-86.48%

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

$0.48 LYD 3.08

$1.62 MX$28.03

-70.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 LYD 0.76

$1.11 MX$19.31

-89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.2

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 LYD 6.23

$1.70 MX$29.48

-42.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.21 LYD 1.33

$2.72 MX$47.10

-92.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 LYD 7.85

$1.91 MX$33.13

-35.60%

Eggs

$1.45 LYD 9.25

$2.54 MX$43.94

-42.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 LYD 30.94

$10.03 MX$174

-51.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 LYD 20.64

$8.09 MX$140

-59.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.38 LYD 66.0

$11.62 MX$201

-10.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 LYD 13.92

$2.97 MX$51.4

-26.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 LYD 8.17

$1.81 MX$31.30

-29.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 LYD 4.95

$2.01 MX$34.88

-61.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.52 LYD 3.33

$2.03 MX$35.26

-74.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 LYD 4.14

$2.12 MX$36.82

-69.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 LYD 3.58

$2.27 MX$39.32

-75.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 LYD 2.42

$1.40 MX$24.26

-72.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 LYD 1.40

$1.13 MX$19.59

-80.53%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 LYD 8.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 LYD 11.86

$4.27 MX$74.0

-56.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$270

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LYD 1.85

$0.38 MX$6.64

-23.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.42 LYD 136

$19.18 MX$332

11.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 LYD 6.02

$1.38 MX$23.84

-31.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 LYD 5.41

$0.28 MX$4.79

203.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 LYD 28.54

$5.45 MX$94.4

-17.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 LYD 0.17

$1.30 MX$22.60

-97.69%

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

$13.9K LYD 88.2K

$18.7K MX$323.8K

-25.79%

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

$16.6K LYD 105.6K

$23.1K MX$400.8K

-28.23%

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

$31.84 LYD 202

$40.86 MX$708

-22.08%

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

$8.02 LYD 51.0

$26.81 MX$465

-70.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.67 LYD 144

$29.96 MX$519

-24.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.49 LYD 181

$52.0 MX$901

-45.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.20 LYD 77.6

$26.84 MX$465

-54.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 LYD 29.35

$6.30 MX$109

-26.67%

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

$52.4 LYD 333

$436 MX$7,558

-88.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$914 LYD 5,812

$10.4K MX$180.5K

-91.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.51 LYD 137

$56.7 MX$982

-62.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.82 LYD 228

$44.38 MX$769

-19.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.76 LYD 316

$103 MX$1,784

-51.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.2 LYD 351

$106 MX$1,829

-47.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 LYD 1,316

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-79.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$123 LYD 780

$631 MX$10.9K

-80.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 LYD 2,496

$2,136 MX$37.0K

-81.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 LYD 1,434

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-81.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 LYD 1,574

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-77.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.5

11.34

54.32%

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

Last update for Tripoli: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $207 in Tripoli and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 350% 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: $18.00 in Tripoli vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $288 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 192% in total monthly costs ($502 vs $1,467 including rent). Tripoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 350% less. 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: $207 in Tripoli versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tripoli runs roughly 12% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $52.4 in Tripoli versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $502 in Tripoli versus $1,467 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 192% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.