Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Libya

For one person, living is cheaper in Libya: $541 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

United Kingdom
Libya
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,462
/mo nomad
🇱🇾 Libya
$541
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Libya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United Kingdom and in Libya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,462 in the United Kingdom versus $541 in Libya.

  • United Kingdom $2,462
  • Libya $541

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,600 in the United Kingdom versus $813 in Libya.

  • United Kingdom $3,600
  • Libya $813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,738 in the United Kingdom versus $1,085 in Libya.

  • United Kingdom $4,738
  • Libya $1,085

Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $10–$541 in Libya. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.

Living in the United Kingdom is roughly 355% more expensive than in Libya on average.

The United Kingdom (81% above) and Libya (60% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Libya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.48 £16.05
$3.18 LYD 20.40
575.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.7 £64.1
$12.36 LYD 79.3
593.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.61 £7.93
$2.70 LYD 17.33
292.96%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.56 LYD 3.60
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.61 LYD 3.90
-
Cappuccino
$4.91 £3.67
$0.55 LYD 3.54
792.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 £1.99
$0.41 LYD 2.64
548.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 £1.39
$0.14 LYD 0.88
1235.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.63 £4.95
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 £5.11
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Libya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.26
$0.94 LYD 6.05
78.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 £1.28
$0.24 LYD 1.55
616.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 £1.62
$1.14 LYD 7.30
90.35%
Eggs
$4.00 £2.99
$1.38 LYD 8.86
189.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.42 £7.04
$5.27 LYD 33.83
78.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 £6.86
$3.27 LYD 21.01
181.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.77 £11.03
$9.15 LYD 58.7
61.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 £2.22
$2.30 LYD 14.75
29.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.56 LYD 9.99
3.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 £2.13
$0.85 LYD 5.45
235.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.52 £2.63
$0.60 LYD 3.82
486.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 £1.37
$0.71 LYD 4.58
157.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 £1.20
$0.48 LYD 3.06
235.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 £0.93
$0.42 LYD 2.68
197.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 £1.24
$0.22 LYD 1.40
654.55%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.81 LYD 11.60
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.76 LYD 4.85
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.79 LYD 5.05
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.65 £17.67
$1.84 LYD 11.80
1185.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.50 £7.84
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 £2.23
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 £2.62
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Libya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.98 £2.97
$0.64 LYD 4.12
521.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 £80.3
$39.50 LYD 253
171.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.18 £3.87
$0.80 LYD 5.11
547.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.35 £1.75
$0.45 LYD 2.87
422.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.84 £20.05
$2.37 LYD 15.21
1032.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 £1.48
$0.02 LYD 0.11
9850.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.4K £29.5K
$23.1K LYD 148.1K
70.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.2K
$17.4K LYD 111.8K
132.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Libya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$327 £244
$109 LYD 701
199.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.21 £13.60
$5.37 LYD 34.47
239.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.60 £32.57
$20.10 LYD 129
116.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Libya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.36 £31.64
$18.43 LYD 118
129.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.22 £13.61
$5.22 LYD 33.46
249.04%
Cinema Ticket
$13.85 £10.34
$4.54 LYD 29.14
205.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Libya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,868 £1,396
$50.2 LYD 322
3622.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K £16.9K
$745 LYD 4,776
2939.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Libya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9 £69.4
$26.33 LYD 169
252.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.92 £34.30
$31.39 LYD 201
46.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 £75.9
$44.30 LYD 284
129.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 £76.4
$39.72 LYD 255
157.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Libya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,342 £1,003
$239 LYD 1,531
462.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,073 £802
$111 LYD 713
866.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,231 £1,667
$422 LYD 2,704
429.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,742 £1,301
$213 LYD 1,363
719.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,601 £4,185
$307 LYD 1,968
1725.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,265 £3,186
$108 LYD 691
3859.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Libya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,349 £2,502
$261 LYD 1,673
1184.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
20
-73.40%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Last update for Libya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.1K
Libya
$111 89.6% $962
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$389
Libya
$135 65.4% $254
Eating Out
United Kingdom
$328
Libya
$42 87.1% $285
Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$307
Libya
$116 62.2% $191
Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$154
Libya
$64 58.6% $90
Getting Around
United Kingdom
$140
Libya
$45 67.8% $95
Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$70
Libya
$28 60.7% $43

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,287 in the United Kingdom, $188 in Libya. Capital cities: $2,811 in London vs $359 in Tripoli.

National salary averages: $3,251 in the United Kingdom, $253 in Libya. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 585% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 493% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 159% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇱🇾 Libya
🕒 Local time
10:43 10:43 AM
12:43 12:43 PM
2 h ahead of the United Kingdom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,326,569
6,678,567
💱 Currency
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.16 LYD (1 LYD = 0.14 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • United Kingdom Libya 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • United Kingdom
  • Libya

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
United Kingdom vs Libya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Libya and the United Kingdom?
At $541 per month in Libya and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, Libya comes out about 78% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Libya: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $188 in Libya. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to Libya or to the United Kingdom?
It depends on what you’re after: Libya wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared

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