Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Libya

Name: Libya
Address: LY

For one person, living is cheaper in Libya: $536 a month against $2,720 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Libya
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Libya Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

🇱🇾 Libya

$536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States 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 States and in Libya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,720 in the United States versus $536 in Libya.

United States $2,720
Libya $536

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,954 in the United States versus $807 in Libya.

United States $3,954
Libya $807

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,188 in the United States versus $1,077 in Libya.

United States $5,188
Libya $1,077

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $984 to $5,225, compared to $10–$551 in Libya. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 407% more expensive than in Libya on average.

The United States (101% above) and Libya (60% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 $19.75

$3.05 LYD 19.48

547.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$12.32 LYD 78.7

543.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$2.53 LYD 16.18

365.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 LYD 3.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 LYD 3.52

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$0.51 LYD 3.28

1001.96%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$0.43 LYD 2.74

523.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.13 LYD 0.86

1515.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 $7.89

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.92 LYD 5.89

18.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$0.25 LYD 1.60

1344.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.10 LYD 7.02

319.09%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$1.39 LYD 8.87

212.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 $12.86

$5.19 LYD 33.17

147.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 $12.50

$3.52 LYD 22.49

255.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.41 $17.41

$9.08 LYD 58.0

91.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.27 LYD 14.48

138.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.65 LYD 10.54

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$0.85 LYD 5.45

416.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$0.55 LYD 3.50

801.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$0.67 LYD 4.27

325.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.51 LYD 3.23

500.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.41 LYD 2.63

458.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.16 LYD 1.04

1337.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 LYD 11.57

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 LYD 5.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 LYD 5.25

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 $11.01

$1.91 LYD 12.17

476.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.59 LYD 3.80

245.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

$38.85 LYD 248

51.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$0.80 LYD 5.11

335.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.49 LYD 3.11

285.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.76 $29.76

$2.37 LYD 15.11

1155.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.02 LYD 0.13

5300.00%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$23.4K LYD 149.6K

19.34%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$17.0K LYD 108.5K

51.72%

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

$217 $217

$109 LYD 699

97.95%

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

$62.7 $62.7

$4.98 LYD 31.77

1159.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$20.85 LYD 133

250.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.08 $42.08

$18.41 LYD 118

128.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 $23.10

$4.93 LYD 31.51

368.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 $14.77

$4.60 LYD 29.37

221.09%

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

$1,490 $1,490

$51.0 LYD 326

2821.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K $21.7K

$755 LYD 4,819

2782.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$26.09 LYD 167

105.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.69 $42.69

$29.91 LYD 191

42.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 $92.7

$42.37 LYD 271

118.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$38.76 LYD 247

200.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 $1,671

$239 LYD 1,523

600.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$111 LYD 707

1107.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,723 $2,723

$443 LYD 2,828

515.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 $2,131

$214 LYD 1,369

893.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,269 $3,269

$447 LYD 2,852

631.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,553 $2,553

$139 LYD 886

1741.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,253 $4,253

$267 LYD 1,704

1493.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

-67.15%

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

Last update for the United States: November 2, 2026

Last update for Libya: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.2%

Libya

$111 20.7% 91.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.3%

Libya

$116 21.7% 72% $299

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

Libya

$135 25.2% 61.6% $217

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Libya

$40 7.5% 87.6% $285

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

Libya

$62 11.5% 55.1% $76

Getting Around

United States

$80 3%

Libya

$44 8.3% 44.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$72 2.6%

Libya

$28 5.2% 61.4% $44

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,628 in the United States, $187 in Libya. Capital cities: $2,721 in Washington, DC vs $350 in Tripoli.

National salary averages: $4,531 in the United States, $252 in Libya. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 771% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 436% more in the United States.

Public transport is 62% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 18 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇱🇾 Libya

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

04:53 4:53 AM

7 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

6,678,567

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1 LYD = 0.157 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar (ل.د)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 6.39 LYD (1 LYD = 0.157 USD). 1 EUR = 7.17 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

LYD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Libya 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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 States vs Libya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $536 per month in Libya and $2,720 in the United States, Libya comes out about 80% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

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.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,628 in the United States and $187 in Libya. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: Libya wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.