Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Libya Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Libya

Name: Libya
Address: LY

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in United States versus $135 in Libya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $212 in Libya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in United States versus $288 in Libya.

Living in United States is roughly 1845% more expensive than in Libya on average.

United States (90% above) and Libya (90% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$3.21 LYD 20.28

517.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$12.63 LYD 79.7

523.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$2.39 LYD 15.09

410.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 LYD 3.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 LYD 3.64

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$0.53 LYD 3.36

954.72%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$0.46 LYD 2.91

504.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.11 LYD 0.66

1881.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.92 LYD 5.81

16.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$0.23 LYD 1.44

1500.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.17 LYD 7.39

298.29%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$1.32 LYD 8.32

218.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$5.00 LYD 31.58

155.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$3.34 LYD 21.07

271.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$9.26 LYD 58.4

82.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.24 LYD 14.12

133.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.59 LYD 10.01

4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.88 LYD 5.55

392.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$0.58 LYD 3.69

755.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.67 LYD 4.26

320.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.53 LYD 3.32

486.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.39 LYD 2.46

461.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.21 LYD 1.34

976.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.24 LYD 7.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 LYD 4.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 LYD 5.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 $10.35

$1.92 LYD 12.11

439.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.66 LYD 4.15

260.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$40.09 LYD 253

60.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$0.80 LYD 5.05

342.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.45 LYD 2.87

313.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$2.30 LYD 14.49

1219.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.02 LYD 0.11

4900.00%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$24.0K LYD 151.4K

48.11%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$16.5K LYD 103.9K

57.08%

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

$222 $222

$108 LYD 683

105.39%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$5.29 LYD 33.41

1055.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$20.23 LYD 128

269.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 $44.49

$16.91 LYD 107

163.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 $22.35

$5.23 LYD 33.03

327.34%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$4.76 LYD 30.03

215.76%

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

$1,431 $1,431

$51.0 LYD 322

2703.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$748 LYD 4,718

3362.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$27.10 LYD 171

97.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$29.43 LYD 186

47.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$40.02 LYD 253

128.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$40.19 LYD 254

182.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$246 LYD 1,551

564.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$114 LYD 719

1066.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 $2,606

$452 LYD 2,854

476.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$214 LYD 1,353

928.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$444 LYD 2,803

648.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,653 $2,653

$118 LYD 747

2141.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 $4,306

$262 LYD 1,656

1541.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

-68.95%

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

Last update for United States: September 7, 2026

Last update for Libya: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,604 in United States, $22.00 in Libya. Capital cities: $1,360 in Columbia, TN vs $365 in Tripoli.

National salary averages: $4,526 in United States, $254 in Libya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 7191% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 1400% more in United States.

Public transport is 1250% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 1682% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Libya.

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 $270 per month in Libya and $3,142 in United States, there's a 1064% gap. 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 simply cheaper in Libya: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in Libya across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Libya, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Libya wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.