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: $2,642 in United States versus $148 in Libya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $242 in Libya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in United States versus $336 in Libya.

Living in United States is roughly 1685% more expensive than in Libya on average.

United States (98% above) and Libya (89% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$3.77 LYD 24.01

420.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$15.80 LYD 101

377.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$2.79 LYD 17.80

314.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 LYD 3.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 LYD 3.94

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$0.51 LYD 3.26

923.53%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$0.45 LYD 2.85

453.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.16 LYD 0.99

1187.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.97 LYD 6.17

12.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$0.26 LYD 1.65

1269.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.04 LYD 6.66

355.77%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$1.35 LYD 8.57

221.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$4.80 LYD 30.55

164.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$3.27 LYD 20.81

275.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$9.52 LYD 60.7

74.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$1.72 LYD 10.99

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.30 LYD 8.25

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$0.73 LYD 4.66

509.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$0.56 LYD 3.54

757.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.60 LYD 3.81

388.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$0.49 LYD 3.15

530.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.40 LYD 2.53

455.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.24 LYD 1.53

837.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.17 LYD 7.48

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$1.93 LYD 12.31

412.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.38 LYD 2.44

547.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$20.15 LYD 128

220.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$0.91 LYD 5.79

314.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.04 LYD 6.60

64.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$3.68 LYD 23.45

717.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.03 LYD 0.19

3100.00%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$16.1K LYD 102.3K

85.91%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$16.1K LYD 102.6K

62.38%

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

$210 $210

$32.39 LYD 206

548.72%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$7.38 LYD 47.04

662.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$21.68 LYD 138

236.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 $45.39

$20.83 LYD 133

117.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.60 $21.60

$8.05 LYD 51.3

168.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 $14.04

$4.49 LYD 28.62

212.69%

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

$1,377 $1,377

$48.42 LYD 308

2744.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$833 LYD 5,304

2585.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$26.15 LYD 167

101.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$32.45 LYD 207

30.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$41.18 LYD 262

122.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$44.25 LYD 282

156.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$172 LYD 1,096

925.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$98.8 LYD 629

1380.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$324 LYD 2,061

780.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 $2,369

$184 LYD 1,174

1185.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,364 $3,364

$449 LYD 2,858

649.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$117 LYD 747

2172.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,378 $4,378

$256 LYD 1,632

1609.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

15.79

-58.77%

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

Last update for United States: July 12, 2026

Last update for Libya: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $30.00 in Libya. Capital cities: $1,625 in Washington, MI vs $212 in Tripoli.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $251 in Libya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5350% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 1117% more in United States.

Public transport is 733% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 1693% higher in United States.

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 $253 per month in Libya and $3,259 in United States, there's a 1190% 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.