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: $2,643 in United States versus $147 in Libya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $240 in Libya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in United States versus $333 in Libya.

Living in United States is roughly 1698% more expensive than Libya on average.

United States (97% above) and Libya (89% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$3.63 LYD 23.06

452.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$15.32 LYD 97.4

396.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 $11.42

$2.72 LYD 17.30

319.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.54 LYD 3.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 LYD 3.95

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$0.52 LYD 3.28

936.54%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$0.48 LYD 3.07

431.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.18 LYD 1.13

1033.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.99 LYD 6.32

5.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$0.28 LYD 1.78

1203.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.09 LYD 6.90

333.94%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$1.34 LYD 8.53

226.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$4.80 LYD 30.50

165.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$3.36 LYD 21.34

269.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$9.44 LYD 60.1

73.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.76 LYD 11.21

207.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.25 LYD 7.94

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$0.78 LYD 4.97

488.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$0.55 LYD 3.48

792.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.64 LYD 4.07

356.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$0.53 LYD 3.35

490.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.40 LYD 2.54

465.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.24 LYD 1.53

858.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 LYD 7.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 LYD 4.27

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$1.97 LYD 12.55

402.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.35 LYD 2.25

608.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$20.38 LYD 130

218.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$0.95 LYD 6.01

304.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.05 LYD 6.66

67.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$3.59 LYD 22.84

751.81%

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)

$30.5K $30.5K

$16.0K LYD 101.8K

90.36%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$16.1K LYD 102.5K

63.66%

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

$204 $204

$32.71 LYD 208

524.18%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$7.47 LYD 47.49

666.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$21.64 LYD 138

229.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 $46.67

$20.51 LYD 130

127.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.12 $22.12

$8.21 LYD 52.2

169.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$4.63 LYD 29.44

198.92%

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

$1,384 $1,384

$48.02 LYD 305

2781.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

$823 LYD 5,232

2659.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$25.81 LYD 164

105.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

$32.27 LYD 205

33.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$42.15 LYD 268

114.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$44.68 LYD 284

155.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$171 LYD 1,084

936.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$98.8 LYD 628

1376.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$320 LYD 2,036

784.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 $2,411

$184 LYD 1,173

1207.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$500 LYD 3,178

557.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$93.7 LYD 596

2729.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$261 LYD 1,660

1577.06%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Libya: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,637 in United States, $29.00 in Libya. Capital cities: $2,591 in Washington, DC vs $207 in Tripoli.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $268 in Libya. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5545% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 1117% more in United States.

Public transport is 733% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 1579% higher in United States, giving Libya stronger purchasing power.

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 $251 per month in Libya and $3,212 in United States, there's a 1180% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Libya is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.