Cost of Living Comparison Between Zawiya and Benghazi Cost of Living Comparison Between Zawiya and Benghazi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $422 per month in Zawiya vs $439 in Benghazi, rent included.

A couple spends around $694 per month in Zawiya vs $706 in Benghazi, rent included.

A family of three spends $967 per month in Zawiya vs $973 in Benghazi, rent included.

Zawiya is about 4% cheaper than Benghazi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Zawiya and Benghazi are more affordable than the global median – Zawiya 68% lower, Benghazi 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 LYD 17.42

$2.69 LYD 17.15

1.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.45 LYD 118

$14.71 LYD 93.7

25.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.75 LYD 23.89

$2.71 LYD 17.28

38.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 LYD 3.40

$0.53 LYD 3.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.23

$0.35 LYD 2.26

88.57%

Cappuccino

$0.48 LYD 3.03

$0.68 LYD 4.31

-29.41%

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

$0.46 LYD 2.91

$0.40 LYD 2.57

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 LYD 0.67

$0.15 LYD 0.96

-26.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 LYD 6.54

$0.90 LYD 5.72

14.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 LYD 1.47

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 LYD 7.49

$0.66 LYD 4.17

78.79%

Eggs

$1.17 LYD 7.48

$1.32 LYD 8.41

-11.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.99 LYD 31.76

$6.14 LYD 39.13

-18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 LYD 21.04

$3.71 LYD 23.64

-11.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 LYD 66.2

$8.63 LYD 55.0

20.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 LYD 13.11

$1.42 LYD 9.05

45.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 LYD 8.49

$1.18 LYD 7.54

12.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 LYD 4.81

$0.68 LYD 4.34

10.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 LYD 3.36

$0.49 LYD 3.11

8.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 LYD 3.94

$0.49 LYD 3.09

26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 LYD 2.12

$0.44 LYD 2.83

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 LYD 2.43

$0.27 LYD 1.72

40.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 LYD 1.10

$0.22 LYD 1.40

-22.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 LYD 4.83

$2.33 LYD 14.83

-67.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.31

$0.71 LYD 4.54

-4.23%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 LYD 4.47

$0.67 LYD 4.27

4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.85 LYD 11.76

$2.79 LYD 17.80

-33.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 LYD 5.78

$0.94 LYD 5.96

-3.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.79 LYD 298

$9.20 LYD 58.6

408.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 LYD 5.74

$0.91 LYD 5.77

-1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 LYD 5.66

$1.48 LYD 9.43

-39.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 LYD 17.62

$3.91 LYD 24.89

-29.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.03 LYD 0.18

$0.03 LYD 0.21

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

$13.7K LYD 87.2K

$16.4K LYD 104.8K

-16.77%

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

$16.4K LYD 104.7K

$14.8K LYD 94.1K

11.21%

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

$32.61 LYD 208

$14.44 LYD 92.0

125.83%

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

$6.29 LYD 40.08

$7.16 LYD 45.60

-12.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.17 LYD 90.2

$33.89 LYD 216

-58.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.19 LYD 129

$19.05 LYD 121

5.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 LYD 29.82

$10.56 LYD 67.3

-55.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 LYD 28.69

$4.71 LYD 29.98

-4.46%

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

$52.3 LYD 333

$60.0 LYD 382

-12.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$908 LYD 5,786

$869 LYD 5,534

4.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.44 LYD 137

$27.57 LYD 176

-22.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.92 LYD 222

$28.98 LYD 185

20.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.12 LYD 205

$48.49 LYD 309

-33.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.80 LYD 234

$63.3 LYD 403

-41.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$106 LYD 674

$194 LYD 1,238

-45.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$69.9 LYD 445

$115 LYD 731

-39.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 LYD 1,268

$378 LYD 2,409

-47.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 LYD 864

$231 LYD 1,472

-41.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$467 LYD 2,975

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$38.16 LYD 243

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$253 LYD 1,613

$263 LYD 1,675

-3.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.5

-30.00%

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

Last update for Zawiya: July 12, 2026

Last update for Benghazi: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $106 in Zawiya versus $194 in Benghazi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Benghazi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Zawiya versus $15.00 in Benghazi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $108 – making Benghazi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Zawiya vs Benghazi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $422 in Zawiya, $439 in Benghazi – roughly 4% apart. Benghazi costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $632 per month in Zawiya and $659 in Benghazi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zawiya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Benghazi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Zawiya and $15.00 in Benghazi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $422 in Zawiya and $439 in Benghazi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Zawiya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Zawiya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Benghazi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.