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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $410 per month in Zawiya vs $442 in Benghazi, rent included.

A couple spends around $688 per month in Zawiya vs $708 in Benghazi, rent included.

A family of three spends $965 per month in Zawiya vs $973 in Benghazi, rent included.

Zawiya is about 7% cheaper than Benghazi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Zawiya and Benghazi are more affordable than the global median – Zawiya 69% lower, Benghazi 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 LYD 17.78

$2.78 LYD 17.66

0.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.48 LYD 118

$14.40 LYD 91.6

28.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.63 LYD 23.10

$2.79 LYD 17.71

30.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.57 LYD 3.61

$0.56 LYD 3.59

1.79%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.30

$0.36 LYD 2.29

88.89%

Cappuccino

$0.49 LYD 3.10

$0.64 LYD 4.07

-23.44%

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

$0.49 LYD 3.12

$0.44 LYD 2.77

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 LYD 0.75

$0.13 LYD 0.80

-7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 LYD 6.55

$0.90 LYD 5.74

14.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.23 LYD 1.46

$0.23 LYD 1.47

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 LYD 7.86

$0.65 LYD 4.16

90.77%

Eggs

$1.23 LYD 7.85

$1.32 LYD 8.39

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 LYD 31.94

$6.06 LYD 38.51

-17.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 LYD 20.81

$3.60 LYD 22.89

-9.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 LYD 64.2

$8.52 LYD 54.2

18.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 LYD 13.11

$1.42 LYD 9.01

45.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 LYD 8.09

$1.14 LYD 7.24

11.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 LYD 5.25

$0.67 LYD 4.26

23.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 LYD 3.52

$0.50 LYD 3.17

10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 LYD 3.66

$0.52 LYD 3.32

11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 LYD 1.97

$0.48 LYD 3.06

-35.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 LYD 2.43

$0.29 LYD 1.86

31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 LYD 1.07

$0.22 LYD 1.40

-22.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.75 LYD 4.78

$2.43 LYD 15.44

-69.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 LYD 4.46

$0.69 LYD 4.40

1.45%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 LYD 4.07

$0.70 LYD 4.44

-8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 LYD 11.73

$2.69 LYD 17.11

-31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 LYD 5.92

$0.95 LYD 6.04

-2.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.59 LYD 296

$9.39 LYD 59.7

396.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 LYD 6.11

$0.89 LYD 5.67

7.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 LYD 5.67

$1.56 LYD 9.89

-42.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 LYD 17.42

$3.96 LYD 25.15

-30.81%

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 87.4K

$16.8K LYD 106.6K

-17.97%

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

$16.2K LYD 103.1K

$15.1K LYD 95.9K

7.44%

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

$32.55 LYD 207

$13.99 LYD 89.0

132.67%

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

$6.52 LYD 41.44

$7.16 LYD 45.52

-8.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.02 LYD 89.2

$34.02 LYD 216

-58.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.08 LYD 128

$18.88 LYD 120

6.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.48 LYD 28.49

$10.24 LYD 65.1

-56.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 LYD 28.93

$4.54 LYD 28.90

0.22%

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

$53.1 LYD 337

$62.1 LYD 395

-14.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$908 LYD 5,772

$866 LYD 5,508

4.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.60 LYD 137

$28.08 LYD 179

-23.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 LYD 222

$29.11 LYD 185

20.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.97 LYD 203

$48.53 LYD 309

-34.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.00 LYD 229

$62.6 LYD 398

-42.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$107 LYD 679

$189 LYD 1,201

-43.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$69.1 LYD 440

$115 LYD 732

-39.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 LYD 1,280

$369 LYD 2,347

-45.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 LYD 863

$231 LYD 1,469

-41.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$470 LYD 2,988

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$38.66 LYD 246

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$260 LYD 1,653

$271 LYD 1,722

-4.05%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Benghazi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $107 in Zawiya versus $189 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 $14.00 in Benghazi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $114 vs $106 – 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: $410 in Zawiya, $442 in Benghazi – roughly 8% apart. Benghazi costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $615 per month in Zawiya and $664 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 $14.00 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 $410 in Zawiya and $442 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.