Libya, Benghazi

Country Full Name: The Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

Location: Libya is in Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Tunisia.

Country Climate: Mediterranean along coast; dry, extreme desert interior.

Country Terrain: Mostly barren, flat to undulating plains, plateaus, depressions.

Major Languages: Arabic.

Major Religions: Islam.

Population: 0.65 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Libya depends primarily upon revenues from the oil sector, which constitute practically all export earnings.

Currency: Libyan Dinar (LYD).

Inflation: 3.3% (2011 est.).

Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya.

Benghazi is one of Libya's major economic centres with it's important port which is vital to the economy, as Libya imports many foodstuffs and manufactured products. Benghazi is also an industrial and commercial centre in Libya. Major manufactured goods include processed food, textiles, tanning, processed salt and construction materials, particularly cement.

The cost of living in Benghazi in Libya is in the middle compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Benghazi in Libya is currently ranked 411 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 305 places that are more expensive, and 474 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are average compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 347 places that are more expensive, and 432 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very high compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 108 places that are more expensive, and 671 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 124 places that are more expensive, and 655 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 90 places that are more expensive, and 689 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 625 places that are more expensive, and 154 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 599 places that are more expensive, and 180 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 410 places that are more expensive, and 369 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are average compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 400 places that are more expensive, and 379 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 515 places that are more expensive, and 264 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are average compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 318 places that are more expensive, and 461 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 161 places that are more expensive, and 618 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 634 places that are more expensive, and 145 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Benghazi in Libya are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Benghazi in Libya is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Benghazi in Libya are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
Salary Purchasing Power Parity Calculator
Cost of Living Index Calculator
Cost of Living Allowance Calculator