Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Beirut Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Beirut

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,699 in Beirut.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,699 in Beirut.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $3,698 in Beirut.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 46% more expensive than in Beirut, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 81% above, Beirut 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$12.19 LBP 1.1M

53.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$63.5 LBP 5.7M

9.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.15 LBP 908.8K

35.67%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.74 LBP 424.0K

-34.60%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$2.29 LBP 204.9K

23.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.89 LBP 80.0K

111.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$4.87 LBP 436.0K

-18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$5.06 LBP 452.5K

-10.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.87 LBP 167.8K

-32.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.90 LBP 80.7K

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.21 LBP 198.0K

-20.36%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$3.52 LBP 315.3K

45.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$13.31 LBP 1.2M

34.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.62 LBP 950.6K

-9.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$13.91 LBP 1.2M

44.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.97 LBP 265.7K

9.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.71 LBP 153.0K

30.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.69 LBP 150.8K

53.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.53 LBP 136.5K

80.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.39 LBP 124.6K

58.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.62 LBP 145.4K

30.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.20 LBP 107.5K

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.68 LBP 60.5K

39.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.02 LBP 269.9K

143.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$10.01 LBP 895.9K

-19.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.32 LBP 118.2K

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.56 LBP 229.1K

8.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$2.22 LBP 198.7K

40.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$76.1 LBP 6.8M

-66.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.99 LBP 446.4K

-34.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.30 LBP 206.1K

-35.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$22.65 LBP 2.0M

51.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.05 LBP 93.8K

64.76%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$53.2K LBP 4.8B

-31.63%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$33.0K LBP 3.0B

-7.58%

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

$187 €163

$230 LBP 20.6M

-18.59%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$23.23 LBP 2.1M

-34.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$37.18 LBP 3.3M

1.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$85.0 LBP 7.6M

-34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$34.36 LBP 3.1M

-50.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$9.84 LBP 880.3K

15.96%

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

$997 €869

$676 LBP 60.5M

47.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$10.8K LBP 968.5M

52.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$67.4 LBP 6.0M

37.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$48.37 LBP 4.3M

-14.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$139 LBP 12.5M

-20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$119 LBP 10.7M

5.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$945 LBP 84.6M

80.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$496 LBP 44.4M

159.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,226 LBP 199.2M

15.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$1,057 LBP 94.6M

83.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,918 LBP 350.7M

95.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,871 LBP 167.4M

176.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$716 LBP 64.1M

227.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-71.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Beirut: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $945 in Beirut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 228% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $63.0 in Beirut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $277 per month, with Beirut cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Beirut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Beirut differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,699 including rent). Beirut is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 228% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $945 in Beirut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $676 in Beirut. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,699 in Beirut versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Beirut but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Beirut the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Beirut are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Beirut gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.