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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,437 in Beirut.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,353 in Beirut.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $3,269 in Beirut.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 65% more expensive than Beirut, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 77% above, Beirut 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$10.76 LBP 963.0K

63.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$59.7 LBP 5.3M

14.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$8.04 LBP 720.0K

74.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.27 LBP 292.4K

-14.98%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.58 LBP 141.4K

77.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.92 LBP 82.4K

123.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.45 LBP 308.9K

29.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$5.06 LBP 453.3K

-8.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.79 LBP 160.5K

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$0.85 LBP 76.5K

138.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.82 LBP 163.3K

5.49%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.19 LBP 285.4K

3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$11.51 LBP 1.0M

60.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$9.60 LBP 859.6K

-1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.36 LBP 1.0M

68.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.73 LBP 154.6K

52.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.45 LBP 129.4K

68.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.15 LBP 103.0K

84.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.08 LBP 96.9K

163.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 LBP 88.2K

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.04 LBP 92.8K

77.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.81 LBP 72.8K

81.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.52 LBP 46.7K

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.46 LBP 220.6K

190.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$9.95 LBP 890.6K

-20.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.24 LBP 110.6K

11.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.20 LBP 197.3K

5.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.96 LBP 175.4K

52.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$71.1 LBP 6.4M

-58.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$4.94 LBP 442.2K

-6.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.28 LBP 114.5K

61.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$19.91 LBP 1.8M

46.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$0.90 LBP 80.9K

104.44%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.8K LBP 3.1B

12.04%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$27.6K LBP 2.5B

18.49%

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

$188 €162

$218 LBP 19.5M

-13.68%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$37.46 LBP 3.4M

-38.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$37.30 LBP 3.3M

-1.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$68.4 LBP 6.1M

-16.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$29.84 LBP 2.7M

-30.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$8.13 LBP 727.3K

37.64%

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

$721 €620

$297 LBP 26.6M

142.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,404 LBP 394.1M

241.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$71.6 LBP 6.4M

20.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$44.80 LBP 4.0M

-17.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$120 LBP 10.8M

-15.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$95.5 LBP 8.6M

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$809 LBP 72.4M

89.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$370 LBP 33.1M

230.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,023 LBP 181.0M

33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$950 LBP 85.0M

111.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,685 LBP 329.8M

95.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,978 LBP 177.1M

162.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$651 LBP 58.2M

262.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

11.16

-69.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Beirut: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $809 in Beirut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 263% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $60.0 in Beirut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $236 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 65% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,437 including rent). Beirut is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 263% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $809 in Beirut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $297 in Beirut. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,437 in Beirut versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 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 65% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.