Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Baabda Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Baabda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,390 in Beirut versus $892 in Baabda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,293 in Beirut versus $1,414 in Baabda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,195 in Beirut versus $1,937 in Baabda.

Living in Beirut is roughly 56% more expensive than in Baabda, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Beirut is 4% above, Baabda is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 LBP 951.4K

$10.87 LBP 973.0K

-2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 LBP 5.4M

$58.9 LBP 5.3M

1.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 LBP 701.7K

$8.02 LBP 717.6K

-2.24%

Cappuccino

$3.32 LBP 296.7K

$3.38 LBP 302.4K

-1.78%

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

$1.57 LBP 140.7K

$1.63 LBP 145.4K

-3.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 LBP 77.7K

$0.93 LBP 83.5K

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 LBP 311.5K

$3.54 LBP 316.4K

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 LBP 442.9K

$4.85 LBP 434.2K

2.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 LBP 158.6K

$1.78 LBP 159.4K

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LBP 70.8K

$0.79 LBP 71.0K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 LBP 162.5K

$1.83 LBP 163.7K

-0.55%

Eggs

$3.10 LBP 277.8K

$3.05 LBP 273.0K

1.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 LBP 992.0K

$11.34 LBP 1.0M

-2.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 LBP 838.3K

$9.68 LBP 866.7K

-3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 LBP 1.0M

$11.36 LBP 1.0M

0.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 LBP 155.9K

$1.79 LBP 160.2K

-2.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 LBP 130.0K

$1.51 LBP 135.5K

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 LBP 102.2K

$1.09 LBP 97.6K

4.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 LBP 94.1K

$1.05 LBP 94.3K

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LBP 89.1K

$0.94 LBP 83.8K

6.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 93.4K

$1.00 LBP 89.2K

4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LBP 79.8K

$0.88 LBP 78.8K

1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 LBP 47.2K

$0.55 LBP 49.6K

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 LBP 225.9K

$2.57 LBP 230.4K

-1.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 LBP 911.3K

$9.99 LBP 893.7K

1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 LBP 116.1K

$1.24 LBP 111.0K

4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 LBP 190.2K

$2.14 LBP 191.7K

-0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 LBP 176.1K

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 LBP 6.4M

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 LBP 442.8K

$5.05 LBP 451.7K

-1.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 LBP 113.2K

$1.22 LBP 109.3K

3.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.02 LBP 1.8M

$19.85 LBP 1.8M

0.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 LBP 83.3K

$0.96 LBP 85.8K

-3.12%

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

$34.9K LBP 3.1B

$35.0K LBP 3.1B

-0.29%

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

$28.0K LBP 2.5B

$28.1K LBP 2.5B

-0.54%

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

$217 LBP 19.4M

$219 LBP 19.6M

-0.97%

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

$37.42 LBP 3.3M

$37.26 LBP 3.3M

0.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.20 LBP 3.3M

$36.89 LBP 3.3M

0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 LBP 2.7M

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 LBP 700.5K

$7.80 LBP 698.3K

0.38%

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

$305 LBP 27.3M

$301 LBP 27.0M

1.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,511 LBP 403.7M

$4,399 LBP 393.7M

2.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

$72.2 LBP 6.5M

-3.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.73 LBP 4.0M

$45.35 LBP 4.1M

-1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 LBP 10.9M

$123 LBP 11.0M

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 LBP 8.5M

$96.2 LBP 8.6M

-1.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 LBP 70.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 LBP 33.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 LBP 175.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 LBP 86.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 LBP 352.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,952 LBP 174.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$715 LBP 64.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

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

Last update for Beirut: July 12, 2026

Last update for Baabda: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $60.0 in Beirut vs $59.0 in Baabda. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $235, with Beirut cheaper for home cooking.

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

Beirut vs Baabda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beirut and Baabda differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,390 vs $892 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,085 in Beirut and $1,338 in Baabda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $305 in Beirut versus $301 in Baabda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baabda – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $60.0 in Beirut. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $892 in Baabda versus $1,390 in Beirut, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Baabda but tight or insufficient in Beirut. The gap between the two cities makes Baabda 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.

Expats usually find Baabda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.