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: $1,682 in Beirut versus $994 in Baabda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,685 in Beirut versus $1,602 in Baabda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,688 in Beirut versus $2,211 in Baabda.

Living in Beirut is roughly 69% more expensive than in Baabda, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Beirut is 22% above, Baabda is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.10 LBP 1.1M

$11.95 LBP 1.1M

1.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 LBP 5.8M

$63.4 LBP 5.7M

2.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 LBP 879.6K

$10.05 LBP 899.2K

-2.19%

Cappuccino

$4.77 LBP 426.8K

$4.63 LBP 414.3K

3.02%

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

$2.38 LBP 212.6K

$2.31 LBP 207.0K

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 LBP 74.5K

$0.86 LBP 76.8K

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 LBP 456.4K

$4.90 LBP 438.3K

4.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 LBP 449.5K

$5.09 LBP 455.7K

-1.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 LBP 176.0K

$1.96 LBP 175.0K

0.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 LBP 73.8K

$0.85 LBP 75.8K

-3.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 LBP 200.8K

$2.17 LBP 194.0K

3.23%

Eggs

$3.60 LBP 321.8K

$3.49 LBP 312.7K

3.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 LBP 1.2M

$13.30 LBP 1.2M

2.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 LBP 960.6K

$10.74 LBP 961.0K

-0.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 LBP 1.2M

$14.08 LBP 1.3M

-1.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 LBP 281.7K

$3.12 LBP 279.2K

0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 LBP 153.8K

$1.72 LBP 153.7K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 LBP 146.7K

$1.66 LBP 148.7K

-1.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 LBP 132.8K

$1.54 LBP 138.1K

-3.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 LBP 120.9K

$1.40 LBP 125.6K

-3.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 LBP 148.1K

$1.65 LBP 147.3K

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 LBP 103.7K

$1.17 LBP 104.8K

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 LBP 62.2K

$0.72 LBP 64.6K

-4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 LBP 271.1K

$2.92 LBP 261.2K

3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 LBP 911.1K

$10.13 LBP 907.1K

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 LBP 113.9K

$1.28 LBP 114.7K

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 LBP 231.4K

$2.56 LBP 229.5K

1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 LBP 200.4K

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 LBP 7.0M

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 LBP 445.6K

$5.14 LBP 460.5K

-3.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 LBP 200.1K

$2.23 LBP 199.2K

0.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.48 LBP 2.0M

$22.28 LBP 2.0M

0.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 LBP 89.8K

$1.04 LBP 93.2K

-3.85%

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

$52.7K LBP 4.7B

$54.4K LBP 4.9B

-3.19%

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

$32.8K LBP 2.9B

$32.7K LBP 2.9B

0.36%

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

$226 LBP 20.2M

$230 LBP 20.6M

-2.01%

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

$23.30 LBP 2.1M

$23.49 LBP 2.1M

-0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.27 LBP 3.3M

$37.89 LBP 3.4M

-1.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 LBP 7.4M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.94 LBP 3.0M

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 LBP 894.0K

$9.98 LBP 893.3K

0.10%

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

$675 LBP 60.4M

$681 LBP 61.0M

-0.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K LBP 945.1M

$10.8K LBP 962.2M

-1.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 LBP 6.1M

$68.0 LBP 6.1M

-0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 LBP 4.5M

$49.11 LBP 4.4M

2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 LBP 12.1M

$139 LBP 12.4M

-2.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 LBP 10.8M

0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$943 LBP 84.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 LBP 45.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 LBP 194.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 LBP 96.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 LBP 357.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,813 LBP 162.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 LBP 65.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Beirut: August 30, 2026

Last update for Baabda: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Beirut vs $63.0 in Baabda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $279 per month, with Baabda 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

Beirut vs Baabda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beirut and Baabda differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,682 vs $994 including rent). Baabda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,522 in Beirut and $1,490 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 $675 in Beirut versus $681 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 $63.0 versus $65.0 in Beirut. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Baabda versus $1,682 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 69% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.