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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,390 in Beirut versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,293 in Beirut versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,195 in Beirut versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Beirut costs roughly 40% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beirut 4% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 LBP 951.4K

$17.66 €15.43

-39.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 LBP 5.4M

$69.7 €60.9

-14.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 LBP 701.7K

$14.16 €12.37

-44.63%

Cappuccino

$3.32 LBP 296.7K

$2.80 €2.45

18.57%

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

$1.57 LBP 140.7K

$2.81 €2.46

-44.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 LBP 77.7K

$2.06 €1.80

-57.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 LBP 311.5K

$4.60 €4.02

-24.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 LBP 442.9K

$4.69 €4.10

5.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 LBP 158.6K

$1.23 €1.07

43.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 LBP 70.8K

$2.03 €1.78

-61.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 LBP 162.5K

$1.98 €1.73

-8.08%

Eggs

$3.10 LBP 277.8K

$3.49 €3.05

-11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 LBP 992.0K

$18.33 €16.01

-39.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 LBP 838.3K

$9.83 €8.59

-4.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 LBP 1.0M

$19.13 €16.71

-40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 LBP 155.9K

$2.73 €2.38

-36.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 LBP 130.0K

$2.38 €2.08

-39.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 LBP 102.2K

$2.08 €1.82

-45.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 LBP 94.1K

$2.75 €2.41

-61.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LBP 89.1K

$1.96 €1.71

-48.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 93.4K

$1.79 €1.57

-41.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 LBP 79.8K

$1.48 €1.29

-39.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 LBP 47.2K

$0.91 €0.80

-41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 LBP 225.9K

$7.13 €6.23

-64.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 LBP 911.3K

$7.88 €6.88

29.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 LBP 116.1K

$1.38 €1.20

-5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 LBP 190.2K

$2.39 €2.09

-10.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 LBP 176.1K

$3.01 €2.63

-34.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 LBP 6.4M

$29.35 €25.65

142.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 LBP 442.8K

$4.36 €3.81

13.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 LBP 113.2K

$2.13 €1.86

-40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.02 LBP 1.8M

$29.60 €25.86

-32.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 LBP 83.3K

$1.82 €1.59

-48.90%

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

$34.9K LBP 3.1B

$37.9K €33.1K

-8.01%

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

$28.0K LBP 2.5B

$32.4K €28.3K

-13.60%

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

$217 LBP 19.4M

$189 €165

14.72%

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

$37.42 LBP 3.3M

$22.29 €19.48

67.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.20 LBP 3.3M

$37.16 €32.47

0.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

$58.0 €50.7

17.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 LBP 2.7M

$20.66 €18.05

43.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 LBP 700.5K

$10.87 €9.50

-27.97%

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

$305 LBP 27.3M

$706 €617

-56.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,511 LBP 403.7M

$14.9K €13.0K

-69.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

$89.4 €78.2

-22.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.73 LBP 4.0M

$36.60 €31.98

22.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 LBP 10.9M

$104 €90.9

16.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 LBP 8.5M

$119 €104

-20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 LBP 70.6M

$1,579 €1,379

-50.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 LBP 33.7M

$1,238 €1,082

-69.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 LBP 175.1M

$2,712 €2,370

-27.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 LBP 86.8M

$2,039 €1,782

-52.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 LBP 352.9M

$7,527 €6,576

-47.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,952 LBP 174.7M

$5,239 €4,577

-62.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$715 LBP 64.0M

$2,364 €2,065

-69.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

3.39

229.20%

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

Last update for Beirut: July 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Beirut and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 231% 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: $60.0 in Beirut vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $320 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

Beirut vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beirut and Barcelona differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,390 vs $2,320 including rent). Beirut is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 231% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $789 in Beirut versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Beirut versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,390 in Beirut versus $2,320 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, Beirut and Barcelona 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 67% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.