Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Budapest

For one person, living costs are similar in Beirut and in Budapest: $1,644 and $1,621 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
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Beirut Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,644

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beirut and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Beirut and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,644 in Beirut versus $1,621 in Budapest.

Beirut $1,644
Budapest $1,621

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,637 in Beirut versus $2,555 in Budapest.

Beirut $2,637
Budapest $2,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,629 in Beirut versus $3,489 in Budapest.

Beirut $3,629
Budapest $3,489

Living in Beirut is roughly 1% more expensive than in Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beirut 23% above, Budapest 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 LBP 1.1M

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-13.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 LBP 6.3M

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

16.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 LBP 880.6K

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$4.45 LBP 398.4K

$3.38 Ft 1,100

31.66%

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

$2.39 LBP 214.0K

$2.13 Ft 692

12.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 LBP 80.7K

$1.87 Ft 608

-51.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

$3.75 Ft 1,221

29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 LBP 432.7K

$3.57 Ft 1,162

35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 LBP 179.3K

$1.13 Ft 368

76.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 LBP 75.2K

$1.84 Ft 599

-54.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 LBP 209.4K

$2.39 Ft 777

-2.09%

Eggs

$3.55 LBP 318.0K

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-7.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 LBP 986.7K

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-2.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 LBP 963.3K

$6.74 Ft 2,192

59.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 LBP 1.3M

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-0.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 LBP 280.3K

$1.84 Ft 597

70.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 LBP 153.0K

$2.01 Ft 653

-14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 LBP 150.7K

$2.36 Ft 767

-28.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 LBP 135.7K

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-59.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 LBP 111.2K

$0.96 Ft 313

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 LBP 142.4K

$1.03 Ft 334

54.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

$1.56 Ft 509

-22.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 LBP 61.1K

$0.66 Ft 216

3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 LBP 273.5K

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-61.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 LBP 976.2K

$6.01 Ft 1,954

81.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 LBP 119.2K

$1.30 Ft 421

2.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 LBP 232.0K

$2.08 Ft 676

24.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 LBP 202.7K

$1.50 Ft 489

50.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 LBP 6.8M

$27.61 Ft 8,982

175.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 LBP 441.5K

$3.30 Ft 1,074

49.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 LBP 196.6K

$1.30 Ft 424

69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.38 LBP 2.0M

$19.78 Ft 6,436

13.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 LBP 93.6K

$1.81 Ft 591

-41.99%

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

$54.0K LBP 4.8B

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

84.19%

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

$32.8K LBP 2.9B

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-3.91%

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

$231 LBP 20.6M

$170 Ft 55.3K

35.75%

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

$22.10 LBP 2.0M

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-7.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.83 LBP 3.4M

$23.42 Ft 7,621

61.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.5 LBP 7.7M

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

29.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.08 LBP 3.1M

$19.18 Ft 6,239

77.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 LBP 896.8K

$9.52 Ft 3,098

5.25%

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

$678 LBP 60.7M

$537 Ft 174.6K

26.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K LBP 951.6M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-35.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 LBP 6.0M

$101 Ft 33.0K

-34.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.54 LBP 4.3M

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

12.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.3M

$113 Ft 36.7K

22.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 LBP 10.6M

$119 Ft 38.6K

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 LBP 84.5M

$805 Ft 262.0K

17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 LBP 43.7M

$629 Ft 204.7K

-22.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 LBP 197.2M

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

42.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 LBP 94.8M

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-9.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,927 LBP 351.5M

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-30.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 LBP 165.4M

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-53.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 LBP 62.9M

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-56.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

71.07%

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

Last update for Beirut: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Beirut

$488 29.5%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 28.9% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beirut

$291 17.6%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 25.2% $73

Groceries & Markets

Beirut

$277 16.7%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 6.9% $19

Eating Out

Beirut

$227 13.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 1.3% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Beirut

$167 10.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 1.4% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Beirut

$106 6.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 19.2% $20

Getting Around

Beirut

$101 6.1%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 57% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Beirut and $805 in Budapest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Budapest pays 131% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Beirut vs $60.0 in Budapest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $258 per month, with Budapest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇧 Beirut

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

1 h behind Beirut

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,916,100 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇧 Lebanese Pound (ل.ل)

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,381 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to LBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Beirut Budapest 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Beirut
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budapest is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 131% lower in Budapest. 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: $944 in Beirut versus $805 in Budapest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,644 per month in Beirut versus $1,621 in Budapest – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Budapest runs roughly 175% less than in Beirut. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,621 in Budapest versus $1,644 in Beirut, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Budapest but tight or insufficient in Beirut. The gap between the two cities makes Budapest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Budapest is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Beirut, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Beirut and Budapest 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 Budapest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.