Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Cape Town

For one person, living costs are similar in Beirut and in Cape Town: $1,644 and $1,568 a month, rent and utilities included.

81

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
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Beirut Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,644

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beirut and in Cape Town

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 Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,644 in Beirut versus $1,568 in Cape Town.

Beirut $1,644
Cape Town $1,568

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,637 in Beirut versus $2,438 in Cape Town.

Beirut $2,637
Cape Town $2,438

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,629 in Beirut versus $3,307 in Cape Town.

Beirut $3,629
Cape Town $3,307

Living in Beirut is roughly 5% more expensive than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beirut 23% above, Cape Town 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 LBP 1.1M

$11.78 R 194

3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 LBP 6.3M

$46.55 R 768

50.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 LBP 880.6K

$5.96 R 98.4

65.10%

Cappuccino

$4.45 LBP 398.4K

$2.47 R 40.80

80.16%

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

$2.39 LBP 214.0K

$1.33 R 21.91

79.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 LBP 80.7K

$1.03 R 16.99

-12.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

$3.01 R 49.72

61.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 LBP 432.7K

$3.66 R 60.4

31.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 LBP 179.3K

$1.39 R 22.96

43.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 LBP 75.2K

$1.19 R 19.60

-29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 LBP 209.4K

$2.11 R 34.84

10.90%

Eggs

$3.55 LBP 318.0K

$3.01 R 49.58

17.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 LBP 986.7K

$8.96 R 148

22.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 LBP 963.3K

$6.65 R 110

61.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 LBP 1.3M

$9.29 R 153

57.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 LBP 280.3K

$1.83 R 30.13

71.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 LBP 153.0K

$1.90 R 31.31

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 LBP 150.7K

$1.75 R 28.83

-4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 LBP 135.7K

$2.09 R 34.41

-27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 LBP 111.2K

$1.55 R 25.64

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 LBP 142.4K

$1.49 R 24.53

6.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

$1.30 R 21.41

-6.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 LBP 61.1K

$1.16 R 19.19

-41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 LBP 273.5K

$3.71 R 61.2

-17.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 LBP 976.2K

$6.06 R 100

80.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 LBP 119.2K

$1.39 R 22.85

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 LBP 232.0K

$2.20 R 36.32

17.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 LBP 202.7K

$1.51 R 24.98

49.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 LBP 6.8M

$61.0 R 1,006

24.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 LBP 441.5K

$0.63 R 10.33

682.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 LBP 196.6K

$1.53 R 25.29

43.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.38 LBP 2.0M

$4.81 R 79.4

365.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 LBP 93.6K

$1.58 R 26.08

-33.54%

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

$54.0K LBP 4.8B

$35.5K R 585.7K

52.17%

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

$32.8K LBP 2.9B

$31.7K R 523.8K

3.23%

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

$231 LBP 20.6M

$116 R 1,920

98.23%

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

$22.10 LBP 2.0M

$28.37 R 468

-22.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.83 LBP 3.4M

$40.69 R 671

-7.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.5 LBP 7.7M

$48.85 R 806

75.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.08 LBP 3.1M

$11.13 R 184

206.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 LBP 896.8K

$8.83 R 146

13.48%

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

$678 LBP 60.7M

$261 R 4,314

159.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K LBP 951.6M

$6,702 R 110.6K

58.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 LBP 6.0M

$55.4 R 914

20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.54 LBP 4.3M

$32.27 R 532

50.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.3M

$118 R 1,939

17.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 LBP 10.6M

$107 R 1,766

10.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 LBP 84.5M

$1,015 R 16.7K

-6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 LBP 43.7M

$715 R 11.8K

-31.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 LBP 197.2M

$1,801 R 29.7K

22.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 LBP 94.8M

$1,330 R 22.0K

-20.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,927 LBP 351.5M

$2,331 R 38.5K

68.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 LBP 165.4M

$1,513 R 25.0K

22.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 LBP 62.9M

$1,636 R 27.0K

-57.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

0.27%

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

Last update for Beirut: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beirut

$488 29.5%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 46.5% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beirut

$291 17.6%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 36.2% $105

Groceries & Markets

Beirut

$277 16.7%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 19.6% $54

Eating Out

Beirut

$227 13.7%

Cape Town

$174 11% 23.6% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Beirut

$167 10.1%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 15.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Beirut

$106 6.4%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 37% $39

Getting Around

Beirut

$101 6.1%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 25.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Beirut and $1,015 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 133% 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 $47.00 in Cape Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $222 per month, with Cape Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇧 Beirut

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

1 h behind Beirut

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,916,100 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to LBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Beirut Cape Town 7,750 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Beirut
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 133% lower in Cape Town. 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 $1,015 in Cape Town. 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 $1,568 in Cape Town – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cape Town runs roughly 25% less than in Beirut. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,568 in Cape Town versus $1,644 in Beirut, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cape Town but tight or insufficient in Beirut. The gap between the two cities makes Cape Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cape Town 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.

Expats usually find Cape Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Beirut. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.