Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Beirut: $1,644 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
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Beirut Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,644

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beirut and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,644 in Beirut versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Beirut $1,644
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,637 in Beirut versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Beirut $2,637
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,629 in Beirut versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Beirut $3,629
Dubai $5,788

Living in Beirut costs roughly 42% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beirut 23% above, Dubai 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 LBP 1.1M

$13.04 AED 47.89

-6.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 LBP 6.3M

$81.4 AED 299

-13.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 LBP 880.6K

$9.32 AED 34.25

5.58%

Cappuccino

$4.45 LBP 398.4K

$5.97 AED 21.93

-25.46%

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

$2.39 LBP 214.0K

$1.63 AED 5.98

46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 LBP 80.7K

$0.81 AED 2.99

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

$13.65 AED 50.1

-64.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 LBP 432.7K

$13.38 AED 49.15

-63.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 LBP 179.3K

$1.81 AED 6.64

10.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 LBP 75.2K

$1.57 AED 5.78

-46.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 LBP 209.4K

$2.49 AED 9.16

-6.02%

Eggs

$3.55 LBP 318.0K

$3.28 AED 12.04

8.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 LBP 986.7K

$12.67 AED 46.53

-13.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 LBP 963.3K

$9.75 AED 35.80

10.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 LBP 1.3M

$13.18 AED 48.40

10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 LBP 280.3K

$2.61 AED 9.57

19.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 LBP 153.0K

$1.93 AED 7.09

-11.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 LBP 150.7K

$1.92 AED 7.05

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 LBP 135.7K

$1.36 AED 5.00

11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 LBP 111.2K

$1.17 AED 4.29

5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 LBP 142.4K

$1.01 AED 3.71

57.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

$1.51 AED 5.56

-19.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 LBP 61.1K

$0.62 AED 2.29

9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 LBP 273.5K

$5.85 AED 21.50

-47.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 LBP 976.2K

$16.14 AED 59.3

-32.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 LBP 119.2K

$2.65 AED 9.74

-49.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 LBP 232.0K

$2.95 AED 10.82

-12.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 LBP 202.7K

$1.64 AED 6.03

37.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 LBP 6.8M

$73.6 AED 270

3.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 LBP 441.5K

$3.17 AED 11.66

55.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 LBP 196.6K

$0.71 AED 2.63

209.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.38 LBP 2.0M

$7.96 AED 29.23

181.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 LBP 93.6K

$0.99 AED 3.64

6.06%

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

$54.0K LBP 4.8B

$27.4K AED 100.5K

97.35%

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

$32.8K LBP 2.9B

$22.5K AED 82.8K

45.40%

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

$231 LBP 20.6M

$250 AED 920

-7.87%

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

$22.10 LBP 2.0M

$54.2 AED 199

-59.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.83 LBP 3.4M

$91.8 AED 337

-58.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.5 LBP 7.7M

$98.6 AED 362

-13.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.08 LBP 3.1M

$42.61 AED 156

-20.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 LBP 896.8K

$16.03 AED 58.9

-37.49%

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

$678 LBP 60.7M

$843 AED 3,098

-19.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K LBP 951.6M

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-41.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 LBP 6.0M

$68.0 AED 250

-2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.54 LBP 4.3M

$57.9 AED 213

-16.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.3M

$101 AED 370

36.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 LBP 10.6M

$101 AED 371

16.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 LBP 84.5M

$2,380 AED 8,741

-60.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 LBP 43.7M

$1,506 AED 5,531

-67.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,203 LBP 197.2M

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-50.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 LBP 94.8M

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-64.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,927 LBP 351.5M

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-44.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 LBP 165.4M

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-55.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$703 LBP 62.9M

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-79.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

142.29%

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

Last update for Beirut: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beirut

$488 29.5%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 208% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beirut

$291 17.6%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 36.4% $106

Groceries & Markets

Beirut

$277 16.7%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 5.8% $16

Eating Out

Beirut

$227 13.7%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 35.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Beirut

$167 10.1%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 11.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Beirut

$106 6.4%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 23.8% $25

Getting Around

Beirut

$101 6.1%

Dubai

$87 3% 13.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Beirut and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 382% 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: $70.0 in Beirut vs $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $293 per month, with Beirut cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇧 Beirut

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

05:23 5:23 AM

06:23 6:23 AM

1 h ahead of Beirut

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,916,100 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, 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).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to LBP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Beirut Dubai 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Beirut
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beirut is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 382% lower in Dubai. 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 $2,380 in Dubai. 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 $2,854 in Dubai – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Beirut runs roughly 3% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,644 in Beirut versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Beirut but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Beirut the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Beirut and Dubai 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 74% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.