Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Beirut: $1,666 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index

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Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,666

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/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: $1,666 in Beirut versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Beirut $1,666
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,656 in Beirut versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Beirut $2,656
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,646 in Beirut versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Beirut $3,646
Dubai $5,872

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 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 LBP 1.1M

$12.67 AED 46.55

-3.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

$81.7 AED 300

-14.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 LBP 903.6K

$9.34 AED 34.30

8.14%

Cappuccino

$4.48 LBP 400.8K

$5.89 AED 21.62

-23.94%

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

$2.26 LBP 202.4K

$1.69 AED 6.20

33.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 LBP 79.8K

$0.78 AED 2.86

14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 LBP 450.1K

$13.66 AED 50.2

-63.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 LBP 428.8K

$13.49 AED 49.54

-64.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 LBP 172.1K

$1.84 AED 6.78

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 LBP 76.8K

$1.50 AED 5.50

-42.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 LBP 207.2K

$2.57 AED 9.45

-10.12%

Eggs

$3.63 LBP 324.6K

$3.32 AED 12.18

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 LBP 1.0M

$12.60 AED 46.28

-11.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 LBP 930.8K

$9.66 AED 35.46

7.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 LBP 1.3M

$12.78 AED 46.93

17.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 LBP 281.5K

$2.60 AED 9.54

21.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 LBP 152.9K

$1.90 AED 6.99

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 LBP 144.6K

$1.91 AED 7.02

-15.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 LBP 132.2K

$1.37 AED 5.02

8.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

$1.13 AED 4.14

7.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 LBP 144.1K

$1.01 AED 3.71

59.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 LBP 103.9K

$1.44 AED 5.30

-19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 LBP 64.7K

$0.67 AED 2.48

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 LBP 270.2K

$5.88 AED 21.59

-48.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 LBP 997.3K

$16.15 AED 59.3

-31.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 LBP 118.3K

$2.72 AED 10.00

-51.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 LBP 231.0K

$3.08 AED 11.32

-16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 LBP 204.1K

$1.60 AED 5.87

42.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 LBP 7.0M

$76.0 AED 279

2.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 LBP 439.2K

$3.24 AED 11.91

51.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 LBP 202.3K

$0.71 AED 2.61

218.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.59 LBP 2.0M

$7.96 AED 29.22

183.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 LBP 96.8K

$0.98 AED 3.62

10.20%

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

$53.2K LBP 4.8B

$27.4K AED 100.6K

94.13%

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

$32.3K LBP 2.9B

$22.0K AED 80.9K

46.70%

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

$232 LBP 20.7M

$249 AED 913

-6.71%

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

$21.83 LBP 2.0M

$54.4 AED 200

-59.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.27 LBP 3.4M

$91.5 AED 336

-58.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.5 LBP 7.5M

$103 AED 380

-19.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.39 LBP 3.1M

$42.32 AED 155

-18.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.91 LBP 887.2K

$16.29 AED 59.8

-39.17%

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

$683 LBP 61.1M

$844 AED 3,098

-19.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K LBP 969.2M

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-40.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

$67.0 AED 246

1.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.77 LBP 4.5M

$57.9 AED 213

-14.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.3M

$102 AED 375

34.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 LBP 10.7M

$98.7 AED 363

20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 LBP 84.5M

$2,393 AED 8,788

-60.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 LBP 44.2M

$1,533 AED 5,630

-67.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 LBP 196.1M

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-52.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 LBP 94.3M

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-64.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 LBP 361.7M

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-42.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 LBP 165.4M

$4,222 AED 15.5K

-56.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$698 LBP 62.5M

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-79.83%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beirut

$493 29.6%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 211% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beirut

$292 17.5%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 35.1% $102

Groceries & Markets

Beirut

$276 16.6%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 5.5% $15

Eating Out

Beirut

$229 13.7%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 33.3% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Beirut

$169 10.1%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 13.1% $22

Getting Around

Beirut

$103 6.2%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 13.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Beirut

$103 6.2%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 31.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Beirut and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 396% 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 $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $292 per month, with Beirut cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇧 Beirut

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

14:21 2:21 PM

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 = 9.94 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 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 396% 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 $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,666 per month in Beirut versus $2,896 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 $1,666 in Beirut versus $2,896 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.