Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beirut and Heredia

For one person, living is cheaper in Beirut: $1,666 a month against $1,806 in Heredia, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Heredia despite lower rent and utilities.

81

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
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Beirut Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Heredia
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Heredia Living Index

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Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,666

/mo nomad

Heredia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beirut and in Heredia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,666 in Beirut versus $1,806 in Heredia.

Beirut $1,666
Heredia $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,656 in Beirut versus $2,845 in Heredia.

Beirut $2,656
Heredia $2,845

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,646 in Beirut versus $3,883 in Heredia.

Beirut $3,646
Heredia $3,883

Living in Beirut costs roughly 8% less than in Heredia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Beirut 23% above, Heredia 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 LBP 1.1M

$12.19 ₡5,466

0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

$59.2 ₡26.6K

17.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 LBP 903.6K

$10.61 ₡4,758

-4.81%

Cappuccino

$4.48 LBP 400.8K

$3.76 ₡1,687

19.15%

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

$2.26 LBP 202.4K

$2.17 ₡971

4.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 LBP 79.8K

$1.70 ₡762

-47.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 LBP 450.1K

$2.04 ₡915

146.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 LBP 428.8K

$4.02 ₡1,802

19.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 LBP 172.1K

$2.22 ₡995

-13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 LBP 76.8K

$2.52 ₡1,132

-65.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 LBP 207.2K

$2.63 ₡1,181

-12.17%

Eggs

$3.63 LBP 324.6K

$7.72 ₡3,464

-52.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 LBP 1.0M

$11.46 ₡5,141

-2.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 LBP 930.8K

$14.86 ₡6,666

-30.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 LBP 1.3M

$16.97 ₡7,613

-11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 LBP 281.5K

$10.37 ₡4,652

-69.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 LBP 152.9K

$2.90 ₡1,299

-41.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 LBP 144.6K

$4.98 ₡2,232

-67.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 LBP 132.2K

$3.25 ₡1,456

-54.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

$3.46 ₡1,550

-65.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 LBP 144.1K

$4.50 ₡2,017

-64.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 LBP 103.9K

$2.14 ₡960

-45.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 LBP 64.7K

$4.64 ₡2,082

-84.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 LBP 270.2K

$5.37 ₡2,409

-43.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 LBP 997.3K

$14.08 ₡6,317

-20.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 LBP 118.3K

$2.54 ₡1,138

-48.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 LBP 231.0K

$4.69 ₡2,101

-44.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 LBP 204.1K

$1.34 ₡599

70.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 LBP 7.0M

$16.52 ₡7,410

371.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 LBP 439.2K

$2.69 ₡1,206

82.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 LBP 202.3K

$2.78 ₡1,246

-18.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.59 LBP 2.0M

$10.98 ₡4,926

105.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 LBP 96.8K

$1.53 ₡685

-29.41%

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

$53.2K LBP 4.8B

$33.0K ₡14.8M

61.00%

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

$32.3K LBP 2.9B

$41.8K ₡18.8M

-22.76%

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

$232 LBP 20.7M

$105 ₡47.0K

121.09%

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

$21.83 LBP 2.0M

$26.36 ₡11.8K

-17.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.27 LBP 3.4M

$52.8 ₡23.7K

-27.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.5 LBP 7.5M

$73.7 ₡33.1K

13.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.39 LBP 3.1M

$22.24 ₡9,973

54.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.91 LBP 887.2K

$11.39 ₡5,109

-12.99%

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

$683 LBP 61.1M

$702 ₡314.9K

-2.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K LBP 969.2M

$18.4K ₡8.3M

-41.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

$89.6 ₡40.2K

-23.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.77 LBP 4.5M

$65.6 ₡29.4K

-24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 LBP 12.3M

$138 ₡61.7K

-0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 LBP 10.7M

$108 ₡48.5K

10.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 LBP 84.5M

$970 ₡434.9K

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 LBP 44.2M

$611 ₡274.0K

-19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 LBP 196.1M

$1,810 ₡811.9K

21.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 LBP 94.3M

$1,127 ₡505.6K

-6.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 LBP 361.7M

$2,077 ₡931.4K

94.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 LBP 165.4M

$1,443 ₡647.3K

28.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$698 LBP 62.5M

$1,338 ₡600.0K

-47.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-15.38%

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

Last update for Beirut: October 12, 2026

Last update for Heredia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beirut

$493 29.6%

Heredia

$611 33.8% 23.8% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beirut

$292 17.5%

Heredia

$184 10.2% 37% $108

Groceries & Markets

Beirut

$276 16.6%

Heredia

$488 27% 76.5% $211

Eating Out

Beirut

$229 13.7%

Heredia

$208 11.5% 9.1% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Beirut

$169 10.1%

Heredia

$180 10% 7% $12

Getting Around

Beirut

$103 6.2%

Heredia

$38 2.1% 62.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Beirut

$103 6.2%

Heredia

$96 5.3% 6.6% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $944 in Beirut and $970 in Heredia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heredia pays 92% 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 $59.0 in Heredia. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $488, with Beirut cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇱🇧 Beirut

🇨🇷 Heredia

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

06:35 6:35 AM

9 h behind Beirut

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,916,100 Capital

117,000

💱 Currency

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇧 Lebanese Pound (ل.ل)

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to LBP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Beirut Heredia 12,000 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Beirut
Heredia

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 Heredia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beirut is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Heredia. 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 $970 in Heredia. 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 $1,806 in Heredia – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Beirut runs roughly 371% less than in Heredia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,666 in Beirut versus $1,806 in Heredia, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Beirut but tight or insufficient in Heredia. 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 Heredia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Beirut and Heredia 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 8% less than in Heredia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.