Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Lebanon

Name: Lebanon
Address: LB

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $1,510 in Lebanon, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Lebanon
Learn more

Lebanon Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Lebanon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in China versus $1,510 in Lebanon.

China $793
Lebanon $1,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,261 in China versus $2,377 in Lebanon.

China $1,261
Lebanon $2,377

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,730 in China versus $3,243 in Lebanon.

China $1,730
Lebanon $3,243

Living in China costs about 48% less than in Lebanon on average.

China (41% below) and Lebanon (12% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.76

$12.11 LBP 1.1M

-75.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 ¥152

$52.5 LBP 4.7M

-56.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.70

$10.03 LBP 897.6K

-46.76%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.35

$4.16 LBP 372.4K

-26.92%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$2.06 LBP 184.2K

-76.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$0.92 LBP 82.4K

-69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.92

$4.98 LBP 445.5K

-79.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$4.67 LBP 417.5K

-51.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.02

$1.87 LBP 167.5K

-3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$0.85 LBP 76.0K

98.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.69

$2.09 LBP 187.1K

-52.15%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$3.46 LBP 309.8K

-54.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.8

$10.54 LBP 943.4K

27.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.28

$9.77 LBP 874.5K

-64.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 ¥76.8

$13.07 LBP 1.2M

-12.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$2.60 LBP 232.8K

-31.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.41

$1.74 LBP 156.0K

-27.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.92

$1.50 LBP 134.5K

-1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.33 LBP 119.4K

-1.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.16 LBP 103.8K

-37.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$1.40 LBP 125.3K

-33.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$1.04 LBP 93.4K

-41.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.79 LBP 70.5K

-26.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.65

$2.98 LBP 266.9K

28.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.4

$9.93 LBP 889.0K

19.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.72

$1.30 LBP 116.5K

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.33

$2.41 LBP 215.9K

-29.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$1.95 LBP 175.0K

-84.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 ¥150

$76.3 LBP 6.8M

-70.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$5.15 LBP 460.5K

-71.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.53

$2.03 LBP 181.5K

-81.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ¥47.04

$22.77 LBP 2.0M

-69.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$1.07 LBP 95.9K

15.89%

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

$19.2K ¥128.5K

$45.4K LBP 4.1B

-57.67%

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

$17.3K ¥115.6K

$31.7K LBP 2.8B

-45.46%

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

$54.3 ¥363

$196 LBP 17.6M

-72.36%

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

$8.34 ¥55.7

$21.04 LBP 1.9M

-60.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.77 ¥72.0

$35.82 LBP 3.2M

-69.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 ¥270

$65.5 LBP 5.9M

-38.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 ¥98.8

$29.10 LBP 2.6M

-49.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 ¥46.08

$10.14 LBP 907.6K

-32.05%

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

$457 ¥3,057

$585 LBP 52.3M

-21.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K ¥134.2K

$8,646 LBP 773.8M

132.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.10 ¥302

$74.3 LBP 6.6M

-39.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 ¥238

$50.2 LBP 4.5M

-28.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ¥521

$139 LBP 12.5M

-44.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 ¥522

$114 LBP 10.2M

-31.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ¥2,615

$793 LBP 70.9M

-50.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,549

$423 LBP 37.8M

-45.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ¥5,457

$1,765 LBP 157.9M

-53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥3,070

$882 LBP 78.9M

-47.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,585 ¥30.7K

$3,105 LBP 277.9M

47.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,309 ¥15.4K

$1,459 LBP 130.6M

58.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,247

$682 LBP 61.1M

58.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

10.88

-68.20%

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

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lebanon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.2%

Lebanon

$423 28% 82.5% $191

Groceries & Markets

China

$211 26.6%

Lebanon

$256 17% 21.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Lebanon

$170 11.3% 59.5% $63

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Lebanon

$223 14.8% 151% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$73 9.3%

Lebanon

$253 16.8% 245% $180

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.8%

Lebanon

$86 5.7% 58.3% $32

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Lebanon

$99 6.6% 269% $72

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $195 in Lebanon. Capital cities: $940 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $944 in Beirut.

National salary averages: $871 in China, $693 in Lebanon. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 53% higher in China.

Dining out costs 200% more in Lebanon.

Public transport is 325% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 26% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇱🇧 Lebanon

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

19:42 7:42 PM

5 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

6,100,075

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

China Lebanon 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Lebanon

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

China vs Lebanon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $793 per month in China and $1,510 in Lebanon, there's a 91% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Lebanon it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Lebanon may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.