Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Lebanon Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Lebanon

Name: Lebanon
Address: LB

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $944 in Lebanon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $1,471 in Lebanon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $1,997 in Lebanon.

Living in China costs about 25% less than in Lebanon on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Lebanon 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.35

$9.88 LBP 884.7K

-71.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥159

$50.4 LBP 4.5M

-53.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.75

$8.14 LBP 728.5K

-40.54%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.06

$2.81 LBP 251.3K

10.68%

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

$0.44 ¥3.00

$1.54 LBP 137.6K

-71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.88 LBP 78.5K

-67.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.64

$4.08 LBP 365.5K

-75.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

$5.04 LBP 451.5K

-59.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.47

$1.66 LBP 148.5K

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$0.72 LBP 64.5K

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.28

$1.60 LBP 142.8K

-41.88%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.03

$2.85 LBP 255.3K

-42.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥89.0

$9.72 LBP 869.6K

35.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.09

$8.59 LBP 769.2K

-62.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.9

$11.14 LBP 996.8K

-4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.19

$1.58 LBP 141.3K

13.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.77

$1.49 LBP 133.6K

-12.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.90

$1.05 LBP 93.7K

39.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.15

$1.04 LBP 93.3K

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.14

$0.82 LBP 73.8K

-7.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$1.01 LBP 90.0K

-12.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$0.81 LBP 72.5K

-29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.62 LBP 55.4K

-12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.17

$2.52 LBP 225.2K

35.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.5

$9.97 LBP 892.1K

17.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.24 LBP 110.8K

-35.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.95

$1.89 LBP 169.3K

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$2.04 LBP 182.6K

-78.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥139

$68.8 LBP 6.2M

-70.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.24

$4.98 LBP 445.5K

-72.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$1.46 LBP 130.4K

-76.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.97

$25.42 LBP 2.3M

-74.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$0.94 LBP 84.2K

19.15%

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

$19.5K ¥131.8K

$30.4K LBP 2.7B

-35.87%

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

$16.9K ¥114.1K

$25.0K LBP 2.2B

-32.63%

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

$51.7 ¥350

$176 LBP 15.8M

-70.62%

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

$10.17 ¥68.8

$34.39 LBP 3.1M

-70.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$37.24 LBP 3.3M

-70.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$50.1 LBP 4.5M

-20.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.3

$24.13 LBP 2.2M

-39.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.19

$8.08 LBP 722.8K

-21.04%

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

$407 ¥2,756

$283 LBP 25.3M

44.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

$3,784 LBP 338.7M

371.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$58.6 LBP 5.2M

-22.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥219

$52.3 LBP 4.7M

-38.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$108 LBP 9.6M

-32.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥504

$92.5 LBP 8.3M

-19.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,996

$559 LBP 50.1M

-20.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,747

$300 LBP 26.9M

-14.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,162

$1,291 LBP 115.5M

-29.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,677

$654 LBP 58.6M

-16.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.4K

$2,952 LBP 264.2M

67.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$1,592 LBP 142.5M

50.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,205

$710 LBP 63.5M

49.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.94

-62.89%

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

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lebanon: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $171 in Lebanon. Capital cities: $894 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $789 in Beirut.

National salary averages: $855 in China, $689 in Lebanon. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 68% higher in China.

Dining out costs 138% more in Lebanon.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 24% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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 $862 per month in China and $722 in Lebanon, there's a 19% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Lebanon: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Lebanon across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Lebanon, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in China 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: Lebanon wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.