Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Beirut

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.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
Learn more

Beirut Living Index

Jump to prices

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Beirut

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,666 in Beirut.

Dubai $2,896
Beirut $1,666

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

Dubai $4,384
Beirut $2,656

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

Dubai $5,872
Beirut $3,646

Living in Dubai is roughly 74% more expensive than in Beirut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dubai 115% above, Beirut 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 AED 46.55

$12.20 LBP 1.1M

3.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 AED 300

$69.7 LBP 6.2M

17.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 AED 34.30

$10.10 LBP 903.6K

-7.52%

Cappuccino

$5.89 AED 21.62

$4.48 LBP 400.8K

31.47%

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

$1.69 AED 6.20

$2.26 LBP 202.4K

-25.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$0.89 LBP 79.8K

-12.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$5.03 LBP 450.1K

171.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.49 AED 49.54

$4.79 LBP 428.8K

181.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.78

$1.92 LBP 172.1K

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 AED 5.50

$0.86 LBP 76.8K

74.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 AED 9.45

$2.31 LBP 207.2K

11.26%

Eggs

$3.32 AED 12.18

$3.63 LBP 324.6K

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 AED 46.28

$11.19 LBP 1.0M

12.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 AED 35.46

$10.40 LBP 930.8K

-7.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 AED 46.93

$15.04 LBP 1.3M

-15.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.54

$3.15 LBP 281.5K

-17.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.99

$1.71 LBP 152.9K

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.02

$1.62 LBP 144.6K

17.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 AED 5.02

$1.48 LBP 132.2K

-7.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.14

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

-6.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.61 LBP 144.1K

-37.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$1.16 LBP 103.9K

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 AED 2.48

$0.72 LBP 64.7K

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 AED 21.59

$3.02 LBP 270.2K

94.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.15 AED 59.3

$11.14 LBP 997.3K

44.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.00

$1.32 LBP 118.3K

106.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 AED 11.32

$2.58 LBP 231.0K

19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 AED 5.87

$2.28 LBP 204.1K

-29.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 AED 279

$77.9 LBP 7.0M

-2.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 AED 11.91

$4.91 LBP 439.2K

-34.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.61

$2.26 LBP 202.3K

-68.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.22

$22.59 LBP 2.0M

-64.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 AED 3.62

$1.08 LBP 96.8K

-9.26%

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

$27.4K AED 100.6K

$53.2K LBP 4.8B

-48.49%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$32.3K LBP 2.9B

-31.83%

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

$249 AED 913

$232 LBP 20.7M

7.19%

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

$54.4 AED 200

$21.83 LBP 2.0M

149.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.5 AED 336

$38.27 LBP 3.4M

139.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 AED 380

$83.5 LBP 7.5M

23.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.32 AED 155

$34.39 LBP 3.1M

23.06%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 AED 59.8

$9.91 LBP 887.2K

64.38%

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

$844 AED 3,098

$683 LBP 61.1M

23.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$10.8K LBP 969.2M

68.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 AED 246

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

-1.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$49.77 LBP 4.5M

16.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 AED 375

$138 LBP 12.3M

-25.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 AED 363

$119 LBP 10.7M

-17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 AED 8,788

$944 LBP 84.5M

153.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 AED 5,630

$493 LBP 44.2M

210.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,594 AED 16.9K

$2,191 LBP 196.1M

109.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,939 AED 10.8K

$1,053 LBP 94.3M

179.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,046 AED 25.9K

$4,042 LBP 361.7M

74.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,222 AED 15.5K

$1,848 LBP 165.4M

128.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 AED 12.7K

$698 LBP 62.5M

395.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

-58.73%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Beirut: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9%

Beirut

$493 29.6% 67.8% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$394 13.6%

Beirut

$292 17.5% 26% $102

Eating Out

Dubai

$305 10.5%

Beirut

$229 13.7% 25% $76

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$292 10.1%

Beirut

$276 16.6% 5.2% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Beirut

$169 10.1% 15% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$136 4.7%

Beirut

$103 6.2% 24% $33

Getting Around

Dubai

$89 3.1%

Beirut

$103 6.2% 15.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,393 in Dubai and $944 in Beirut. 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: $82.0 in Dubai vs $70.0 in Beirut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $276 per month, with Beirut cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇱🇧 Beirut

🕒 Local time

21:08 9:08 PM

20:08 8:08 PM

1 h behind Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

1,916,100 Capital

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 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 AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Dubai
Beirut

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

Dubai vs Beirut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 396% higher in Dubai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,393 in Dubai versus $944 in Beirut. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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