Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Beirut

For one person, living is cheaper in Beirut: $1,644 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Beirut
Learn more

Beirut Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Beirut

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,644

/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: $2,854 in Dubai versus $1,644 in Beirut.

Dubai $2,854
Beirut $1,644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $2,637 in Beirut.

Dubai $4,321
Beirut $2,637

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $3,629 in Beirut.

Dubai $5,788
Beirut $3,629

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 113% above, Beirut 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$12.14 LBP 1.1M

7.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$70.1 LBP 6.3M

16.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$9.84 LBP 880.6K

-5.28%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$4.45 LBP 398.4K

34.16%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$2.39 LBP 214.0K

-31.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$0.90 LBP 80.7K

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

180.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$4.83 LBP 432.7K

177.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$2.00 LBP 179.3K

-9.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$0.84 LBP 75.2K

86.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$2.34 LBP 209.4K

6.41%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$3.55 LBP 318.0K

-7.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.53

$11.02 LBP 986.7K

14.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$10.76 LBP 963.3K

-9.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.40

$14.62 LBP 1.3M

-9.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$3.13 LBP 280.3K

-16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.71 LBP 153.0K

12.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$1.68 LBP 150.7K

14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$1.52 LBP 135.7K

-10.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$1.24 LBP 111.2K

-5.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.59 LBP 142.4K

-36.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$1.21 LBP 108.6K

24.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.68 LBP 61.1K

-8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$3.06 LBP 273.5K

91.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$10.91 LBP 976.2K

47.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$1.33 LBP 119.2K

99.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$2.59 LBP 232.0K

13.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$2.26 LBP 202.7K

-27.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$76.0 LBP 6.8M

-3.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$4.93 LBP 441.5K

-35.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$2.20 LBP 196.6K

-67.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$22.38 LBP 2.0M

-64.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.05 LBP 93.6K

-5.71%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$54.0K LBP 4.8B

-49.33%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$32.8K LBP 2.9B

-31.23%

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

$250 AED 920

$231 LBP 20.6M

8.54%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$22.10 LBP 2.0M

145.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$37.83 LBP 3.4M

142.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$85.5 LBP 7.7M

15.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$34.08 LBP 3.1M

25.03%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$10.02 LBP 896.8K

59.98%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$678 LBP 60.7M

24.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$10.6K LBP 951.6M

71.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$66.5 LBP 6.0M

2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 213

$48.54 LBP 4.3M

19.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$138 LBP 12.3M

-26.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$118 LBP 10.6M

-14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$944 LBP 84.5M

152.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$488 LBP 43.7M

208.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$2,203 LBP 197.2M

101.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$1,059 LBP 94.8M

184.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$3,927 LBP 351.5M

81.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$1,848 LBP 165.4M

123.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$703 LBP 62.9M

382.13%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Beirut: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Beirut

$488 29.5% 67.6% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Beirut

$291 17.6% 26.7% $106

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Beirut

$227 13.7% 26.4% $81

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Beirut

$277 16.7% 5.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Beirut

$167 10.1% 13.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Beirut

$106 6.4% 19.2% $25

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Beirut

$101 6.1% 16.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $944 in Beirut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 382% 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: $81.0 in Dubai vs $70.0 in Beirut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $277 per month, with Beirut cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇱🇧 Beirut

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

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 = 0.243 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,381 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.96 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 382% 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: $2,380 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 $2,854 per month in Dubai versus $1,644 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 $1,644 in Beirut versus $2,854 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.