Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamra and Beirut

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamra: $982 a month against $1,657 in Beirut, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hamra, Lebanon
Beirut, Lebanon
Hamra
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$982
/mo nomad
Beirut
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$1,657
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamra 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 Hamra and in Beirut actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $982 in Hamra versus $1,657 in Beirut.

  • Hamra $982
  • Beirut $1,657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,583 in Hamra versus $2,643 in Beirut.

  • Hamra $1,583
  • Beirut $2,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,183 in Hamra versus $3,628 in Beirut.

  • Hamra $2,183
  • Beirut $3,628

Living in Hamra costs roughly 41% less than in Beirut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamra is 28% below, Beirut is 22% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamra
Beirut
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.96 LBP 1.1M
$12.13 LBP 1.1M
-1.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.7 LBP 6.1M
$68.2 LBP 6.1M
-0.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.85 LBP 882.0K
$9.86 LBP 882.6K
-0.10%
Cappuccino
$4.62 LBP 413.2K
$4.46 LBP 399.2K
3.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 LBP 213.7K
$2.34 LBP 209.6K
2.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 LBP 80.0K
$0.90 LBP 80.9K
-1.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.94 LBP 441.9K
$5.10 LBP 456.3K
-3.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.76 LBP 426.3K
$4.89 LBP 437.7K
-2.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamra
Beirut
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.02 LBP 180.4K
$2.02 LBP 180.5K
-
White Bread (500g)
$0.84 LBP 75.5K
$0.91 LBP 81.4K
-7.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 LBP 194.8K
$2.20 LBP 196.6K
-0.91%
Eggs
$3.60 LBP 322.2K
$3.61 LBP 323.5K
-0.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.26 LBP 1.0M
$10.87 LBP 973.3K
3.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.44 LBP 934.4K
$10.58 LBP 947.2K
-1.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.67 LBP 1.3M
$15.12 LBP 1.4M
-2.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.01 LBP 269.4K
$3.10 LBP 277.0K
-2.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 LBP 152.1K
$1.67 LBP 149.2K
1.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.67 LBP 149.4K
$1.70 LBP 151.9K
-1.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.54 LBP 137.8K
$1.54 LBP 137.9K
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.25 LBP 112.3K
$1.26 LBP 113.1K
-0.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 LBP 139.6K
$1.53 LBP 137.3K
1.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 LBP 104.5K
$1.16 LBP 103.9K
0.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 LBP 64.9K
$0.71 LBP 63.8K
2.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.91 LBP 260.7K
$2.96 LBP 265.2K
-1.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.95 LBP 979.8K
$11.04 LBP 988.5K
-0.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 LBP 119.3K
$1.32 LBP 118.0K
0.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 LBP 223.6K
$2.60 LBP 233.0K
-3.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamra
Beirut
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.53 LBP 136.9K
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$75.4 LBP 6.7M
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.12 LBP 458.1K
$5.04 LBP 451.2K
1.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.28 LBP 204.0K
$2.28 LBP 204.0K
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.80 LBP 2.0M
$22.53 LBP 2.0M
1.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 LBP 97.9K
$1.04 LBP 93.2K
4.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$53.1K LBP 4.7B
$53.3K LBP 4.8B
-0.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.4K LBP 2.9B
$33.3K LBP 3.0B
-2.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamra
Beirut
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$211 LBP 18.9M
$210 LBP 18.8M
0.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.94 LBP 2.1M
$23.80 LBP 2.1M
0.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.49 LBP 3.4M
$37.87 LBP 3.4M
1.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamra
Beirut
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$95.9 LBP 8.6M
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$33.37 LBP 3.0M
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.03 LBP 897.7K
$10.16 LBP 909.0K
-1.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamra
Beirut
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$689 LBP 61.7M
$677 LBP 60.6M
1.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K LBP 959.7M
$10.5K LBP 940.9M
2.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamra
Beirut
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.2 LBP 6.0M
$66.4 LBP 5.9M
1.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.06 LBP 4.4M
$49.92 LBP 4.5M
-1.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 LBP 12.3M
$141 LBP 12.7M
-3.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 LBP 10.9M
$121 LBP 10.8M
1.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamra
Beirut
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$946 LBP 84.7M
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$495 LBP 44.3M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,209 LBP 197.7M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,044 LBP 93.4M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,473 LBP 400.3M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,892 LBP 169.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamra
Beirut
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$710 LBP 63.6M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
11
-

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

Last update for Hamra: October 25, 2026

Last update for Beirut: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Hamra
$275
Beirut
$277 0.8% $2.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamra
$274
Beirut
$271 0.9% $2.4
Eating Out
Hamra
$228
Beirut
$228 0.2% $0.4
Clothing & Footwear
Hamra
$169
Beirut
$170 0.8% $1.4
Sport & Entertainment
Hamra
$20 *
Beirut
$116 479% $96
Getting Around
Hamra
$17 *
Beirut
$98 493% $81
Accommodation & Living
Hamra
- *
Beirut
$495

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $68 in Hamra vs $68 in Beirut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $277 per month, with Hamra cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇱🇧 Hamra
🇱🇧 Beirut
🕒 Local time
16:01 4:01 PM
16:01 4:01 PM
Same time as Hamra
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,251,739
1,916,100 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to LBP – Lebanese Pound Converter

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,611 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamra Beirut 2 km
From you
  • Hamra
  • 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
Hamra vs Beirut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hamra cheaper than Beirut?
Hamra is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,474 in Hamra and $2,485 in Beirut to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $689 in Hamra versus $677 in Beirut. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
What are total monthly expenses in Hamra and in Beirut?
All in, you’ll spend $982 per month in Hamra versus $1,657 in Beirut – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Hamra or in Beirut?
At $982 in Hamra versus $1,657 in Beirut, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hamra but tight or insufficient in Beirut. The gap between the two cities makes Hamra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Hamra or in Beirut?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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