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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $948 in Lebanon versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,474 in Lebanon versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,000 in Lebanon versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Lebanon is roughly 33% more expensive than China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.16 LBP 909.4K

$2.81 ¥18.98

261.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.51 LBP 4.4M

$23.30 ¥158

112.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 LBP 706.0K

$5.01 ¥33.87

57.49%

Cappuccino

$2.94 LBP 262.8K

$3.01 ¥20.38

-2.33%

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

$1.53 LBP 136.7K

$0.45 ¥3.03

240.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 LBP 84.2K

$0.29 ¥1.97

224.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 LBP 362.3K

$0.95 ¥6.41

326.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 LBP 446.2K

$2.05 ¥13.87

143.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 LBP 156.1K

$1.76 ¥11.87

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 LBP 69.5K

$1.62 ¥10.98

-51.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 LBP 138.0K

$0.95 ¥6.45

62.11%

Eggs

$2.81 LBP 251.1K

$1.56 ¥10.55

80.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 LBP 867.1K

$13.06 ¥88.3

-25.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 LBP 765.3K

$3.28 ¥22.17

160.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 LBP 966.0K

$10.65 ¥72.0

1.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 LBP 139.5K

$1.78 ¥12.03

-12.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 LBP 130.9K

$1.24 ¥8.42

17.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 LBP 93.9K

$1.50 ¥10.12

-30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 93.2K

$1.15 ¥7.79

-9.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 LBP 69.3K

$0.75 ¥5.07

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 88.4K

$0.86 ¥5.81

15.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 LBP 72.3K

$0.62 ¥4.17

30.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 LBP 56.3K

$0.56 ¥3.81

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 LBP 222.5K

$3.51 ¥23.76

-29.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.06 LBP 900.6K

$11.66 ¥78.9

-13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 LBP 107.3K

$0.80 ¥5.40

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 LBP 179.6K

$1.66 ¥11.25

21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 LBP 182.1K

$0.43 ¥2.93

372.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.1 LBP 6.4M

$20.86 ¥141

240.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 LBP 435.0K

$1.37 ¥9.26

254.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 LBP 131.9K

$0.35 ¥2.38

320.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.37 LBP 2.3M

$6.63 ¥44.82

282.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 LBP 84.9K

$1.14 ¥7.69

-16.67%

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

$29.5K LBP 2.6B

$19.2K ¥129.7K

53.55%

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

$25.0K LBP 2.2B

$16.8K ¥113.4K

49.09%

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

$178 LBP 15.9M

$51.2 ¥346

247.55%

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

$34.31 LBP 3.1M

$10.16 ¥68.7

237.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.06 LBP 3.3M

$11.51 ¥77.9

221.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 LBP 4.6M

$40.53 ¥274

25.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.62 LBP 2.1M

$15.05 ¥102

56.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.22 LBP 735.4K

$6.10 ¥41.26

34.75%

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

$274 LBP 24.6M

$402 ¥2,719

-31.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,802 LBP 340.3M

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-78.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 LBP 5.3M

$45.57 ¥308

30.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 LBP 4.7M

$33.26 ¥225

57.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 LBP 9.8M

$72.6 ¥491

50.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 LBP 8.4M

$74.5 ¥503

25.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 LBP 50.9M

$429 ¥2,903

32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 LBP 26.6M

$257 ¥1,739

15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 LBP 114.6M

$895 ¥6,055

43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 LBP 56.6M

$541 ¥3,660

16.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,990 LBP 267.6M

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-40.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,604 LBP 143.5M

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-35.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 LBP 58.5M

$1,055 ¥7,132

-38.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.06

169.46%

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

Last update for Lebanon: May 31, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $171 in Lebanon, $286 in China. Capital cities: $809 in Beirut vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $673 in Lebanon, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 67% higher in China.

Dining out costs 143% more in Lebanon.

Public transport is 29% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 28% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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

Lebanon vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $865 per month in China and $749 in Lebanon, there's a 15% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Lebanon is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.