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: $944 in Lebanon versus $712 in China.

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.88 LBP 884.7K

$2.86 ¥19.35

245.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 LBP 4.5M

$23.44 ¥159

114.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 LBP 728.5K

$4.84 ¥32.75

68.18%

Cappuccino

$2.81 LBP 251.3K

$3.11 ¥21.06

-9.65%

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

$1.54 LBP 137.6K

$0.44 ¥3.00

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 LBP 78.5K

$0.29 ¥1.99

203.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 LBP 365.5K

$0.98 ¥6.64

316.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 LBP 451.5K

$2.05 ¥13.88

145.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 LBP 148.5K

$1.84 ¥12.47

-9.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 LBP 64.5K

$1.62 ¥10.94

-55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 LBP 142.8K

$0.93 ¥6.28

72.04%

Eggs

$2.85 LBP 255.3K

$1.63 ¥11.03

74.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 LBP 869.6K

$13.15 ¥89.0

-26.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 LBP 769.2K

$3.26 ¥22.09

163.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 LBP 996.8K

$10.62 ¥71.9

4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 LBP 141.3K

$1.80 ¥12.19

-12.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 LBP 133.6K

$1.30 ¥8.77

14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 LBP 93.7K

$1.46 ¥9.90

-28.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 93.3K

$1.20 ¥8.15

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 LBP 73.8K

$0.76 ¥5.14

7.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 LBP 90.0K

$0.88 ¥5.93

14.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 LBP 72.5K

$0.57 ¥3.86

42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 LBP 55.4K

$0.54 ¥3.63

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 LBP 225.2K

$3.42 ¥23.17

-26.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.97 LBP 892.1K

$11.75 ¥79.5

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 LBP 110.8K

$0.80 ¥5.40

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 LBP 169.3K

$1.62 ¥10.95

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 LBP 182.6K

$0.43 ¥2.94

374.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 LBP 6.2M

$20.47 ¥139

236.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 LBP 445.5K

$1.36 ¥9.24

266.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 LBP 130.4K

$0.35 ¥2.39

317.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.42 LBP 2.3M

$6.50 ¥43.97

291.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 LBP 84.2K

$1.12 ¥7.59

-16.07%

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

$30.4K LBP 2.7B

$19.5K ¥131.8K

55.94%

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

$25.0K LBP 2.2B

$16.9K ¥114.1K

48.43%

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

$176 LBP 15.8M

$51.7 ¥350

240.41%

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

$34.39 LBP 3.1M

$10.17 ¥68.8

238.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 LBP 3.3M

$11.16 ¥75.5

233.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 LBP 4.5M

$39.62 ¥268

26.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.13 LBP 2.2M

$14.53 ¥98.3

66.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.08 LBP 722.8K

$6.38 ¥43.19

26.65%

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

$283 LBP 25.3M

$407 ¥2,756

-30.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,784 LBP 338.7M

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-78.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 LBP 5.2M

$45.53 ¥308

28.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 LBP 4.7M

$32.31 ¥219

61.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 LBP 9.6M

$72.6 ¥491

48.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 LBP 8.3M

$74.4 ¥504

24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 LBP 50.1M

$443 ¥2,996

26.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 LBP 26.9M

$258 ¥1,747

16.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 LBP 115.5M

$910 ¥6,162

41.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$654 LBP 58.6M

$543 ¥3,677

20.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 LBP 264.2M

$4,934 ¥33.4K

-40.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,592 LBP 142.5M

$2,398 ¥16.2K

-33.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 LBP 63.5M

$1,065 ¥7,205

-33.31%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $689 in Lebanon, $855 in China. 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

Lebanon vs China: 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.