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: $1,041 in Lebanon versus $719 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,647 in Lebanon versus $1,145 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,252 in Lebanon versus $1,570 in China.

Living in Lebanon is roughly 45% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Lebanon 24% lower, China 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.94 LBP 979.0K

$2.90 ¥19.44

277.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 LBP 4.5M

$22.13 ¥148

129.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 LBP 910.6K

$5.31 ¥35.61

91.53%

Cappuccino

$4.06 LBP 363.5K

$2.99 ¥20.06

35.79%

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

$2.15 LBP 192.6K

$0.48 ¥3.21

347.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 LBP 81.9K

$0.30 ¥2.03

203.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 LBP 451.1K

$1.02 ¥6.83

394.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 LBP 453.9K

$2.21 ¥14.83

129.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 LBP 158.0K

$1.74 ¥11.67

1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 LBP 78.5K

$1.68 ¥11.24

-47.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 LBP 178.3K

$0.96 ¥6.43

107.29%

Eggs

$3.51 LBP 314.4K

$1.54 ¥10.35

127.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.05 LBP 988.6K

$13.51 ¥90.7

-18.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.14 LBP 907.3K

$3.48 ¥23.35

191.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.46 LBP 1.1M

$11.34 ¥76.1

9.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 LBP 239.1K

$1.88 ¥12.59

42.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 LBP 150.3K

$1.29 ¥8.68

30.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 LBP 135.2K

$1.52 ¥10.18

-0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 LBP 115.7K

$1.27 ¥8.54

1.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 LBP 108.3K

$0.72 ¥4.84

68.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 LBP 132.4K

$0.88 ¥5.90

68.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 LBP 93.1K

$0.61 ¥4.06

70.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 LBP 72.2K

$0.55 ¥3.72

47.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 LBP 264.1K

$3.73 ¥25.04

-20.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 LBP 882.5K

$11.87 ¥79.6

-16.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 LBP 120.4K

$0.90 ¥6.04

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 LBP 206.2K

$1.68 ¥11.28

36.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 LBP 183.7K

$0.29 ¥1.94

606.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 LBP 6.8M

$22.23 ¥149

243.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 LBP 441.3K

$1.52 ¥10.18

224.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 LBP 177.7K

$0.37 ¥2.49

437.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.75 LBP 2.0M

$7.33 ¥49.17

210.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 LBP 92.1K

$1.22 ¥8.20

-15.57%

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

$44.3K LBP 4.0B

$19.3K ¥129.5K

129.51%

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

$31.8K LBP 2.8B

$17.1K ¥114.9K

85.53%

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

$199 LBP 17.8M

$53.8 ¥361

269.56%

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

$22.25 LBP 2.0M

$8.71 ¥58.5

155.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.94 LBP 3.3M

$10.93 ¥73.3

237.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.2 LBP 5.7M

$40.74 ¥273

57.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.41 LBP 2.6M

$14.53 ¥97.5

102.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 LBP 911.6K

$6.55 ¥43.93

55.57%

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

$578 LBP 51.7M

$457 ¥3,066

26.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,184 LBP 732.5M

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-58.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 LBP 6.5M

$45.62 ¥306

60.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.43 LBP 4.4M

$35.90 ¥241

37.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 LBP 12.5M

$76.1 ¥511

83.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 LBP 9.9M

$76.4 ¥513

44.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 LBP 70.5M

$385 ¥2,582

104.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 LBP 38.5M

$239 ¥1,603

80.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 LBP 156.2M

$840 ¥5,634

107.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 LBP 80.3M

$484 ¥3,246

85.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,084 LBP 276.0M

$4,581 ¥30.7K

-32.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,459 LBP 130.6M

$2,266 ¥15.2K

-35.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$713 LBP 63.8M

$1,065 ¥7,147

-33.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.88

3.47

213.54%

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

Last update for Lebanon: September 1, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $195 in Lebanon, $294 in China. Capital cities: $943 in Beirut vs $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $703 in Lebanon, $864 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in China.

Dining out costs 181% more in Lebanon.

Public transport is 325% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 23% 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 $853 per month in China and $841 in Lebanon, there's a 1% 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, $2,500 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.