Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Lebanon

Name: Lebanon
Address: LB

For one person, living is cheaper in Lebanon: $1,510 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Lebanon
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Lebanon Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Lebanon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Lebanon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in the United States versus $1,510 in Lebanon.

United States $2,701
Lebanon $1,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,980 in the United States versus $2,377 in Lebanon.

United States $3,980
Lebanon $2,377

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,258 in the United States versus $3,243 in Lebanon.

United States $5,258
Lebanon $3,243

Living in the United States is roughly 79% more expensive than in Lebanon on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: the United States 100% above, Lebanon 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$12.11 LBP 1.1M

64.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$52.5 LBP 4.7M

54.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.03 LBP 897.6K

20.34%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$4.16 LBP 372.4K

33.41%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.06 LBP 184.2K

29.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.92 LBP 82.4K

127.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$4.98 LBP 445.5K

19.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$4.67 LBP 417.5K

66.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.87 LBP 167.5K

-43.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$0.85 LBP 76.0K

317.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.09 LBP 187.1K

122.01%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$3.46 LBP 309.8K

20.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$10.54 LBP 943.4K

21.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$9.77 LBP 874.5K

29.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$13.07 LBP 1.2M

31.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.60 LBP 232.8K

98.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.74 LBP 156.0K

-5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.50 LBP 134.5K

197.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.33 LBP 119.4K

274.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.16 LBP 103.8K

144.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.40 LBP 125.3K

120.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.04 LBP 93.4K

110.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.79 LBP 70.5K

187.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$2.98 LBP 266.9K

256.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$9.93 LBP 889.0K

48.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.30 LBP 116.5K

61.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.41 LBP 215.9K

58.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.95 LBP 175.0K

20.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$76.3 LBP 6.8M

-16.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$5.15 LBP 460.5K

-30.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.03 LBP 181.5K

-8.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$22.77 LBP 2.0M

32.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.07 LBP 95.9K

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$45.4K LBP 4.1B

-22.30%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$31.7K LBP 2.8B

-18.32%

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

$217 $217

$196 LBP 17.6M

10.26%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$21.04 LBP 1.9M

191.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$35.82 LBP 3.2M

107.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$65.5 LBP 5.9M

-31.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 $23.07

$29.10 LBP 2.6M

-20.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$10.14 LBP 907.6K

45.86%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$585 LBP 52.3M

153.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$8,646 LBP 773.8M

194.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$74.3 LBP 6.6M

-28.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$50.2 LBP 4.5M

-14.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$139 LBP 12.5M

-32.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$114 LBP 10.2M

1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$793 LBP 70.9M

111.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$423 LBP 37.8M

210.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$1,765 LBP 157.9M

50.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$882 LBP 78.9M

147.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

$3,105 LBP 277.9M

8.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$1,459 LBP 130.6M

82.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 $4,404

$682 LBP 61.1M

545.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

10.88

-39.80%

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

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lebanon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.6%

Lebanon

$423 28% 67.8% $891

Groceries & Markets

United States

$411 15.2%

Lebanon

$256 17% 37.6% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

Lebanon

$253 16.8% 28.1% $99

Eating Out

United States

$327 12.1%

Lebanon

$223 14.8% 31.7% $104

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

Lebanon

$170 11.3% 23.6% $32

Getting Around

United States

$86 3.2%

Lebanon

$99 6.6% 15.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Lebanon

$86 5.7% 14.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,609 in the United States, $195 in Lebanon. Capital cities: $2,730 in Washington, DC vs $944 in Beirut.

National salary averages: $4,533 in the United States, $693 in Lebanon. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 725% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 19% more in the United States.

Public transport is 575% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 554% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇱🇧 Lebanon

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

19:42 7:42 PM

7 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

6,100,075

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇱🇧 Lebanese Pound (ل.ل)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,618 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

LBP to USD in detail →

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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

United States vs Lebanon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,510 per month in Lebanon and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 79% 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 cheaper in Lebanon: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $195 in Lebanon. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Lebanon, $2,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States 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; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.