Cost of Living in Beirut

Rental prices in Beirut have stabilized in dollar terms since the economy dollarized, and the city remains significantly more affordable than many Mediterranean capitals. A furnished studio in a central neighborhood typically rents for $400-$600 per month, with listings showing studios in Gemmayzeh from $500, Mar Mikhael from $550, and Achrafieh from $360-$500 depending on condition. One-bedroom furnished apartments in the city center (Achrafieh, Hamra, Gemmayzeh) range from $650-$1,000 per month, with the Numbeo average sitting at $772 for city center and $430 for outside center locations. Two-bedroom apartments in central areas run $900-$1,500. Utilities deserve careful budgeting: basic electricity, water, and garbage collection average $100-$200/month, but most buildings require a private generator subscription (ishtirak) for reliable power, adding $50-$100 monthly depending on your amperage allocation. Internet service runs $25-$70/month for broadband, and a local mobile SIM with 20 GB of 4G data costs about $25/month. All told, expect $150-$250/month in total utility and connectivity costs on top of rent.

Beirut is one of the great food cities of the Middle East, and budget-conscious digital nomads will find extraordinary value at the street-food level. The undisputed king of cheap eats is the manakish (or man'oushe) -- a flatbread baked to order and topped with zaatar, cheese, or minced meat -- which costs just $0.50-$1.00 at neighborhood bakeries that are open from dawn. A falafel sandwich at legendary spots like Falafel Sahyoun (operating since 1933) or Falafel Arax in Bourj Hammoud runs $1.50-$2.00, while a chicken shawarma wrap from popular chains like Barbar in Hamra or Basterma Mano costs $3-$5. A filling plate of hummus or fatteh with bread at a local restaurant will set you back $3-$5, and a full sit-down meal at an inexpensive local restaurant averages around $7-$10. For digital nomads willing to eat like locals, a daily food budget of $10-$15 is entirely realistic if you stick to bakeries, street vendors, and neighborhood eateries.

Beirut's major supermarket chains include Spinneys (the most established, with 17 branches across Lebanon and a heritage dating to 1948), Carrefour (offering competitive pricing on a wide range of products), and several strong local chains including Le Charcutier Aoun, Fahed Supermarket, and Metro Superstore. Staple prices as of early 2026 are: a 500g loaf of white bread costs $0.80-$1.20, a dozen large eggs $2.50-$3.50, chicken fillets $9-$10 per kilogram, beef $11-$12 per kilogram, white rice $1.95 per kilogram, a liter of milk $1.75-$2.00, local cheese $12-$13 per kilogram, and a 1.5-liter bottle of water just $0.68. Fresh produce is notably affordable: tomatoes run $1.10 per kilogram, potatoes $1.25, onions $1.50, bananas $1.55, and apples $2.75 per kilogram. A mid-range bottle of Lebanese wine from the supermarket costs around $11, while domestic beer (Almaza) is just $1.25 for a half-liter bottle.

Beirut does not have a metro, tram, or any formal rail transit system, so getting around relies on a patchwork of buses, shared taxis, and private cars. The most affordable option is the public bus network operated by Connexion, which runs several routes across the city for a flat fare of roughly $0.80 per ride, with buses running daily from about 6 AM to 7 PM at intervals of 20-25 minutes depending on traffic. Far more ubiquitous than buses are the "service" shared taxis -- aging sedans that cruise fixed routes and pick up multiple passengers headed the same direction. A shared taxi ride anywhere within Beirut costs approximately $2, and you simply flag one down on the street and state your destination; the driver will nod or wave you off if your route does not match. Small private minibuses also ply popular corridors for $1-2 per ride, departing from hubs like Charles Helou station in the east and Cola intersection in the south, though schedules are loose and destinations are called out in Arabic.

Lebanon has two state-owned mobile operators, Touch and Alfa, and both offer prepaid SIM cards that visitors can purchase at the airport or any authorized dealer. An Alfa prepaid SIM costs $3 plus a $7 activation fee (totaling roughly $12 with the Alfa365 tourist plan that includes 2 GB of data, 30 minutes of calls, and 100 SMS valid for one week), while Touch sells its Magic SIM for $3 with $3 of credit and a more generous Visitor Line at $39 that bundles 10 GB of data, 100 local and international minutes, and 100 SMS for 14 days. For ongoing use, monthly data bundles are competitively priced: Touch's Web & Talk Mini at $6.90 per month gives you 3 GB with 60 minutes, while their Maxi plan at $9.90 per month provides 9 GB with 90 minutes. Both networks run on 4G LTE across Beirut with generally decent speeds of 15-30 Mbps in well-covered areas, though indoor signal can be spotty in older concrete buildings.

Lebanon's healthcare system was historically one of the strongest in the Middle East, anchored by world-class private institutions, but the compounded crises since 2019 -- economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the devastating 2020 Beirut port explosion -- have severely strained the sector. The private hospital network remains the backbone of quality care, and it is still remarkably capable. The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) is the flagship institution, holding five international accreditations including JCI, Magnet, and CAP -- a distinction no other hospital in the Middle East can match. Other top-tier private hospitals include Clemenceau Medical Center (affiliated with Johns Hopkins), Hotel Dieu de France, and Saint George Hospital University Medical Center. These facilities offer specialist care that rivals Western standards, particularly in cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics. The public sector, however, has deteriorated sharply: government hospitals are under-resourced, understaffed, and can offer only basic services. For a digital nomad, private healthcare in Beirut is where you want to be -- the quality is genuinely excellent, but you should expect to pay out of pocket at the point of service.

Citizens of most Western countries, including the US, UK, EU member states, Canada, and Australia, receive a free visa on arrival at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, valid for one month. This can be extended twice for one additional month each time at the General Security office, giving you a maximum stay of three months. Extensions cost around $50-70 and require proof of accommodation and a return ticket. There is no dedicated digital nomad visa, so most remote workers cycle in and out on tourist entries. One critical requirement: your passport must not contain any Israeli stamps, visas, or seals -- entry will be denied if it does. You will also need at least two blank passport pages and three months of validity beyond your intended stay. On the tax front, Lebanon technically taxes residents on worldwide income at progressive rates up to 25%, with tax residency triggered by spending 183 days or more in a calendar year. However, enforcement of tax obligations on foreign-sourced income is almost nonexistent given the state's diminished administrative capacity.