🇱🇧 Lebanon · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Beirut? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
1-bed apartment, Hamra, Badaro or AchrafiehCommonly quoted at USD 500–1,000 / month in cash, market-reported rather than official; furnished and location swing it widely
Generator subscriptionCommonly USD 50–150 / month depending on amperage and consumption; the Ministry of Energy and Water publishes the tariff monthly and it tracks diesel prices
State electricity, water and internetBilled separately and modest by comparison; delivered water for tanks is an additional recurring cost in many buildings
Meal, mid-range restaurantUSD 15–35 per person; a manoushe from a bakery is a fraction of that
Est. single-person monthly, excluding rentWidely reported at USD 700–1,200 including the generator. Prices move with the diesel and dollar situation — treat any figure as indicative
Good to know
Population
Beirut's administrative city is small; the greater Beirut area holds well over two million people, a large share of Lebanon's population
Languages
Arabic (Lebanese), French and English all in daily use, frequently in the same sentence. You can live here on English more easily than in any other Arab capital
Currency
Lebanese pound (LBP), held at 89,500 to the US dollar in central bank accounts since early 2024. In practice the economy is heavily dollarised and large payments are made in US dollar cash
Banking
Accounts opened on or before 17 October 2019 are subject to withdrawal limits and effectively cannot transfer abroad. 'Fresh' post-2019 accounts operate separately
Electricity
State supply from EDL is partial; almost every building subscribes to a private generator, sold by amperage at a tariff the Ministry of Energy and Water publishes monthly
Work week
Monday to Friday, unlike the Gulf — Lebanon runs a Western working week
Tax
Payroll tax is progressive from 2% to 25%, with brackets set in Lebanese pounds and re-based by successive budget laws. NSSF contributions apply
Emergency
112 police, 140 Lebanese Red Cross (the principal ambulance service), 175 fire brigade, 125 civil defence
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Beirut checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Beirut
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.