Customers sharing a meal and hookah at the Dar Beirut restaurant in Gemmayzeh, January 13, 2023. (Credit: João Sousa)
“We paid too much for not much," said Nour, after a day at the beach, where he paid $40 to enter and $20 for food and drink. Nour, Lebanese and living in France, had returned to Lebanon for a few days, finding himself faced with ever-rising prices.His case is far from isolated: Despite the war in the south, beach prices range from $5 to $60 this year, compared with $3 to $40 in 2023. A ham and cheese sandwich at the beach costs $9, a fresh orange juice costs $5 and a piece of cake costs $4.Even in some mid-range restaurant chains, the smallest snack can quickly hit double figures in greenbacks. “Just the other day, I paid $20 for a manousheh, a coffee and a small bottle of water in a restaurant in Raouche. I don’t mind paying for a view of the rock, but you’d pay this price for a salmon plate in Paris’ tourist areas. I always feel like...
“We paid too much for not much," said Nour, after a day at the beach, where he paid $40 to enter and $20 for food and drink. Nour, Lebanese and living in France, had returned to Lebanon for a few days, finding himself faced with ever-rising prices.His case is far from isolated: Despite the war in the south, beach prices range from $5 to $60 this year, compared with $3 to $40 in 2023. A ham and cheese sandwich at the beach costs $9, a fresh orange juice costs $5 and a piece of cake costs $4.Even in some mid-range restaurant chains, the smallest snack can quickly hit double figures in greenbacks. “Just the other day, I paid $20 for a manousheh, a coffee and a small bottle of water in a restaurant in Raouche. I don’t mind paying for a view of the rock, but you’d pay this price for a salmon plate in Paris’ tourist areas. I always...
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