People walk at the seaside promenade in el-Mareisseh in Beirut, on June 21, 2024. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
Beirut ranks as the 113th most expensive city in the world, according to the latest report from Numbeo's annual Cost of Living Index, which compares 178 cities over the first half of the year.
Despite Lebanon's ongoing economic crisis, during which a substantial portion of private and public sector salaries were depreciated, its capital maintains a regional ranking of ninth with a score of 45.2 points.
The city's high cost of living is juxtaposed with its low quality-of-life ranking. In the Mercer consultancy's winter 2023 report, Beirut placed 184th out of 241 cities worldwide and 14th in the region.
Geneva in the lead, Tel Aviv first regionally
According to Numbeo's rankings, Beirut is surpassed regionally by Tel Aviv, followed by Haifa, Dubai, Limassol, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh and Jeddah, with Kuwait City coming in at tenth. Scores range from 69.1 to 49.3 points. Worldwide, Geneva, Zurich and New York are the top three, with scores exceeding 100 points.
Numbeo is self-described as the world's largest database for cities and countries. Their data collection process involves a combination of user reports and manually gathered information from sources like supermarkets and taxi company websites, as well as from government institutions.
Beirut's data is based on 689 entries by 62 contributors over the past year, close to Numbeo's city average of 68.5 contributors — which L'Orient Today calculated from the data provided by Numbeo.
Numbeo does not specify the rate at which users convert prices displayed solely in Lebanese pounds. The exchange rate recognized by the Banque du Liban in Lebanon is currently LL89,500 to the dollar, following the currency's sharp depreciation of over 90 percent since 2019. Dollar prices used by Numbeo's index are generally consistent with those observed in the Lebanese market, though some may be slightly inflated.
Cheap meals and beer
L’Orient Today compared Numbeo’s data submitted by users in Beirut to cities abroad known to have a significant Lebanese diaspora: Accra (175th worldwide), Brasilia (178th), Dubai (78th), New York (3rd), Paris (23rd) and Toronto (50th).
In Beirut, an inexpensive restaurant meal averages about $8.50, compared to $10.89 in Dubai. In Brasilia, lunch from a street vendor, like Pão de queijo (cheese bread), costs no more than $5.75, while in Accra, Ghana, a plate of the popular Banku and Tilapia combo is just $4.17. In Toronto and Paris, a comparable dinner is nearly double Beirut's price, around $18.70 and $19.31 respectively. In New York, an "inexpensive" meal may no longer be inexpensive, costing approximately $30.
After a long day's work, some people order a pint of local beer to accompany their meal. In Accra and Brasilia, this pleasure adds minimally to the bill, costing $1.16 and $1.77 — respectively, far less than a bottle of local beer in Beirut, which costs $3 in a restaurant. In Toronto, Paris and New York, the same beverage costs $5.93, $7.51 and $8 respectively. In Dubai, a beer can cost more than a budget meal, averaging around $12.25 or more.
Cell phone package and accommodation
A monthly cell phone package, including calls and 10 GB of data, costs $44.80 in Beirut, nearly matching Toronto's $44.73. Prices rise slightly in Dubai to $56.10. Plans are most expensive in New York at $65.06. Accra offers the lowest prices at $11.69, followed by Paris at $16.88.
In downtown Beirut, the average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment is $764.71 per month. Brasilia and Accra offer more affordable options at $373.84 and $443.23 respectively for a similar space. Paris is considerably more expensive at $1,445.13, while Toronto demands $1,828.47. Dubai and New York are on the higher ends of the spectrum at $2,853.68 and $4,248.36 respectively, which may be considered unaffordable for most.
