International College
American
Fee not published
Confirmed on its own website
Cost of Living inBeirut, Lebanon
Beyrouth, Lebanon1.9MCapitalLower middle incomeRemote-work friendly
Image credit: Flickr user Xansas
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Your money goes 2.48x further
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Lebanon: $10,469/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 50% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Overall
2.0x further
Prices are 50% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
5.2x further
Prices are 81% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
2.3x further
Prices are 56% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
2.0x further
Prices are 49% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Income Category
Lower Middle
World Bank GNI
Happiness
2.7 / 10
#140 globally
GDP per Capita
$10,469
PPP, International $
City Population
1.9M
Monthly Costs
Rent
1BR City Center$772/mo
1BR Outside Center$436/mo
3BR City Center$2,026/mo
3BR Outside Center$980/mo
Food
Cheap Meal$11
Mid-Range (2 people)$64
Milk (1L)$1.81
Bread (500g)$0.86
Eggs (12)$3.70
Transport
Monthly Pass$78
Taxi per km$2.25
Gasoline (1L)$0.90
Utilities
Basic (85m² apt)$182/mo
Internet (60+ Mbps)$37/mo
Education
Preschool$651/mo
Intl Primary School$9,664/yr
Child Education
Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost — the two paths a relocating family weighs.
Public schools
This describes Lebanon as a whole. Enrollment rules and school quality can vary within the country, so check with schools in Beirut.
Quality
Mixed public schools
Expat access
Possible, but not the easy expat path
hardInstruction
Arabic / French
Local-language fluency usually matters.
PISA / outcomes
Qualitative only
Using curated quality notes for now.
Why this quality rating
Lebanon has a long-established education culture, but the public system has been under pressure from economic crisis and uneven funding. Many families who can afford it prefer private schools, especially in Beirut.
Why the expat-access rating looks like this
Resident families can sometimes access public schools, but Arabic/French classroom expectations and current system strain make the public route a difficult fit for many expat households.
📋 Homeschooling
Legal with official examsPeriodic assessment
Lebanon allows homeschooling under its education law. Students must take official government exams (Brevet and Baccalaureate) to receive recognized qualifications. No mandatory registration for home study, but exam enrollment is required for certification.
Homeschool legality in Lebanon — check current regulations before committing.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
International & private schools
2 confirmed schools
1 more suggested by AI, not verified
- American2
American Community School
American
Fee not published
Confirmed on its own website
Schools' websites are found with Wikidata and OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), and each is checked on the school's own site.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Current nanny and household-help pricing snapshot for Beirut, Lebanon.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$450-$650
monthly · confidence 0.65
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$800-$1,100
monthly · confidence 0.65
Source: curated family relocation research
Getting Around
The concrete mobility picture for Beirut: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.
Walkability score: 32/100 (limited). This is derived from the verified mobility profile and is used by the walkability gate.
Walkability
32/100
mobility profile minimal transit
Airport
International airport
Beirut-Rafic Hariri remains Lebanon’s main practical air gateway and gives the city the country’s strongest regional and long-haul access.
Urban transit
Bus and taxi mix
bus
Beirut is still fundamentally road-led, with minibuses and service taxis doing more of the practical work than a structured rail or metro backbone.
Rideshare
Uber and taxi apps available
App-hailed rides are a practical fallback for airport trips and city movement beyond the informal bus network.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Lebanon.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
356 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 7 months ago
Healthcare system
MixedMaternal mortality is low support this rating.
Public care
LimitedA visible public hospital footprint help, but public funding looks lighter.
Private care
LimitedThe private footprint is not very visible yet and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
UHC coverage
67/100
2023
Physicians
2.68/1k
2020
Hospital beds
2.73/1k
2021
Out of pocket
30%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
77.9 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
15/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
10.5/1k
2024
International patient readiness
LimitedMultiple facilities have websites and there is visible specialty depth help, but the private footprint is still thin and price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedMultiple facilities have crawlable websites help, but published self-pay prices are scarce.
Facility coverage
Pharmacy: 280Hospital: 38Clinic: 18Dentist: 10Doctor: 9Laboratory: 1
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Lebanon yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-11-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Safety Index53/100
Crime Index47/100
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
Political Stability-1.62
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2019 annual wages in Beirut, Lebanon · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
big mac
$5.35Estimated14% cheaper
bread 500g
$0.86Estimated75% cheaper
budget hotel
$154.47Survey-verified326% more
childcare preschool
$650.50Estimated58% cheaper
eggs dozen
$3.70Estimated23% cheaper
gasoline liter
$16.78Survey-verified1529% more
inexpensive meal
$8.74Survey-verified59% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$37.06Estimated45% cheaper
luxury hotel
$154.47Survey-verified68% cheaper
milk liter
$1.81Estimated48% more
monthly pass
$16.78Survey-verified76% cheaper
rent 1br
$319.90Survey-verified82% cheaper
rent 3br
$2026.15Estimated36% cheaper
taxi km
$2.25Estimated20% more
utilities basic
$181.80Estimated15% cheaper
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
visa on arrival
US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival.
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Beirut compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.5x further in Beirut than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate.
Is Beirut cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Beirut is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 50% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Beirut.
How does rent in Beirut compare with New York City?
Rent in Beirut is about 81% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City).
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Beirut?
Groceries in Beirut are about 56% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 49% cheaper than the same benchmark.
About Beirut
Beirut is the capital of Lebanon, set on a Mediterranean promontory between the snow-capped Mount Lebanon range and the sea. It has historically functioned as the financial, media, and university hub of the Levant, though the 2019 banking collapse, the August 2020 port explosion, and the subsequent currency crash have hollowed out much of that role. For relocators the city remains a serious option for journalists, NGO staff, and dollar-earning remote workers who benefit from a depreciated lira and pre-existing French, English, and Arabic trilingualism. Weigh the absence of a functional state electricity grid, regular fuel shortages, security volatility tied to the southern border, and rents that have re-dollarized and risen sharply in Achrafieh, Mar Mikhael, and Hamra.
Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild wintersInternet quality variable - fiber available in upscale areas but can be unstable citywideLarge expat community with established networks in Hamra, Achrafieh, and Gemmayzeh districtsModerate walkability in central neighborhoods but car-dependent for many areasWorld-class Levantine food scene with affordable dining and vibrant street food cultureLegendary nightlife with rooftop bars, clubs, and late-night culture until dawnGrowing coworking spaces in Hamra and Badaro districts but fewer options than major hubsSecurity variable by neighborhood - safer areas well-established but requires local awareness
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