Living in Beirut, Lebanon

Beirut is a large coastal city in Lebanon (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 21°C over the year with about 821 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,510 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Lebanon is possible, with conditions, with a self-funded route from about $559 a month in income.

See which cities rank best for you

12 questions, about 4 minutes, no account needed. Taking the quiz is free, and so is seeing your #1 city. Full results for both of you are a one-time US$12 (€12 in Europe).

Est. cost: €2,510; a month for a couple
Climate: 21°C; 821 mm rain a year
Size: Large; 1 to 5 million people
Safety: 52/100; country-level
Residency: Possible, with conditions; for most foreigners

Limited data for Lebanon. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Lebanon are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Lebanon, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

Travel advisory. As of 13 October 2026, the US State Department advises against all travel to Lebanon ("Level 4: Do Not Travel"). Our quiz and best-cities lists leave Beirut out, and the safety figures below are country averages that do not reflect the advisory. Read the current advisory on travel.state.gov and your own government's travel advice.

What stands out about Beirut

Self-funded residency from about $559 a month in income
On or near the sea

Residency and visas

Possible, with conditions. Lebanon issues renewable annual residence permits, and three-year 'permanent' permits, to foreigners of independent means who show either sufficient monthly income or a blocked Lebanese-bank deposit and pledge not to work; there is no formal golden visa, and figures are converted at roughly 89,500 LBP per USD.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Lebanon:

Income: about $559 a month (Lebanon annual residence (renewable) for foreigners of independent means, monthly-income route, LBP 50,000,000/mo; as of June 2026)
Investment: about $11k (Lebanon annual residence blocked Lebanese-bank deposit route, LBP 1,000,000,000 one-time (cheaper than the LBP 4,500,000,000 three-year permanent-residence deposit); as of June 2026)

For short visits, 7 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 96 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 95 need a visa in advance.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Safety and stability

Lebanon scores 52 out of 100 on safety, safer than 20% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 4.8 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Lebanon: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2020) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Healthcare

Lebanon scores 59 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 26% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Lebanon: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,510 a month to live centrally in Beirut, 8% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 71% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2024), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Climate

Beirut averages 21°C across the year with about 821 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 58% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Questions couples ask about Beirut

Is Beirut a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Beirut scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety and healthcare. Our figures for Lebanon are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, moderately wet climate (21°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks 915 cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Beirut?

We estimate about €2,510 a month for a couple living centrally, 8% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Lebanon, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Lebanon long term?

Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Lebanon issues renewable annual residence permits, and three-year 'permanent' permits, to foreigners of independent means who show either sufficient monthly income or a blocked Lebanese-bank deposit and pledge not to work; there is no formal golden visa, and figures are converted at roughly 89,500 LBP per USD. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $559 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $11k (as of 2026-06).

What is the weather like in Beirut?

Beirut averages 21°C across the year with about 821 mm of rain, which makes it warm and moderately wet. It is warmer than 58% of the cities we track.