The annual Cost of Living Survey in 209 cities around the world by global consulting firm Mercer ranked the cost of living in Beirut as the 65th highest worldwide and the fourth highest among 17 Arab cities surveyed in 2018. Also, the cost of living in Beirut is the 16th highest among 48 cities in 35 upper middle-income countries (UMICs) included in the survey. In comparison, Beirut was the 52nd most expensive city worldwide and the fourth most expensive in the Arab world in 2017. Beirut's global rank regressed by 13 spots in this year's survey, mainly due the weakening of the US dollar against other major currencies worldwide as the Lebanese pound is pegged to the US dollar, as well as to decreases in rental accommodation costs. 

The study measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including the cost of housing, food, clothing and household goods, as well as transportation and entertainment. The rankings are derived from a survey conducted in March 2018. The survey uses New York City as the base city for the index and compares all cities against it. The survey is conducted annually to help multinational companies determine compensation allowances for their expatriate workers.

On a global basis, the cost of living in Beirut is higher than Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, Brussels in Belgium and Frankfurt in Germany; and is lower than in Dakar in Senegal, Accra in Ghana and the Spanish capital Madrid. Also, the survey considered Beirut to be more expensive than Buenos Aires in Argentina, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and Panama City in Panama; while it is less costly than Saint Petersburg in Russia, Bangkok in Thailand and Sao Paulo in Brazil among UMICs.