Should you visit Beirut or Jerusalem?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Beirut and Jerusalem. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Beirut
Some travelers are seeking the hustle, bustle and posh atmosphere that only comes from a big city. Those travelers should have Beirut, Lebanon at the top of their list. The capital city is jam packed with 2.1 million people that are constantly on the go. As the commercial and financial hub of Lebanon, this city is fast-paced, fashion conscious and always ready for a night on the town.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel, as well as one of the most historically rich cities in the world. It is also the largest city in the country. While Tel Aviv holds many of the responsibilities of a capital city, officially, Jerusalem is still considered the capital. It is important to note that most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv, not in Jerusalem.
Which city is cheaper, Jerusalem or Beirut?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Beirut is $107, while the average daily cost in Jerusalem is $91. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Beirut and Jerusalem in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Beirut, $120 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Beirut, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $60, such as in a hostel.
A hotel room in Jerusalem is about $100 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Food
The average traveler spends about $34 per day in Beirut for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
The average traveler spends about $29 per day in Jerusalem for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Beirut $34
Jerusalem $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Beirut
For Beirut, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Traveling Spoon Lebanese Mezze Private Online Cooking Class:
$27
-
Seafood dinner with a sea view in Beirut:
$58
-
Private, Traditional Lebanese Cooking Class with a Contemporary Twist:
$72
-
Authentic Lebanese Cooking Lesson and Meal with Tania's Family in Beirut:
$90
-
Private Lebanese Cooking Class in Beirut with Amal and Hotel Transfers:
$113
Typical Food prices in Jerusalem
Some typical examples of dining costs in Jerusalem are as follows:
-
Orange Juice
$3.22
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Watermelon
$4.83
-
Lunch
$14
-
Food at Market
$18
-
Juice
$3.22
-
Bagels
$9.65
-
Lunch for 2
$17
-
Snacks
$6.76
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jerusalem
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Jerusalem.
-
Hummus Cooking Workshop in Jerusalem:
$15
-
Private Food Tour in Jerusalem with a Local:
$66
-
Private Market Tour and Cooking Class in the Heart of Jerusalem:
$78
-
Jewish quarter Shabbat dinner in Jerusalem for private groups:
$81
-
Secrets of Shabbat - Food walk & Cooking Class in Jerusalem:
$95
-
Private Dining: Spiritual Shabbat Dinner In Jerusalem:
$109
-
5-Hours Private Cooking Class with Market Tour in Jerusalem:
$175
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Beirut than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $21 on transportation in Beirut on average per day.
The cost of a taxi ride in Jerusalem is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $6.45 per person, per day, on local transportation in Jerusalem.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Beirut
Also for Beirut, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Airport Transfer in Beirut:
$10
-
Private Transfer from Beirut Hotels to the Beirut Airport:
$10
-
Beirut Arrival Airport Transfer:
$11
-
Departure Transfer:From Hotel To Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY):
$11
-
BEY Airport to Hotel: Skip-the-Line Private Arrival Transfer:
$13
-
Airport Departure Transfer From Your Beirut Hotel:
$15
-
Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Beirut International Airport:
$15
-
Airport Arrival Transfer to Your Beirut Hotel:
$15
-
Private Arrival Transfer: Beirut International Airport to Hotel:
$18
-
Private Departure Transfer: From your hotel in Beirut to Airport:
$18
-
Private Arrival Transfer: From Airport to your hotel in Beirut:
$20
-
Beirut airport transfer:
$23
Typical Local Transportation prices in Jerusalem
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Jerusalem are as follows:
-
Local Bus
$3.80
-
Light Rail Jerusalem
$12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jerusalem
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Jerusalem:
-
Private transfer service from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv or Ben-Gurion Airport:
$225
-
Private Transfer: From Jerusalem to the Dead Sea:
$203
-
Private Transfer: From Jerusalem to Tel Aviv:
$95
-
Private Transfer: From Jerusalem to Haifa:
$216
-
Private Transfer from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv:
$247
-
Private Transfer from Jerusalem to Herzlia:
$247
-
Private Jerusalem Departure Transfer - Hotel/Accommodation to Tel Aviv Airport:
$59
-
Private Jerusalem Departure Transfer - Hotel/Accommodation to Airport:
$59
-
Private Intercity Transfer- Jerusalem to or from Tel Aviv City:
$71
-
Private Intercity Transfer - from your Jerusalem hotel to your Tel Aviv hotel:
$71
-
Private Departure Transfer from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Tel Aviv Airport:
$88
-
Private Ben Gurion Airport - Jerusalem Round-Trip Transfer:
$179
Is it cheaper to fly into Beirut or Jerusalem?
Prices for flights to both Jerusalem and Beirut change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Beirut, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $12 per day, per person.
Entertainment and activities in Jerusalem typically cost an average of $8.19 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
Tours and Activities in Beirut
For Beirut, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
One Hour Self-guided Audio Tour of the Green Line by VoiceMap:
$5.13
-
Beirut 3 museums + mini walking tour:
$30
-
City Sightseeing Beirut Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$30
-
Beirut Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$31
-
Jeita Grotto, Harissa and Byblos with a Group Tour from Beirut:
$35
-
Small-Group Adventure Tour to Jeita Grotto,Harissa&Byblos Day Trip from Beirut:
$38
-
Small-Group Adventure Tour to Sidon Tyre Maghdouche - Day Trip from Beirut:
$39
-
Small Daily Tours in Beirut City:
$40
-
Small-Group Beirut Historical Tour:
$40
-
Beirut Small Group Historical Tour:
$40
-
Beirut Full Day Walking Tour:
$40
-
Small-Group Guided tour of Beirut:
$40
Typical Entertainment prices in Jerusalem
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Jerusalem are as follows:
-
Cooking Classes for 2
$41
Tours and Activities in Jerusalem
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Jerusalem are as follows:
-
2 Days Bethlehem, Hebron, Herodion, St George Monastery and Jericho Private Tour:
$855
-
2 Days Bethlehem, Herodion, Judean Desert Monasteries and Jericho Private Tour:
$855
-
2 Days tour in the Holy land- Jerusalem and Bethlehem:
$1,550
-
2 Hour Shooting Experience:
$173
-
2 day tour to Petra from Jerusalem:
$379
-
2 days jordan tour Amman and petra:
$872
-
2-Day Best of Israel Tour: Old Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Masada and the Dead Sea:
$340
-
2-Day Israel Tour from Caesarea, Acre, Haifa and Nazareth:
$309
-
2-Day Northern Israel Tour from Golan Heights, Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee:
$328
-
2-Day Petra and Jordan Tour from Jerusalem:
$387
-
3 Day Petra By Night Show And Wadi Rum Tour from Tel Aviv/Jerusalem:
$380
-
3 Day Petra and Wadi Rum tour from Jerusalem:
$320
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Beirut spend on average $11 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
The average person spends about $15 on alcoholic beverages in Jerusalem per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Beirut
Also in Beirut, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Lebanon Wine Tasting Tour:
$52
-
Full-Day Private Wine Tour in Bekaa Valley with Tasting:
$60
-
Budget Wine Tasting Tour at the Bekaa Valley Wineries:
$60
-
Private Wine Tasting Tour:
$65
-
Private Wine Tasting Day Tour from Beirut:
$75
-
Full-Day Private Wine Tasting Tour at Chateau Musar and Ixsir:
$75
-
Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour in The Bekaa Valley:
$75
-
Full-Day Private Wine Tasting Tour:
$82
-
Full-Day Private Wine Tasting Trip to Chateau Musar and Ixsir from Beirut:
$85
-
Full-Day Private Wine Tasting Tour:
$85
-
Wine Tasting and Culture:
$85
-
Half-Day Private Tour to Baalbek With Wine Tasting and Lunch Included:
$100
Typical Alcohol prices in Jerusalem
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Jerusalem are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Jerusalem
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Jerusalem:
-
Jerusalem Pub Crawl:
$15
-
Jerusalem Pub Crawl:
$17
-
Judean Hills Wine Tasting Tour From Jerusalem:
$250
-
kosher Israel wine tour:
$763
-
Israel private tours,wine tours,off-road, tailor made,culinary,the best:
$923
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Beirut and Jerusalem, we can see that Beirut is more expensive. And not only is Jerusalem much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Jerusalem would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Jerusalem and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Beirut would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Beirut than you might in Jerusalem.
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