Beirut - Post Report Question and Answers
How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
There is a small kiosk on compound that has some essentials and food. It's very expensive but if you really don't feel like leaving the compound it works. Food delivery is easy but depending on the store and location it can be unreasonably long, but for the most part it works well. There are a few main grocery stores that the embassy folk go to that are on the shuttle route: Spinnys (similar to Walmart, has everything convenient, can use a credit card), Spinnys 24 (a mini version of Spinnys can still use credit card, but the selection is smaller, but far less crowded), Maison M (has a lot of imported items, they are best for meat and seafood, they have good pre-made salads, quite expensive and also take credit card), Stop & Shop, (also expensive, high quality, has pre made meals and takes credit card), and Akikis (similar to a whole foods, they only have fruits, vegetables, and a juice bar, they have the best pre-made foods in my opinion, but they are expensive) People also use Porkys for pork, there is also O&C, which is also very nice takes credit cards, and it is a part of the shuttle route as of June 2024. - Aug 2024
This varied a lot while I was there, with hyperinflation setting in around early 2020. The quality and availability of the food seemed below expectations, but there are certainly worse places in the world by those metrics. If you can exchange money at the black market rate, grocery prices are reasonable, but if you're stuck with official or bank rates then you'll pay a fortune. Additionally, the selection of imported foods (chips, cereal, frozen foods) dropped considerably. - Oct 2020
There's a grocery store nearby that is accessible on the shuttle. Produce is cheap, but has to be disinfected and the overall quality is much lower than what you would expect in the US. Many of the fruits and veggies seem to be rotting on the shelf. Spice selection is good, although there are probably a few that you won't be able to find. Beer selection is small. Local beers run about $1/beer, whereas imports can cost $3-4. There's a fairly large wine and liquor selection, all at reasonable prices. The selection of frozen fruits and veggies is much smaller than what you would find in American grocery stores. Frozen pizzas and other pre-made meals are much more expensive and lower quality than what you would expect to find. Household supplies are ample and prices aren't that different from the States. - May 2019
If you aren't living on a budget you probably won't care that most American household items sold at Spinney's (American style grocery store WITH American items) are double to triple the price depending on what you are buying. I am a foodie and cooking is my hobby. You can buy pretty much anything you can think of from Spinney's, with that said, please make note that you may see Tampons, Doritos, or Fritos, and then BAM! all of a sudden they will disappear for three months- keep a stockpile.
Items available at Spinney's:
-Philadelphia Cream Cheese (also cheaper cream cheeses available such as "Puck" which is not bad and about US$3)
-Bagels (from America and when they are about to expire they go on sale and have a sticker with the new price)
-Oscar Meyer Bacon (also goes on sale when about to expire) Thick cut, maple, center cut, etc.
-Root Beer (cans)
-Cool Whip
-Activia
-Baking supplies (McCormick items available)
-Boxed baking mixes
-Sour Cream
-Tostito's Salsa/Queso dip in a jar
- Jul 2016
You can find almost everything and at a reasonable price. There are imported goods that are more expensive if you're concerned about having the same brands as back at home. - Feb 2015
Most products available in the U.S. can be found in Beirut. Prices are comparable to Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, you can't always choose which grocery store you go to, and not all grocery stores are created equal. - Nov 2014
Expensive. Everything is available here at D.C. prices plus about 15% or more. - Apr 2014
There are plenty of stores that have goods imported from the U.S. and elsewhere. Local brands are of course a cheaper option. Most stores don't stock items regularly - so if you see something you really like, stock up. - Jan 2014
Equal to the States. Most things are available, but you'll pay a premium for imported food (e.g. a pint of Ben & Jerry's is about $10). Not everything imported is available all the time or at every grocery store (e.g. sometimes veggie burgers are available for 2 weeks and then you never see them again). - Apr 2012
Everything is available, though odd shortages (three months without plain Cheerios for examples) do crop up with specific products. Local produce is extremely high quality and seasonal, and it costs half to a third of imported food. The local Whole Foods-lite and Safeway-esque places are priced at Washington levels. - Sep 2010
You can get nearly everything here, but it will cost a bit more than in the U.S.Also, things will show up on the shelves and then vanish for long periods. Obviously, imported European items cost more because of the Euro, but the Lebanese pound is tied to the U.S. dollar, so most stores try to import more U.S. goods than you would expect. Produce is excellent, particularly when in season, and cheaper than in the U.S.Fruits are especially amazing. The local wine is pretty good, too. - Jul 2010
On par with U.S. and Europe - Jun 2009
Groceries and household supplies are going up in cost daily due to the devaluation of the dollar and the increased value of the euro. Prices of American good have gone up substantially as well. Unless you shop in the local farmers markets, you're going to pay a lot for groceries. - Jun 2008
The cost of living here is EXPENSIVE! You can find everything here at the big supermarkets but like I said it is quite expensive. For a family of 4 (2 kids under the age of 4) we spend about US$800 on groceries each month. - Mar 2008
