According to recent figures published by the Numbeo platform, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was ranked as the most expensive Arab country in terms of cost of living, with an index score of 54.1.
The index uses New York City, set at a baseline of 100, as a reference point to show how expensive it is to live in other countries compared to the American city. The closer a country’s score is to 100, the more similar its living costs are to those in New York.
Lebanon placed 9th in the regional ranking, with a cost-of-living index of 38.8. It trails just behind Palestine and ranks ahead of Jordan, reflecting a socio-economic landscape shaped by persistent inflation, currency devaluation and deteriorating purchasing power.
At the other end of the scale, Libya and Egypt emerged as the most affordable countries in the Arab world.
Comments