beirut on a budget (or trying to): a street artist's real monthly math

so you wanna live in beirut. let's grab a coffee-well, try to-and talk about the numbers that actually matter when your income is whatever you can scrape selling stickers and hoping a gallery doesn't ghost you. first, the map, because you have to see the sprawl to believe it:

*rent: this is the monster. i’m in a tiny, crumbling studio in achrafieh-the kind with a balcony that overlooks five other balconies and a single, ancient lemon tree. it’s 450 usd a month. that’s a "deal" post-2020. i’ve heard horror stories of people paying 800+ for a one-bed in gemmayze that leaks when it doesn't rain. the real kicker? the landlord wants cash. always cash. no receipts. that’s the "informal economy," they call it. it’s just fear wrapped in a handshake.

utilities & "solidarity" bills:listen, edf? yeah, they exist. but most of us buy a "crate" of state electricity for like 30 bucks that lasts a few weeks. then there’s the generator guy on the corner who charges you 40,000 ll a month (about 26 usd) for 5 amps that flicker when someone’s fridge kicks on. oh, and the building manager will slide you a note for "water fund" or "cleaning solidarity"-add another 20 usd. it’s a subscription to chaos.

food: this is where it gets surreal. i buy most of my stuff from the souq el ballout-the old vegetable market. you learn to haggle for bruised tomatoes (perfect for shakshuka) and a kilo of onions for a dollar. a fresh manakish from my guy, abu ali, is 2,000 ll (like $1.30). but if you want avocado toast like back home? 25,000 ll. for two slices. the city’s a tale of two fridges.

transport: i don’t own a scooter. i use the "service" taxis-the red-plated ones. a ride from my place to the corniche is 10,000 ll, always. no meters. you learn the routes and the rates. a monthly "bus pass" isn’t a thing; it’s just a mountain of 10,000 ll notes in your wallet. and gas? forget it. it’s priced in dollars unofficially now.

> "my cousin just got a job at some german firm paying in dollars," whispers the guy lettering a mural next to me, not looking up from his line work. "says it’s the only way to breathe. but his landlord just raised rent by 30% anyway. said, 'the dollar went up.' everything's a dollar now, even if you don't have one."

art stuff: spray paint is a luxury. a can of molotow? 25,000 ll. some of us have connections to get it cheaper, but it’s sketchy. i use a lot of cheap acrylics from the stationery shops in abc for murals. brushes, stencils, drop cloths-it all adds up. i’ve started reusing the same sketchbook for two years.

the neighbor factor: you know who your neighbors are by the smell. the family below cooks garlic and cumin at 6pm sharp. the guy above practices his violin off-key at 11am. we share generator power during blackouts, running extension cords like spiderwebs across the alley. it’s intimate and maddening.

weather: right now it’s that thick, salty humidity that makes your skin feel like someone left a wet towel on it. not hot-hot, just present. in an hour i could be in the mountains (like, btekhnaya) where it’s foggy and 15 degrees cooler, or on a bus to byblos where the sea smell is different-more ancient. that’s the cheat code: leave the city for an afternoon and your lungs thank you.

> "don't drink the tap water, obviously," warns the barista at my favorite ahwé, a place that smells like old coffee and smoke. "but also? don't ask questions about the 'special' water they deliver in plastic jugs. some of those companies are just a guy with a truck and a smile. you buy the smile with your 5,000 ll."

total monthly mental budget (for one person, trying to be frugal):
- rent: $450
- utilities (edf+gen+water): $60
- food (mostly souq, rarely "restaurant"): $180
- transport (services + occasional bus): $50
- art materials: $80
- phone/internet (nice-to-have 4g): $25
- "oh shit" fund (for sudden price hikes, doctor visits): $100

total: ~$945. and that’s before a single cup of coffee out, a metro card to the museum, or a new pair of shoes when the sole finally gives. the minimum wage is what, $200? so you see the math.

three real links from people living this*:
1. check the r/lebanon subreddit for threads titled "how do you survive?" it’s a masterclass in sharing bread recipes and generator schedules.
2. the expat-focused Beirut Report sometimes has useful posts on navigating the dollarization mess, but take it with a grain of salt-they’re often writing from a different financial zip code.
3. for food prices that don’t make you want to scream, folks swear by this old-school Yelp list of cheap eats that hasn’t been updated since 2019, but the bones are still good. look for the places still there.

anyway, my rent’s due tomorrow and my latest mural got zero likes on instagram. guess i’ll go haggle for some potatoes. the city eats you and spits you out and you still call it home. that’s the real cost.

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