How to stay connected and spend money in Lebanon

The currency situation in Lebanon presents challenges for locals, but not for foreigners who bring dollars. Lebanese people prefer dollars because it helps them exchange money when the dollar is strong, so they never refuse dollars. It was surprising to see a country with its own currency using another country’s currency for day-to-day operations. To check the currency price and see how much I could exchange, I downloaded an app called Lira (there are similar apps on App Stores). However, in just 4-5 days, I observed at least a 10% fluctuation, which is too much. I exchanged dollars a few times, sometimes for $100 and sometimes only for $20-30.

You can withdraw USD from ATMs, but Chady informed me that there would be a 5% fee, which is quite high. I was carrying $1000 and was worried about running out of cash. Chady reassured me that I could withdraw money from an ATM, which was a relief. I had previously been under the impression that it would be difficult to withdraw cash from an ATM.

It is unfortunate to learn that Lebanese banks have implemented more restrictions on withdrawing deposited funds since 2019 for locals. While you can still view your account balance at ATMs, you cannot withdraw funds that were deposited before 2019.

Upon returning to India, I had $550 in cash, which amounted to approximately ₹45,000 based on the exchange rate at the time. Additionally, I used my credit card to purchase wine and other items at the airport. Taking this into account, I estimate my total expenses to be around ₹61,400.

Chady already informed me that I wouldn’t be able to purchase a SIM card at the airport, but rather in Hamra or the city center. He was absolutely right; I didn’t see any SIM outlets at the airport. You can ask locals for help in finding the best SIM for you. There are only two companies in Lebanon that provide SIM cards: Alfa and Touch. I bought Touch because Chady found that it has better and more affordable plans than Alfa.