Beirut is popular among cultural travelers and those interested in the region, plus it has good beaches and nightlife. It still doesn’t quite have the tourist infrastructure of many other cities in the region, so some things here can be frustratingly expensive.
Hotels in particular tend to be higher priced than most people would expect, especially during the peak summer months. There are definitely cheaper beach resort cities if all you are looking for is a strip of sand to relax on. If you are coming to see the sights then at least you’ll find most attractions to be free or quite cheap.
Food is also very reasonably priced with a wide variety, so those on a low budget will have plenty of options, especially if they concentrate more on what the locals are eating rather than tourist restaurants in hotels with English-language menus.