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BEIRUT, Sept 27 (Reuters) Price rises and money woes are dampening the Ramzan spirit in south Beirut as Shi'ite Muslims try to put their lives together after war with Israel.

Muslims worldwide marked the beginning of the lunar month of Ramazan this week, when they refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk and spend more time in prayer.

Lebanon's Christians as well as Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims are feeling the impact of Israel's 34-day war that killed 1,200 Lebanese, most of whom were civilians, and destroyed bridges, roads and power lines.

The war, which also killed 157 Israelis, mostly soldiers, broke out after Hizbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers in a cross border raid on July 12.

But in Beirut's southern suburbs, a gloomy atmosphere hangs over the Hizbollah stronghold, which still bears some of the worst scars of successive Israeli air raids that had left thousands of families homeless.

Instead of the lanterns and banners fixed across the streets to rally Muslims to give to the poor, lampposts are decked with pictures of Hizbollah guerrillas who died during the war.

''This Ramzan is different. There is no joy. Everyone's sad.

There's no economy, no work, no money,'' said Khodor Dawoud, 74, a fisherman.

Where towering buildings once lined up the streets, piles of dusty rubble, some four storeys high, stand. The air is full with dust and much of the debris still blocks the streets between Beirut's southern suburbs causing big traffic jams.

''One gets tired of the dust and has difficulty breathing,'' said Bilal Khadrouj, 38, who owns a money exchange shop.

''And instead of closing at five (in the afternoon), I have to close at four, even though my house is only three km (two miles) away, because many of the roads are blocked by rubble,'' he added.

ECONOMIC WAR Higher demand normally drives food prices up during Ramzan across the Middle East as Muslims tend to entertain friends or relatives to lavish meals to mark the end of fasting each day.

But many Lebanese complained that while many people were out of jobs, price rises, especially on fresh produce and meat, appeared worse than in previous years.

''We stop ourselves from buying so we don't eat,'' Hussein Mashlab, 74, owner of electronic appliances store, said, adding that there would be a 60 per cent drop in his revenues compared to last Ramazan.

''After the war, we have not been comfortable and the fasting is hard. In order to fast we need peace of mind. This economic war is hard,'' said Hala Abdullah, a 36-year-old nurse.

Some shop owners said they had been forced to lower food prices to try to lure customers, without only scant success.

''There's no work, no buyers, no money. We've cut our prices but still nobody's buying,'' said Bassam Ibrahim, 32, whose family owns a grocery store.

''During last Ramzan, the supermarket made $6,000. This year, I'm just hoping I'll make a $1,000.'' Residents said the price of lettuce had increased six times -- a frustration for many as it is a key ingredient in a traditional West Asian salad which Lebanese have when breaking their fast.

But despite the hardships, residents say Ramazan is not leaving as bitter of an aftertaste because what they see as victory against the Israelis is sweeter.

''Of course there's a difference, we feel victorious, Ramzan is great,'' said Zeinab Moghni, 24, university student, but she added: ''One now has to think twice before inviting visitors, we have to think about the money before we spend it.'' Reuters DKB RS0925