Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-qardahah and Damascus

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-qardahah: $642 a month against $866 in Damascus, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Al-qardahah, Syria
Damascus, Syria
Al-qardahah
🇸🇾 Syria
$642
/mo nomad
Damascus
🇸🇾 Syria
$866
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-qardahah and in Damascus

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-qardahah and in Damascus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $642 per month in Al-qardahah vs $866 in Damascus, rent included.

  • Al-qardahah $642
  • Damascus $866

A couple spends around $1,016 per month in Al-qardahah vs $1,404 in Damascus, rent included.

  • Al-qardahah $1,016
  • Damascus $1,404

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Al-qardahah vs $1,943 in Damascus, rent included.

  • Al-qardahah $1,390
  • Damascus $1,943

Al-qardahah is about 26% cheaper than Damascus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Al-qardahah and Damascus are more affordable than the global median – Al-qardahah 52% lower, Damascus 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Al-qardahah
Damascus
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.06 SYP 1,222
$10.11 SYP 1,229
-0.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.56 SYP 5,171
$43.10 SYP 5,237
-1.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.89 SYP 837
$7.21 SYP 876
-4.44%
Cappuccino
$3.64 SYP 442
$3.67 SYP 446
-0.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 SYP 271
$2.28 SYP 277
-2.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 SYP 105
$0.89 SYP 108
-3.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.94 SYP 236
$1.92 SYP 233
1.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 SYP 474
$3.99 SYP 484
-2.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Al-qardahah
Damascus
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 SYP 128
$1.04 SYP 126
0.96%
White Bread (500g)
$0.45 SYP 54.3
$0.41 SYP 50.4
9.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 SYP 196
$1.63 SYP 198
-1.23%
Eggs
$1.57 SYP 191
$1.58 SYP 192
-0.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.98 SYP 484
$3.82 SYP 464
4.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.56 SYP 675
$5.80 SYP 705
-4.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.71 SYP 1,665
$13.83 SYP 1,680
-0.87%
Apples (1kg)
$1.03 SYP 126
$1.03 SYP 126
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 SYP 168
$1.42 SYP 172
-2.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.14 SYP 138
$1.11 SYP 135
2.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.07 SYP 130
$1.02 SYP 124
4.90%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 SYP 95.5
$0.79 SYP 96.5
-
Onion (1kg)
$0.76 SYP 91.9
$0.77 SYP 93.0
-1.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.44 SYP 53.5
$0.43 SYP 52.7
2.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 SYP 80.1
$0.63 SYP 76.0
4.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.71 SYP 329
$2.79 SYP 340
-2.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.94 SYP 600
$5.14 SYP 624
-3.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 SYP 140
$1.09 SYP 132
5.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 SYP 342
$2.81 SYP 341
-
🚌 Getting Around
Al-qardahah
Damascus
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.21 SYP 25.46
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$7.81 SYP 949
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.99 SYP 120
$0.98 SYP 119
1.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 SYP 181
$1.49 SYP 181
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.80 SYP 948
$7.89 SYP 959
-1.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$3.63 SYP 441
$3.77 SYP 458
-3.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.0K SYP 1.8M
$15.1K SYP 1.8M
-0.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.3K SYP 2.3M
$19.5K SYP 2.4M
-0.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-qardahah
Damascus
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$142 SYP 17.2K
$139 SYP 16.9K
2.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.67 SYP 1,175
$9.53 SYP 1,158
1.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.85 SYP 5,570
$47.09 SYP 5,721
-2.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Al-qardahah
Damascus
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$28.02 SYP 3,404
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.80 SYP 826
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.56 SYP 675
$5.38 SYP 654
3.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Al-qardahah
Damascus
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$66.9 SYP 8,128
$65.4 SYP 7,950
2.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,770 SYP 215.1K
$1,773 SYP 215.4K
-0.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Al-qardahah
Damascus
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.37 SYP 3,447
$28.78 SYP 3,497
-1.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.44 SYP 4,792
$39.30 SYP 4,775
0.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.0 SYP 7,406
$60.9 SYP 7,403
0.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.8 SYP 7,020
$59.0 SYP 7,168
-2.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Al-qardahah
Damascus
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$514 SYP 62.4K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$186 SYP 22.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$864 SYP 104.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$466 SYP 56.6K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$1,725 SYP 209.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$599 SYP 72.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Al-qardahah
Damascus
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$78.6 SYP 9,553
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.25
14.25
-

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Al-qardahah: November 1, 2026

Last update for Damascus: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-qardahah
$197
Damascus
$195 1% $2
Eating Out
Al-qardahah
$175
Damascus
$177 1.2% $2.1
Groceries & Markets
Al-qardahah
$167
Damascus
$167 0.2% $0.3
Clothing & Footwear
Al-qardahah
$84
Damascus
$85 0.8% $0.7
Sport & Entertainment
Al-qardahah
$11 *
Damascus
$39 249% $28
Getting Around
Al-qardahah
$8.4 *
Damascus
$17 103% $8.7
Accommodation & Living
Al-qardahah
- *
Damascus
$186

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Al-qardahah versus $43 in Damascus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $167 – making Al-qardahah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇾 Al-qardahah
🇸🇾 Damascus
🕒 Local time
11:22 11:22 AM
11:22 11:22 AM
Same time as Al-qardahah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,414,913 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SYP – Syrian Pound Converter

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Al-qardahah Damascus 220 km
From you
  • Al-qardahah
  • Damascus

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Al-qardahah vs Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Al-qardahah cheaper than Damascus?
Yes – Damascus is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $963 per month in Al-qardahah and $1,298 in Damascus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Al-qardahah and in Damascus?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $642 in Al-qardahah and $866 in Damascus. That makes Al-qardahah about 26% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $67 per month in Al-qardahah and $65 in Damascus. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Al-qardahah or Damascus?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $642 in Al-qardahah and $866 in Damascus, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Al-qardahah or in Damascus?
It depends on your priorities. Damascus has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $642 in Al-qardahah to $866 in Damascus. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Al-qardahah vs other spots: cost of living compared

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