Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Damascus Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Damascus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $734 in Damascus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,085 in Damascus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,437 in Damascus.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 216% more expensive than in Damascus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Damascus is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.43

$5.93 SYP 720

197.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.9

$27.18 SYP 3,303

156.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.37

$5.65 SYP 686

150.62%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.49 SYP 182

87.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.12 SYP 136

150.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$0.68 SYP 82.1

202.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.58 SYP 193

191.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.48 SYP 302

89.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.04 SYP 126

18.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.59 SYP 71.7

244.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.67 SYP 203

18.56%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.92 SYP 233

81.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.01

$3.02 SYP 367

506.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.59

$7.54 SYP 917

30.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.71

$11.18 SYP 1,358

71.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$0.88 SYP 107

210.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.79 SYP 218

32.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.03 SYP 125

101.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.94 SYP 114

192.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.61 SYP 74.2

221.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.66 SYP 79.8

171.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.40 SYP 49.06

270.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.61 SYP 74.6

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.23

$3.05 SYP 371

133.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.88

$8.20 SYP 996

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.98 SYP 119

40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.75 SYP 212

36.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.10 SYP 11.69

2910.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.65

$16.85 SYP 2,048

74.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.81

$0.97 SYP 118

349.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.21 SYP 147

76.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.86

$6.26 SYP 761

372.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$3.61 SYP 439

-49.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.9K €33.1K

$18.6K SYP 2.3M

103.79%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K €28.3K

$20.9K SYP 2.5M

55.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €165

$102 SYP 12.3K

86.18%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.29 €19.48

$8.25 SYP 1,003

170.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.47

$54.4 SYP 6,611

-31.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.7

$15.48 SYP 1,881

274.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.05

$7.39 SYP 897

179.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.50

$2.95 SYP 359

268.47%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 €617

$43.49 SYP 5,285

1523.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,804 SYP 219.2K

723.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.2

$29.75 SYP 3,615

200.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €31.98

$25.42 SYP 3,089

43.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.9

$45.65 SYP 5,548

127.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$56.1 SYP 6,814

112.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,379

$265 SYP 32.2K

496.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,082

$170 SYP 20.6K

629.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,370

$532 SYP 64.6K

409.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,782

$281 SYP 34.2K

624.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,576

$1,714 SYP 208.3K

339.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,577

$596 SYP 72.5K

778.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,065

$59.5 SYP 7,235

3870.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

13.75

-75.35%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Damascus: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $265 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 3871% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $172 per month, with Damascus cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Damascus differ by about 216% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $734 including rent). Damascus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3871% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $265 in Damascus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $43.49 in Damascus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Damascus versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Damascus but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Damascus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Damascus are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Damascus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 216% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.