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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $723 in Damascus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,081 in Damascus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,439 in Damascus.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 227% more expensive than Damascus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Damascus is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$6.07 SYP 670

189.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$27.25 SYP 3,011

151.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.45 SYP 602

157.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.49 SYP 165

86.58%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.12 SYP 124

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.72 SYP 80.0

186.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.62 SYP 179

175.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.46 SYP 272

87.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.98 SYP 108

26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.62 SYP 69.0

227.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.70 SYP 188

12.94%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.88 SYP 208

76.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$3.04 SYP 336

506.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$7.67 SYP 847

23.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$11.26 SYP 1,244

70.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.92 SYP 102

186.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.79 SYP 198

36.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.00 SYP 110

112.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.87 SYP 96.6

227.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.66 SYP 72.7

209.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.65 SYP 72.2

184.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.38 SYP 41.96

286.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 SYP 63.3

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.03 SYP 335

135.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$6.00 SYP 663

31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.98 SYP 109

40.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.82 SYP 201

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.10 SYP 11.54

2880.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$17.18 SYP 1,899

70.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.98 SYP 109

369.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.26 SYP 139

64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$6.39 SYP 706

356.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$3.59 SYP 397

-48.75%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$18.5K SYP 2.0M

110.46%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$21.2K SYP 2.3M

54.28%

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

$188 €162

$103 SYP 11.4K

81.87%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$8.22 SYP 908

178.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$54.6 SYP 6,036

-32.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$15.20 SYP 1,679

277.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$7.41 SYP 819

179.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$3.07 SYP 339

264.50%

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

$721 €621

$43.11 SYP 4,763

1572.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$1,799 SYP 198.8K

736.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$29.40 SYP 3,248

193.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$26.02 SYP 2,876

42.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$45.85 SYP 5,067

122.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$56.4 SYP 6,230

105.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$259 SYP 28.6K

491.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$169 SYP 18.6K

623.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$522 SYP 57.7K

416.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$290 SYP 32.1K

593.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$1,694 SYP 187.2K

326.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$598 SYP 66.1K

767.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$44.01 SYP 4,863

5260.78%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Damascus: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $259 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 5261% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $168 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 227% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $723 including rent). Damascus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 5261% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $259 in Damascus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $43.11 in Damascus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Damascus versus $2,367 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 227% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.