Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Damascus

For one person, living is cheaper in Damascus: $871 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
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Damascus Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/mo nomad

Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires 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 Buenos Aires and in Damascus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,685 in Buenos Aires versus $871 in Damascus.

Buenos Aires $1,685
Damascus $871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,742 in Buenos Aires versus $1,395 in Damascus.

Buenos Aires $2,742
Damascus $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,799 in Buenos Aires versus $1,920 in Damascus.

Buenos Aires $3,799
Damascus $1,920

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 94% more expensive than in Damascus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 26% above, Damascus is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

$9.87 SYP 1,200

89.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 ARS 97.8K

$42.24 SYP 5,133

52.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

$6.83 SYP 830

88.58%

Cappuccino

$3.98 ARS 6,029

$3.75 SYP 456

6.13%

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

$2.05 ARS 3,103

$2.30 SYP 279

-10.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,349

$0.89 SYP 108

74.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ARS 5,830

$1.98 SYP 241

93.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ARS 6,970

$3.88 SYP 472

18.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ARS 2,181

$1.08 SYP 132

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ARS 3,738

$0.42 SYP 50.9

485.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 ARS 2,467

$1.52 SYP 184

7.24%

Eggs

$2.89 ARS 4,385

$1.63 SYP 198

77.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

$3.93 SYP 478

170.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$5.84 SYP 709

71.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

$13.84 SYP 1,682

-0.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 ARS 4,166

$1.03 SYP 125

166.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 ARS 3,300

$1.41 SYP 171

54.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,205

$1.10 SYP 134

31.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ARS 3,013

$1.06 SYP 129

87.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,885

$0.74 SYP 90.0

67.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,921

$0.79 SYP 96.4

60.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ARS 2,575

$0.41 SYP 49.31

314.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ARS 2,617

$0.63 SYP 76.0

174.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 ARS 6,337

$2.81 SYP 341

48.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 ARS 8,790

$5.98 SYP 727

-3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ARS 3,163

$1.10 SYP 134

90.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ARS 4,198

$2.85 SYP 346

-2.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,132

$0.23 SYP 28.03

226.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

$9.93 SYP 1,206

173.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ARS 2,451

$1.03 SYP 125

57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,481

$1.53 SYP 186

-35.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

$7.59 SYP 923

1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$3.61 SYP 439

-62.33%

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

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

86.02%

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

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

77.49%

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

$216 ARS 326.9K

$139 SYP 16.9K

55.27%

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

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

$9.84 SYP 1,196

160.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ARS 47.6K

$45.66 SYP 5,548

-31.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.82 ARS 75.6K

$28.55 SYP 3,470

74.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

$8.47 SYP 1,029

101.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

$5.64 SYP 685

84.93%

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

$466 ARS 706.7K

$67.7 SYP 8,221

588.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

$1,816 SYP 220.7K

398.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ARS 185.2K

$28.35 SYP 3,445

330.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.4 ARS 147.8K

$39.84 SYP 4,841

144.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 177.4K

$59.5 SYP 7,224

96.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 ARS 211.9K

$57.2 SYP 6,955

144.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 ARS 1.2M

$526 SYP 63.9K

45.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ARS 766.1K

$186 SYP 22.6K

171.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

$840 SYP 102.1K

90.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

$469 SYP 56.9K

152.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

$1,742 SYP 211.7K

53.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

$607 SYP 73.8K

206.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 ARS 1.4M

$73.4 SYP 8,916

1200.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

14.25

301.75%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Last update for Damascus: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4%

Damascus

$186 21.4% 63.2% $319

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1%

Damascus

$170 19.6% 40.3% $115

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8%

Damascus

$175 20.2% 37.3% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4%

Damascus

$194 22.4% 28.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9%

Damascus

$83 9.6% 61.2% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3%

Damascus

$40 4.6% 43.7% $31

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Damascus

$20 2.3% 46.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Buenos Aires and $526 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 1201% 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: $64.0 in Buenos Aires vs $42.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $170 per month, with Damascus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇸🇾 Damascus

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

15:10 3:10 PM

6 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

1,414,913 Capital

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Damascus 12,430 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Damascus

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

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

Buenos Aires vs Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Damascus differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($1,685 vs $871 including rent). Damascus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1201% higher in Buenos Aires, 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: $763 in Buenos Aires versus $526 in Damascus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Buenos Aires versus $67.7 in Damascus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $871 in Damascus versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Damascus but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. 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, Buenos Aires 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 94% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.