Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Damascus Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Damascus

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $678 per month in Chengdu vs $734 in Damascus, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,080 per month in Chengdu vs $1,084 in Damascus, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,481 per month in Chengdu vs $1,434 in Damascus, rent included.

Chengdu is about 8% cheaper than Damascus, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Chengdu and Damascus are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Damascus 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 ¥18.59

$6.16 SYP 680

-55.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.57 ¥160

$27.71 SYP 3,062

-14.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ¥33.50

$5.36 SYP 592

-7.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ¥19.16

$1.53 SYP 169

84.97%

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

$0.43 ¥2.94

$1.16 SYP 128

-62.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.04

$0.72 SYP 79.4

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.66

$1.63 SYP 180

-30.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.78

$2.45 SYP 271

-16.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ¥11.69

$0.98 SYP 108

76.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ¥9.86

$0.59 SYP 65.2

147.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$1.74 SYP 192

-49.43%

Eggs

$1.92 ¥13.02

$1.92 SYP 212

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥92.0

$3.03 SYP 335

348.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ¥23.65

$7.77 SYP 859

-55.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.13 ¥75.4

$11.22 SYP 1,240

-0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 ¥12.45

$0.93 SYP 103

97.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.99

$1.82 SYP 201

-35.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.81

$1.00 SYP 110

45.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.95

$0.93 SYP 103

10.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ¥4.41

$0.67 SYP 73.6

-2.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.72

$0.66 SYP 73.2

6.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$0.41 SYP 45.00

39.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.58 SYP 63.7

-1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ¥22.45

$3.07 SYP 339

8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.42 ¥36.67

$6.06 SYP 670

-10.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.79

$1.01 SYP 112

-0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.24

$1.84 SYP 204

-1.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.98

$0.10 SYP 10.54

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.20 ¥191

$17.21 SYP 1,902

63.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.39

$0.98 SYP 108

26.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.90

$1.28 SYP 142

-78.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 ¥29.06

$6.40 SYP 707

-32.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.65

$3.75 SYP 414

-69.87%

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

$19.1K ¥129.3K

$18.7K SYP 2.1M

2.28%

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

$16.4K ¥110.7K

$20.7K SYP 2.3M

-21.13%

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

$44.00 ¥298

$101 SYP 11.2K

-56.55%

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

$11.53 ¥78.0

$8.61 SYP 951

33.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.65 ¥78.8

$56.1 SYP 6,198

-79.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.99 ¥162

$15.07 SYP 1,665

59.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.57 ¥78.3

$7.28 SYP 804

58.93%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ¥38.21

$2.94 SYP 325

92.18%

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

$342 ¥2,316

$43.20 SYP 4,773

692.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ¥82.7K

$1,798 SYP 198.7K

579.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.58 ¥254

$29.96 SYP 3,311

25.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.35 ¥266

$25.58 SYP 2,827

53.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ¥446

$44.76 SYP 4,946

47.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.6 ¥343

$56.2 SYP 6,206

-9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 ¥2,108

$260 SYP 28.7K

19.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ¥1,220

$170 SYP 18.8K

6.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ¥4,220

$529 SYP 58.5K

17.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥2,213

$286 SYP 31.6K

14.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,850 ¥26.1K

$1,720 SYP 190.1K

123.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,945 ¥13.2K

$599 SYP 66.1K

224.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,264 ¥8,556

$45.27 SYP 5,002

2692.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

13.75

-69.38%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 14, 2026

Last update for Damascus: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $312 in Chengdu versus $260 in Damascus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2693% higher in Chengdu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu versus $28.00 in Damascus. Groceries tell a different story – $194 in Chengdu vs $169 in Damascus – so Damascus wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chengdu vs Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $678 in Chengdu, $734 in Damascus – roughly 8% apart. Damascus costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,017 per month in Chengdu and $1,100 in Damascus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengdu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu and $28.00 in Damascus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $678 in Chengdu and $734 in Damascus. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $678 in Chengdu and $734 in Damascus, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chengdu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Chengdu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Damascus makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.