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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $691 per month in Chengdu vs $724 in Damascus, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,088 per month in Chengdu vs $1,086 in Damascus, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,484 per month in Chengdu vs $1,447 in Damascus, rent included.

Chengdu is about 5% cheaper than Damascus, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Chengdu and Damascus are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 48% lower, Damascus 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.16

$5.87 SYP 713

-51.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.43 ¥158

$27.58 SYP 3,351

-15.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 ¥33.36

$5.60 SYP 681

-11.79%

Cappuccino

$2.79 ¥18.85

$1.47 SYP 179

89.80%

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

$0.43 ¥2.93

$1.18 SYP 143

-63.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.03

$0.68 SYP 82.8

-55.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ¥7.67

$1.65 SYP 200

-30.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ¥14.23

$2.52 SYP 306

-16.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥12.11

$0.97 SYP 118

84.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.77

$0.58 SYP 70.7

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.17

$1.70 SYP 207

-46.47%

Eggs

$1.92 ¥12.97

$1.85 SYP 224

3.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥91.9

$3.06 SYP 372

345.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ¥24.65

$7.86 SYP 955

-53.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.42 ¥77.1

$11.33 SYP 1,376

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 ¥12.40

$0.86 SYP 105

113.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.30

$1.75 SYP 213

-29.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.72

$0.99 SYP 120

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.18

$0.88 SYP 106

20.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.80

$0.61 SYP 74.3

16.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.74

$0.67 SYP 81.4

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.02

$0.41 SYP 49.49

46.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.63 SYP 76.3

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.40 ¥22.92

$2.92 SYP 355

16.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.72

$8.15 SYP 990

-33.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.36

$1.02 SYP 124

-7.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥12.71

$1.83 SYP 222

2.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.92

$0.09 SYP 11.38

377.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 ¥188

$17.20 SYP 2,090

61.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.25

$1.02 SYP 124

19.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.91

$1.23 SYP 150

-77.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 ¥28.87

$6.46 SYP 785

-33.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.56

$3.61 SYP 438

-68.98%

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

$18.7K ¥126.0K

$18.5K SYP 2.2M

0.90%

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

$16.7K ¥112.5K

$21.1K SYP 2.6M

-21.20%

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

$44.08 ¥298

$100 SYP 12.2K

-55.97%

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

$11.44 ¥77.2

$8.27 SYP 1,005

38.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.59 ¥78.2

$56.0 SYP 6,806

-79.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.88 ¥161

$15.14 SYP 1,839

57.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 ¥78.2

$7.54 SYP 916

53.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 ¥36.66

$3.08 SYP 375

76.30%

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

$342 ¥2,310

$43.00 SYP 5,224

695.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥83.0K

$1,820 SYP 221.1K

575.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.64 ¥247

$29.34 SYP 3,565

24.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.88 ¥262

$26.25 SYP 3,190

48.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 ¥448

$44.66 SYP 5,426

48.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 ¥347

$55.7 SYP 6,766

-7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 ¥2,095

$266 SYP 32.4K

16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ¥1,216

$169 SYP 20.5K

6.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ¥4,125

$531 SYP 64.6K

15.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ¥2,187

$290 SYP 35.3K

11.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 ¥25.6K

$1,731 SYP 210.3K

119.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,909 ¥12.9K

$617 SYP 75.0K

209.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,258 ¥8,491

$71.9 SYP 8,730

1650.58%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Damascus: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $310 in Chengdu versus $266 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 1651% 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 $23.00 in Chengdu versus $28.00 in Damascus. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Chengdu vs $173 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: $691 in Chengdu, $724 in Damascus – roughly 5% apart. Damascus costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Chengdu and $1,086 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 $23.00 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 $691 in Chengdu and $724 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 $691 in Chengdu and $724 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.