Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Damascus

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $741 a month against $869 in Damascus, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
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Chengdu Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
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Damascus Living Index

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Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $741 per month in Chengdu vs $869 in Damascus, rent included.

Chengdu $741
Damascus $869

A couple spends around $1,204 per month in Chengdu vs $1,412 in Damascus, rent included.

Chengdu $1,204
Damascus $1,412

A family of three spends $1,667 per month in Chengdu vs $1,954 in Damascus, rent included.

Chengdu $1,667
Damascus $1,954

Chengdu is about 15% cheaper than Damascus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chengdu and Damascus are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 45% lower, Damascus 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 ¥18.72

$10.19 SYP 1,238

-72.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.37 ¥150

$42.87 SYP 5,209

-47.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ¥32.85

$6.87 SYP 835

-28.53%

Cappuccino

$2.88 ¥19.28

$3.75 SYP 455

-23.20%

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

$0.50 ¥3.37

$2.21 SYP 269

-77.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.89 SYP 108

-68.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ¥10.21

$2.05 SYP 249

-25.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥14.61

$4.03 SYP 489

-45.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.06 SYP 128

79.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 ¥10.02

$0.41 SYP 50.1

265.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.62

$1.52 SYP 184

-34.87%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$1.62 SYP 197

-3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.54 ¥97.2

$3.96 SYP 482

267.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.48

$5.60 SYP 680

-34.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ¥74.8

$13.69 SYP 1,664

-18.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ¥12.40

$1.06 SYP 129

74.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 ¥9.19

$1.37 SYP 166

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.28

$1.15 SYP 139

-5.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.74

$1.05 SYP 128

10.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.70

$0.79 SYP 96.2

-11.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$0.79 SYP 96.5

-8.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.40 SYP 49.16

55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.64

$0.62 SYP 75.2

-12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 ¥24.89

$2.81 SYP 342

32.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.58 ¥30.61

$6.09 SYP 740

-24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.49

$1.06 SYP 128

-22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.86

$2.84 SYP 345

-47.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.23 SYP 28.02

86.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.50 ¥164

$9.85 SYP 1,198

148.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ¥8.71

$1.02 SYP 124

27.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$1.48 SYP 179

-80.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ¥29.85

$7.72 SYP 938

-42.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.81

$3.70 SYP 450

-64.32%

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

$19.6K ¥130.9K

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

32.16%

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

$17.4K ¥116.1K

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

-11.01%

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

$47.19 ¥316

$138 SYP 16.8K

-65.89%

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

$9.21 ¥61.6

$9.86 SYP 1,198

-6.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.45 ¥83.2

$45.41 SYP 5,518

-72.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 ¥179

$27.67 SYP 3,363

-3.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 ¥76.2

$8.68 SYP 1,055

31.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ¥40.62

$5.56 SYP 675

9.35%

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

$379 ¥2,534

$66.4 SYP 8,068

470.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥99.0K

$1,758 SYP 213.6K

742.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.28 ¥169

$28.98 SYP 3,522

-12.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.77 ¥186

$40.38 SYP 4,907

-31.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 ¥381

$59.4 SYP 7,215

-4.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 ¥352

$59.2 SYP 7,197

-11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ¥3,103

$525 SYP 63.8K

-11.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 ¥1,659

$188 SYP 22.8K

32.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 ¥5,436

$834 SYP 101.3K

-2.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ¥3,565

$471 SYP 57.3K

13.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,762 ¥25.2K

$1,700 SYP 206.6K

121.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,902 ¥12.7K

$607 SYP 73.8K

213.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,252 ¥8,368

$72.9 SYP 8,855

1617.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

14.25

-76.28%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Damascus: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chengdu

$248 33.5%

Damascus

$188 21.6% 24.3% $60

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$196 26.5%

Damascus

$168 19.3% 14.5% $28

Eating Out

Chengdu

$87 11.7%

Damascus

$178 20.5% 105% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 9.9%

Damascus

$85 9.7% 15.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.3%

Damascus

$194 22.3% 181% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$39 5.3%

Damascus

$39 4.5% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 3.9%

Damascus

$19 2.2% 33.8% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Chengdu versus $525 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 1617% 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 $22.00 in Chengdu versus $43.00 in Damascus. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Chengdu vs $168 in Damascus – so Damascus wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇸🇾 Damascus

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

16:57 4:57 PM

5 h behind Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

1,414,913 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chengdu Damascus 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
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

Chengdu vs Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $741 in Chengdu, $869 in Damascus – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,112 per month in Chengdu and $1,304 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 $22.00 in Chengdu and $43.00 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 $741 in Chengdu and $869 in Damascus. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Damascus at $869. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Damascus it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.