Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Syria Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Syria

Name: Syria
Address: SY

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $712 in China versus $405 in Syria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,131 in China versus $634 in Syria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,550 in China versus $863 in Syria.

Living in China is roughly 76% more expensive than in Syria on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 47% lower, Syria 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 ¥19.35

$4.89 SYP 594

-41.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.44 ¥159

$20.17 SYP 2,451

16.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.75

$5.11 SYP 621

-5.28%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥21.06

$1.00 SYP 122

211.00%

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

$0.44 ¥3.00

$0.90 SYP 109

-51.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.99

$0.52 SYP 63.3

-44.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ¥6.64

$1.64 SYP 199

-40.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.88

$2.04 SYP 248

0.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.47

$0.81 SYP 97.9

127.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.94

$0.69 SYP 84.3

134.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.28

$1.29 SYP 156

-27.91%

Eggs

$1.63 ¥11.03

$1.66 SYP 202

-1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥89.0

$3.84 SYP 466

242.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ¥22.09

$5.83 SYP 708

-44.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 ¥71.9

$11.00 SYP 1,337

-3.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.19

$0.81 SYP 98.3

122.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.77

$1.78 SYP 216

-26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ¥9.90

$0.93 SYP 113

56.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.15

$0.63 SYP 76.8

90.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.14

$0.56 SYP 68.5

35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.93

$0.62 SYP 75.4

41.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.86

$0.38 SYP 46.12

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.63

$0.65 SYP 78.6

-16.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.17

$2.97 SYP 361

15.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.75 ¥79.5

$4.91 SYP 597

139.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.01 SYP 122

-20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.95

$1.88 SYP 229

-13.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.11 SYP 12.97

290.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.47 ¥139

$8.67 SYP 1,053

136.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.24

$0.98 SYP 119

38.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.39

$0.99 SYP 120

-64.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 ¥43.97

$5.48 SYP 665

18.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥7.59

$1.98 SYP 241

-43.43%

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

$19.5K ¥131.8K

$21.7K SYP 2.6M

-10.43%

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

$16.9K ¥114.1K

$30.9K SYP 3.8M

-45.47%

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

$51.7 ¥350

$81.0 SYP 9,846

-36.19%

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

$10.17 ¥68.8

$8.82 SYP 1,072

15.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.16 ¥75.5

$29.78 SYP 3,619

-62.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.62 ¥268

$12.62 SYP 1,533

213.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ¥98.3

$5.86 SYP 712

147.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 ¥43.19

$3.04 SYP 370

109.87%

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

$407 ¥2,756

$49.97 SYP 6,072

715.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥120.7K

$1,742 SYP 211.7K

923.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.53 ¥308

$20.71 SYP 2,516

119.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 ¥219

$26.58 SYP 3,230

21.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$52.2 SYP 6,343

39.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ¥504

$46.72 SYP 5,677

59.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥2,996

$139 SYP 16.9K

219.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,747

$80.7 SYP 9,810

219.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 ¥6,162

$321 SYP 39.1K

183.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ¥3,677

$170 SYP 20.6K

220.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,934 ¥33.4K

$1,409 SYP 171.2K

250.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 ¥16.2K

$559 SYP 68.0K

328.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 ¥7,205

$58.0 SYP 7,048

1735.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

-68.77%

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

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Last update for Syria: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $287 in China, $46.00 in Syria. Capital cities: $894 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $265 in Damascus.

National salary averages: $855 in China, $61.0 in Syria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 524% higher in China.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 1302% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Syria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $862 per month in China and $367 in Syria, there's a 135% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Syria: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in Syria across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Syria, $800 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Syria wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.