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 $403 in Syria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,132 in China versus $631 in Syria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,551 in China versus $858 in Syria.

Living in China is roughly 77% more expensive than Syria on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.81 ¥18.98

$4.76 SYP 526

-40.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.30 ¥158

$19.97 SYP 2,206

16.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥33.87

$5.04 SYP 557

-0.60%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.38

$0.99 SYP 109

204.04%

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

$0.45 ¥3.03

$0.87 SYP 96.4

-48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.97

$0.51 SYP 56.6

-43.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.41

$1.56 SYP 173

-39.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.87

$2.03 SYP 224

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ¥11.87

$0.80 SYP 88.9

120.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ¥10.98

$0.69 SYP 76.5

134.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.45

$1.29 SYP 143

-26.36%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.55

$1.74 SYP 192

-10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ¥88.3

$3.84 SYP 424

240.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 ¥22.17

$5.82 SYP 643

-43.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 ¥72.0

$10.63 SYP 1,175

0.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.03

$0.87 SYP 95.9

104.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.42

$1.76 SYP 194

-29.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.12

$0.91 SYP 100

64.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$0.62 SYP 68.4

85.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ¥5.07

$0.57 SYP 62.7

31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 ¥5.81

$0.63 SYP 69.2

36.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$0.38 SYP 41.67

63.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.81

$0.60 SYP 66.4

-6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥23.76

$3.05 SYP 337

15.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 ¥78.9

$5.02 SYP 555

132.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥5.40

$1.00 SYP 111

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.25

$1.94 SYP 215

-14.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.93

$0.10 SYP 10.57

330.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.86 ¥141

$8.71 SYP 962

139.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 ¥9.26

$1.03 SYP 114

33.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.38

$0.99 SYP 109

-64.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ¥44.82

$5.60 SYP 618

18.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.69

$2.06 SYP 228

-44.66%

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

$19.2K ¥129.7K

$21.8K SYP 2.4M

-12.03%

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

$16.8K ¥113.4K

$30.4K SYP 3.4M

-44.88%

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

$51.2 ¥346

$80.2 SYP 8,866

-36.23%

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

$10.16 ¥68.7

$8.98 SYP 992

13.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.51 ¥77.9

$30.82 SYP 3,406

-62.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.53 ¥274

$12.45 SYP 1,376

225.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.05 ¥102

$5.78 SYP 639

160.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.10 ¥41.26

$3.08 SYP 341

98.05%

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

$402 ¥2,719

$50.6 SYP 5,593

694.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥119.5K

$1,764 SYP 195.0K

901.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.57 ¥308

$20.89 SYP 2,309

118.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.26 ¥225

$26.68 SYP 2,948

24.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥491

$52.9 SYP 5,839

37.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 ¥503

$46.80 SYP 5,171

59.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ¥2,903

$140 SYP 15.4K

207.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,739

$79.8 SYP 8,812

222.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 ¥6,055

$318 SYP 35.1K

181.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥3,660

$168 SYP 18.5K

223.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 ¥33.9K

$1,486 SYP 164.2K

237.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,469 ¥16.7K

$568 SYP 62.7K

334.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 ¥7,132

$52.5 SYP 5,805

1907.81%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Syria: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $286 in China, $46.00 in Syria. Capital cities: $916 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $259 in Damascus.

National salary averages: $861 in China, $58.0 in Syria. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 522% higher in China.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 1384% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $362 in Syria, there's a 139% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Syria is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.