Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Al-qardahah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-qardahah: $642 a month against $866 in Damascus, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
Learn more

Damascus Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Al-qardahah
Learn more

Al-qardahah Living Index

Jump to prices

Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$866

/mo nomad

Al-qardahah

🇸🇾 Syria

$642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Damascus and in Al-qardahah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Damascus and in Al-qardahah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $866 per month in Damascus vs $642 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Damascus $866
Al-qardahah $642

A couple spends around $1,404 per month in Damascus vs $1,016 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Damascus $1,404
Al-qardahah $1,016

A family of three spends $1,943 per month in Damascus vs $1,390 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Damascus $1,943
Al-qardahah $1,390

Damascus costs about 35% more than Al-qardahah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Damascus and Al-qardahah are more affordable than the global median – Damascus 36% lower, Al-qardahah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.11 SYP 1,229

$10.06 SYP 1,222

0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.10 SYP 5,239

$42.56 SYP 5,173

1.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 SYP 876

$6.89 SYP 838

4.64%

Cappuccino

$3.67 SYP 446

$3.64 SYP 442

0.82%

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

$2.28 SYP 277

$2.23 SYP 272

2.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SYP 108

$0.86 SYP 105

3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SYP 233

$1.94 SYP 236

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 SYP 484

$3.90 SYP 475

2.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 SYP 127

$1.05 SYP 128

-0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 SYP 50.4

$0.45 SYP 54.3

-8.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 SYP 198

$1.61 SYP 196

1.24%

Eggs

$1.58 SYP 193

$1.57 SYP 191

0.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.82 SYP 464

$3.98 SYP 484

-4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 SYP 705

$5.56 SYP 676

4.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 SYP 1,681

$13.71 SYP 1,666

0.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 SYP 126

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 SYP 172

$1.38 SYP 168

2.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 SYP 135

$1.14 SYP 138

-2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 SYP 124

$1.07 SYP 130

-4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.5

$0.79 SYP 95.6

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 SYP 93.1

$0.76 SYP 91.9

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 SYP 52.7

$0.44 SYP 53.5

-2.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SYP 76.0

$0.66 SYP 80.1

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 SYP 340

$2.71 SYP 329

2.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 SYP 625

$4.94 SYP 600

4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 SYP 132

$1.15 SYP 140

-5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 SYP 341

$2.81 SYP 342

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 SYP 25.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.81 SYP 949

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 SYP 119

$0.99 SYP 120

-1.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 SYP 181

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 SYP 959

$7.80 SYP 948

1.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.77 SYP 459

$3.63 SYP 441

3.86%

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

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

$15.0K SYP 1.8M

0.34%

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

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

$19.3K SYP 2.4M

0.72%

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

$139 SYP 16.9K

$142 SYP 17.2K

-2.16%

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

$9.53 SYP 1,159

$9.67 SYP 1,175

-1.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 SYP 5,724

$45.85 SYP 5,573

2.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.02 SYP 3,405

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 SYP 826

Cinema Ticket

$5.38 SYP 654

$5.56 SYP 675

-3.24%

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

$65.4 SYP 7,953

$66.9 SYP 8,131

-2.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,773 SYP 215.5K

$1,770 SYP 215.2K

0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.78 SYP 3,499

$28.37 SYP 3,448

1.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 SYP 4,777

$39.44 SYP 4,794

-0.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 SYP 7,406

$61.0 SYP 7,409

-0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 SYP 7,171

$57.8 SYP 7,023

2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 SYP 62.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 SYP 22.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 SYP 105.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 SYP 56.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,725 SYP 209.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$599 SYP 72.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$78.6 SYP 9,557

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.25

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

Last update for Damascus: November 2, 2026

Last update for Al-qardahah: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Damascus

$195 22.6%

Al-qardahah

$197 30.7% 1% $2

Accommodation & Living

Damascus

$186 21.5%

Al-qardahah

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Damascus

$177 20.4%

Al-qardahah

$175 27.2% 1.2% $2.1

Groceries & Markets

Damascus

$167 19.3%

Al-qardahah

$167 26% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Damascus

$85 9.8%

Al-qardahah

$84 13.1% 0.8% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Damascus

$39 4.5%

Al-qardahah

$11 * 1.7% 71.3% $28

Getting Around

Damascus

$17 2%

Al-qardahah

$8.4 * 1.3% 50.7% $8.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Damascus versus $43 in Al-qardahah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $167 – making Damascus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Damascus

🇸🇾 Al-qardahah

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

Same time as Damascus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,414,913 Capital

💱 Currency

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Damascus Al-qardahah 220 km

From you

Damascus
Al-qardahah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Damascus vs Al-qardahah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Damascus is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,298 per month in Damascus and $963 in Al-qardahah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $866 in Damascus and $642 in Al-qardahah. That makes Al-qardahah about 26% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $65 per month in Damascus and $67 in Al-qardahah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $866 in Damascus and $642 in Al-qardahah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Damascus has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $642 in Al-qardahah to $866 in Damascus. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.