Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Aleppo

For one person, living is cheaper in Aleppo: $678 a month against $869 in Damascus, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
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Damascus Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Aleppo
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Aleppo Living Index

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Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$869

/mo nomad

Aleppo

🇸🇾 Syria

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Damascus and in Aleppo

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 Aleppo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Damascus versus $678 in Aleppo.

Damascus $869
Aleppo $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Damascus versus $1,080 in Aleppo.

Damascus $1,412
Aleppo $1,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,954 in Damascus versus $1,483 in Aleppo.

Damascus $1,954
Aleppo $1,483

Living in Damascus is roughly 28% more expensive than in Aleppo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Damascus 36% lower, Aleppo 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 SYP 1,238

$2.97 SYP 361

243.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 SYP 5,209

$20.06 SYP 2,438

113.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 SYP 835

$3.20 SYP 389

114.69%

Cappuccino

$3.75 SYP 455

$1.28 SYP 155

192.97%

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

$2.21 SYP 269

$1.28 SYP 156

72.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SYP 108

$0.59 SYP 71.2

50.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 SYP 249

$3.03 SYP 368

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 SYP 489

$1.33 SYP 162

203.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 SYP 128

$1.52 SYP 185

-30.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 SYP 50.1

$0.94 SYP 114

-56.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 SYP 184

$1.68 SYP 205

-9.52%

Eggs

$1.62 SYP 197

$3.14 SYP 382

-48.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.96 SYP 482

$8.13 SYP 988

-51.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 SYP 680

$6.42 SYP 780

-12.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 SYP 1,664

$10.29 SYP 1,251

33.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 SYP 129

$1.24 SYP 151

-14.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 SYP 166

$2.42 SYP 295

-43.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 SYP 139

$1.28 SYP 155

-10.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 SYP 128

$0.85 SYP 103

23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.2

$0.85 SYP 103

-7.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.5

$0.94 SYP 114

-15.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 SYP 49.16

$0.29 SYP 34.69

37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SYP 75.2

$0.82 SYP 99.5

-24.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 SYP 342

$3.26 SYP 396

-13.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 SYP 740

$4.85 SYP 590

25.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 SYP 128

$2.03 SYP 247

-47.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 SYP 345

$2.67 SYP 325

6.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 SYP 28.02

$0.20 SYP 24.84

15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.85 SYP 1,198

$2.93 SYP 356

236.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SYP 124

$1.93 SYP 234

-47.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 SYP 179

$1.97 SYP 239

-24.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 SYP 938

$3.98 SYP 484

93.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.70 SYP 450

$1.38 SYP 167

168.12%

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

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

$23.3K SYP 2.8M

-36.56%

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

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

$20.8K SYP 2.5M

-6.16%

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

$138 SYP 16.8K

$76.1 SYP 9,252

81.69%

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

$9.86 SYP 1,198

$13.11 SYP 1,594

-24.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.41 SYP 5,518

$20.10 SYP 2,443

125.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.67 SYP 3,363

$15.22 SYP 1,850

81.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 SYP 1,055

$20.34 SYP 2,472

-57.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 SYP 675

$3.04 SYP 369

82.89%

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

$66.4 SYP 8,068

$68.3 SYP 8,304

-2.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,758 SYP 213.6K

$1,561 SYP 189.6K

12.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.98 SYP 3,522

$69.2 SYP 8,414

-58.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 SYP 4,907

$63.3 SYP 7,695

-36.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 SYP 7,215

$115 SYP 14.0K

-48.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 SYP 7,197

$148 SYP 18.0K

-60.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 SYP 63.8K

$91.0 SYP 11.1K

477.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 SYP 22.8K

$77.8 SYP 9,458

141.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 SYP 101.3K

$230 SYP 28.0K

262.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 SYP 57.3K

$157 SYP 19.1K

200.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,700 SYP 206.6K

$790 SYP 96.0K

115.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$607 SYP 73.8K

$296 SYP 36.0K

105.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$72.9 SYP 8,855

$63.7 SYP 7,740

14.41%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aleppo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Damascus

$194 22.3%

Aleppo

$109 16.1% 43.5% $84

Accommodation & Living

Damascus

$188 21.6%

Aleppo

$78 11.5% 58.6% $110

Eating Out

Damascus

$178 20.5%

Aleppo

$74 10.9% 58.4% $104

Groceries & Markets

Damascus

$168 19.3%

Aleppo

$202 29.8% 20.4% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Damascus

$85 9.7%

Aleppo

$178 26.3% 111% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Damascus

$39 4.5%

Aleppo

$21 3.1% 45.1% $18

Getting Around

Damascus

$19 2.2%

Aleppo

$16 2.3% 19.1% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $525 in Damascus and $91.0 in Aleppo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Damascus pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Damascus vs $20.00 in Aleppo. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $202, with Damascus cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Damascus

🇸🇾 Aleppo

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

Same time as Damascus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,414,913 Capital

2,132,100

💱 Currency

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.31 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Aleppo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Damascus and Aleppo differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($869 vs $678 including rent). Aleppo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Damascus, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $525 in Damascus versus $91.0 in Aleppo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $869 per month in Damascus versus $678 in Aleppo – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Aleppo runs roughly 236% less than in Damascus. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $678 in Aleppo versus $869 in Damascus, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aleppo but tight or insufficient in Damascus. The gap between the two cities makes Aleppo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Aleppo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Damascus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.