Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Hama

For one person, living is cheaper in Hama: $557 a month against $867 in Damascus, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
27

Cost of Living Index in Hama
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Hama Living Index

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Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$867

/mo nomad

Hama

🇸🇾 Syria

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Damascus and in Hama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $867 in Damascus versus $557 in Hama.

Damascus $867
Hama $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,405 in Damascus versus $868 in Hama.

Damascus $1,405
Hama $868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,943 in Damascus versus $1,180 in Hama.

Damascus $1,943
Hama $1,180

Living in Damascus is roughly 56% more expensive than in Hama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Damascus 36% lower, Hama 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 SYP 1,203

$7.62 SYP 926

29.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.05 SYP 5,109

$30.44 SYP 3,699

38.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 SYP 862

$2.70 SYP 329

162.96%

Cappuccino

$3.78 SYP 459

$1.16 SYP 141

225.86%

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

$2.29 SYP 278

$2.26 SYP 275

1.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 SYP 98.7

$0.87 SYP 106

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 SYP 225

$1.95 SYP 237

-5.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 SYP 490

$1.79 SYP 218

125.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 SYP 134

$1.06 SYP 129

3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 SYP 50.7

$0.42 SYP 50.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 SYP 192

$1.57 SYP 191

0.64%

Eggs

$1.63 SYP 198

$1.64 SYP 199

-0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.97 SYP 483

$3.84 SYP 467

3.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 SYP 713

$5.57 SYP 677

5.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 SYP 1,694

$13.90 SYP 1,689

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 SYP 125

$1.08 SYP 131

-4.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 SYP 172

$1.42 SYP 173

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 SYP 133

$1.11 SYP 135

-0.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 SYP 124

$1.05 SYP 128

-2.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 SYP 91.9

$0.74 SYP 89.5

2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 SYP 92.5

$0.79 SYP 96.3

-3.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 SYP 52.5

$0.40 SYP 48.65

7.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SYP 75.5

$0.61 SYP 74.6

1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 SYP 335

$2.74 SYP 333

0.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 SYP 732

$6.14 SYP 746

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 SYP 134

$1.10 SYP 134

0.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 SYP 345

$2.91 SYP 353

-2.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 SYP 25.45

$0.20 SYP 23.72

5.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.19 SYP 1,238

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SYP 124

$1.02 SYP 123

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 SYP 190

$1.49 SYP 181

4.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 SYP 949

$7.89 SYP 959

-1.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.71 SYP 451

$3.60 SYP 437

3.06%

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

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

$15.0K SYP 1.8M

-1.26%

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

$19.3K SYP 2.3M

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

-0.81%

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

$138 SYP 16.7K

$143 SYP 17.3K

-3.46%

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

$9.68 SYP 1,176

$9.32 SYP 1,132

3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.92 SYP 5,702

$23.15 SYP 2,814

102.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.77 SYP 3,374

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.30 SYP 1,009

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 SYP 677

$5.39 SYP 655

3.34%

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

$67.0 SYP 8,142

$67.9 SYP 8,249

-1.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,751 SYP 212.8K

$1,747 SYP 212.2K

0.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.12 SYP 3,417

$28.42 SYP 3,454

-1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.32 SYP 4,900

$39.97 SYP 4,857

0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 SYP 7,367

$59.9 SYP 7,277

1.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.9 SYP 7,036

$58.8 SYP 7,143

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 SYP 62.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 SYP 22.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 SYP 104.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 SYP 56.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,744 SYP 212.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$616 SYP 74.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$80.1 SYP 9,728

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 19, 2026

Last update for Hama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Damascus

$194 22.4%

Hama

$175 31.5% 9.9% $19

Accommodation & Living

Damascus

$184 21.2%

Hama

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Damascus

$176 20.2%

Hama

$109 19.6% 38% $67

Groceries & Markets

Damascus

$170 19.7%

Hama

$169 30.3% 1% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Damascus

$84 9.7%

Hama

$84 15.1% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Damascus

$39 4.5%

Hama

$11 * 1.9% 72.3% $28

Getting Around

Damascus

$20 2.3%

Hama

$9.2 * 1.7% 53.5% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Damascus vs $30.00 in Hama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $169 per month, with Hama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Damascus

🇸🇾 Hama

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

Same time as Damascus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,414,913 Capital

312,994

💱 Currency

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Hama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Damascus and Hama differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($867 vs $557 including rent). Hama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,301 in Damascus and $835 in Hama to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $67.0 in Damascus versus $67.9 in Hama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hama – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $42.00 in Damascus. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $557 in Hama versus $867 in Damascus, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hama but tight or insufficient in Damascus. The gap between the two cities makes Hama 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 Hama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Damascus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.