Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Damascus: $869 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$869

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Damascus and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Damascus versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Damascus $869
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Damascus versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Damascus $1,412
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,954 in Damascus versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Damascus $1,954
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Damascus costs roughly 45% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Damascus is 36% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 SYP 1,238

$10.75 MX$199

-5.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 SYP 5,209

$50.3 MX$929

-14.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 SYP 835

$11.10 MX$205

-38.11%

Cappuccino

$3.75 SYP 455

$3.68 MX$68.1

1.90%

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

$2.21 SYP 269

$1.65 MX$30.42

33.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SYP 108

$1.30 MX$24.08

-31.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 SYP 249

$3.32 MX$61.3

-38.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 SYP 489

$5.54 MX$102

-27.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 SYP 128

$1.77 MX$32.68

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 SYP 50.1

$3.05 MX$56.4

-86.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 SYP 184

$2.01 MX$37.20

-24.38%

Eggs

$1.62 SYP 197

$2.77 MX$51.1

-41.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.96 SYP 482

$11.91 MX$220

-66.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 SYP 680

$9.33 MX$172

-39.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 SYP 1,664

$15.02 MX$278

-8.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 SYP 129

$3.08 MX$56.8

-65.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 SYP 166

$1.95 MX$35.97

-29.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 SYP 139

$2.03 MX$37.54

-43.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 SYP 128

$2.21 MX$40.92

-52.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.2

$2.02 MX$37.41

-60.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.5

$1.82 MX$33.67

-56.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 SYP 49.16

$1.52 MX$28.07

-73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SYP 75.2

$1.28 MX$23.65

-51.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 SYP 342

$5.27 MX$97.4

-46.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 SYP 740

$16.12 MX$298

-62.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 SYP 128

$1.95 MX$36.05

-45.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 SYP 345

$4.25 MX$78.6

-33.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 SYP 28.02

$0.31 MX$5.82

-25.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.85 SYP 1,198

$19.85 MX$367

-50.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SYP 124

$2.00 MX$36.93

-49.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 SYP 179

$0.53 MX$9.86

179.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 SYP 938

$5.62 MX$104

37.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.70 SYP 450

$1.52 MX$28.07

143.42%

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

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

$21.0K MX$388.7K

-29.58%

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

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-22.53%

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

$138 SYP 16.8K

$62.5 MX$1,155

121.38%

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

$9.86 SYP 1,198

$28.77 MX$532

-65.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.41 SYP 5,518

$34.45 MX$637

31.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.67 SYP 3,363

$57.1 MX$1,055

-51.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 SYP 1,055

$24.81 MX$458

-65.01%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 SYP 675

$6.67 MX$123

-16.64%

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

$66.4 SYP 8,068

$431 MX$7,964

-84.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,758 SYP 213.6K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-85.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.98 SYP 3,522

$70.8 MX$1,308

-59.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 SYP 4,907

$51.8 MX$958

-22.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 SYP 7,215

$109 MX$2,011

-45.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 SYP 7,197

$112 MX$2,076

-47.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 SYP 63.8K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-50.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 SYP 22.8K

$665 MX$12.3K

-71.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 SYP 101.3K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-64.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 SYP 57.3K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-61.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,700 SYP 206.6K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-52.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$607 SYP 73.8K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-69.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$72.9 SYP 8,855

$975 MX$18.0K

-92.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.25

11.3

26.11%

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

Last update for Damascus: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Damascus

$194 22.3%

Mexico City

$126 8% 35.1% $68

Accommodation & Living

Damascus

$188 21.6%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 254% $477

Eating Out

Damascus

$178 20.5%

Mexico City

$203 13% 14.2% $25

Groceries & Markets

Damascus

$168 19.3%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 92.4% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Damascus

$85 9.7%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 82.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Damascus

$39 4.5%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 81.6% $32

Getting Around

Damascus

$19 2.2%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 34.4% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $525 in Damascus and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 1238% 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 $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 vs $323 per month, with Damascus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Damascus

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

07:57 7:57 AM

9 h behind Damascus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,414,913 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Syrian Pound SYP £

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SYP – Syrian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇾 Syrian Pound (£)

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to SYP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Damascus Mexico City 12,470 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Damascus
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Damascus and Mexico City differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($869 vs $1,567 including rent). Damascus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1238% lower in Mexico City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $525 in Damascus versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Damascus – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $869 per month in Damascus versus $1,567 in Mexico City – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $869 in Damascus versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Damascus but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Damascus 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 Damascus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.