Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Damascus: $869 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$869

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Damascus and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $869 in Damascus versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Damascus $869
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,412 in Damascus versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Damascus $1,412
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,954 in Damascus versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Damascus $1,954
Phuket $2,867

Living in Damascus costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Damascus 36% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 SYP 1,238

$4.58 ฿153

122.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 SYP 5,209

$32.48 ฿1,086

31.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 SYP 835

$8.55 ฿286

-19.65%

Cappuccino

$3.75 SYP 455

$2.72 ฿91.0

37.87%

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

$2.21 SYP 269

$0.94 ฿31.25

135.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SYP 108

$0.49 ฿16.39

81.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 SYP 249

$2.59 ฿86.6

-20.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 SYP 489

$3.83 ฿128

5.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 SYP 128

$1.74 ฿58.1

-39.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 SYP 50.1

$1.43 ฿47.82

-71.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 SYP 184

$1.53 ฿51.0

-0.65%

Eggs

$1.62 SYP 197

$2.17 ฿72.7

-25.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.96 SYP 482

$19.15 ฿640

-79.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 SYP 680

$3.30 ฿110

69.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 SYP 1,664

$11.14 ฿372

22.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 SYP 129

$2.95 ฿98.5

-64.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 SYP 166

$1.68 ฿56.1

-18.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 SYP 139

$2.30 ฿76.8

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 SYP 128

$2.13 ฿71.3

-50.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.2

$1.53 ฿51.1

-48.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.5

$1.36 ฿45.55

-41.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 SYP 49.16

$1.12 ฿37.44

-64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SYP 75.2

$0.55 ฿18.24

12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 SYP 342

$4.26 ฿142

-34.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 SYP 740

$18.19 ฿608

-66.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 SYP 128

$1.74 ฿58.2

-39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 SYP 345

$2.79 ฿93.3

1.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 SYP 28.02

$2.22 ฿74.1

-89.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.85 SYP 1,198

$22.06 ฿737

-55.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SYP 124

$2.91 ฿97.3

-64.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 SYP 179

$1.01 ฿33.79

46.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 SYP 938

$3.83 ฿128

101.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.70 SYP 450

$1.49 ฿49.85

148.32%

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

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-44.49%

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

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-26.98%

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

$138 SYP 16.8K

$99.4 ฿3,321

39.22%

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

$9.86 SYP 1,198

$11.28 ฿377

-12.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.41 SYP 5,518

$17.36 ฿580

161.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.67 SYP 3,363

$52.3 ฿1,747

-47.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 SYP 1,055

$10.85 ฿362

-20.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 SYP 675

$7.57 ฿253

-26.55%

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

$66.4 SYP 8,068

$558 ฿18.7K

-88.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,758 SYP 213.6K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-84.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.98 SYP 3,522

$62.9 ฿2,102

-53.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 SYP 4,907

$28.58 ฿955

41.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 SYP 7,215

$96.1 ฿3,213

-38.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 SYP 7,197

$88.1 ฿2,943

-32.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 SYP 63.8K

$729 ฿24.4K

-27.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 SYP 22.8K

$460 ฿15.4K

-59.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 SYP 101.3K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-60.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 SYP 57.3K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-61.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,700 SYP 206.6K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-50.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$607 SYP 73.8K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-75.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$72.9 SYP 8,855

$493 ฿16.5K

-85.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.25

5.57

155.83%

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

Last update for Damascus: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Damascus

$194 22.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 33.9% $66

Accommodation & Living

Damascus

$188 21.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 145% $272

Eating Out

Damascus

$178 20.5%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 31.8% $56

Groceries & Markets

Damascus

$168 19.3%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 59.6% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Damascus

$85 9.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 46.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Damascus

$39 4.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 73.8% $29

Getting Around

Damascus

$19 2.2%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 103% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $525 in Damascus and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 577% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $268, with Damascus cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Damascus

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

20:57 8:57 PM

4 h ahead of Damascus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,414,913 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Syrian Pound SYP £

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SYP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Damascus Phuket 6,940 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Damascus
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Damascus and Phuket differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($869 vs $1,207 including rent). Damascus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 577% lower in Phuket. 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 $729 in Phuket. 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 $32.00 in Phuket. 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 $1,207 in Phuket – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $869 in Damascus versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Damascus but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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.

Safety-wise, Damascus and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Damascus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.