Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Damascus and Tartus

For one person, living is cheaper in Tartus: $635 a month against $866 in Damascus, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
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Damascus Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Tartus
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Tartus Living Index

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Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$866

/mo nomad

Tartus

🇸🇾 Syria

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Damascus and in Tartus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Damascus versus $635 in Tartus.

Damascus $866
Tartus $635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,404 in Damascus versus $988 in Tartus.

Damascus $1,404
Tartus $988

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,943 in Damascus versus $1,340 in Tartus.

Damascus $1,943
Tartus $1,340

Living in Damascus is roughly 36% more expensive than in Tartus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Damascus 36% lower, Tartus 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.11 SYP 1,229

$10.13 SYP 1,232

-0.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.10 SYP 5,239

$41.75 SYP 5,074

3.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 SYP 876

$6.80 SYP 827

6.03%

Cappuccino

$3.67 SYP 446

$3.79 SYP 461

-3.17%

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

$2.28 SYP 277

$2.22 SYP 270

2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 SYP 108

$0.83 SYP 101

7.23%

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

$4.09 SYP 497

-2.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 SYP 127

$0.44 SYP 53.9

136.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 SYP 50.4

$0.44 SYP 53.9

-6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 SYP 198

$0.74 SYP 90.3

120.27%

Eggs

$1.58 SYP 193

$0.81 SYP 98.8

95.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.82 SYP 464

$3.95 SYP 480

-3.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 SYP 705

$3.05 SYP 370

90.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 SYP 1,681

$13.97 SYP 1,699

-1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 SYP 126

$1.04 SYP 126

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 SYP 172

$1.37 SYP 166

3.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 SYP 135

$1.15 SYP 140

-3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.02 SYP 124

$0.22 SYP 26.67

363.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.5

$0.22 SYP 26.74

259.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 SYP 93.1

$0.29 SYP 35.84

165.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 SYP 52.7

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SYP 76.0

$0.61 SYP 74.7

3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 SYP 340

$2.65 SYP 322

5.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 SYP 625

$4.93 SYP 599

4.26%

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

$2.86 SYP 347

-1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 SYP 25.47

$0.33 SYP 39.55

-36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.81 SYP 949

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 SYP 119

$1.01 SYP 123

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 SYP 181

$1.49 SYP 182

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 SYP 959

$7.85 SYP 954

0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.77 SYP 459

$3.67 SYP 446

2.72%

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

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

-0.14%

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

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

$19.1K SYP 2.3M

1.86%

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

$139 SYP 16.9K

$139 SYP 17.0K

-0.48%

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

$9.53 SYP 1,159

$9.52 SYP 1,157

0.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 SYP 5,724

$20.33 SYP 2,471

131.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.02 SYP 3,405

$5.64 SYP 685

396.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 SYP 826

Cinema Ticket

$5.38 SYP 654

$5.47 SYP 665

-1.65%

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

$65.4 SYP 7,953

$9.54 SYP 1,160

585.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,773 SYP 215.5K

$1,756 SYP 213.4K

0.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.78 SYP 3,499

$11.34 SYP 1,378

153.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 SYP 4,777

$40.40 SYP 4,911

-2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.9 SYP 7,406

$46.48 SYP 5,650

31.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 SYP 7,171

$15.39 SYP 1,871

283.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 SYP 62.5K

$117 SYP 14.2K

339.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 SYP 22.6K

$76.7 SYP 9,322

142.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$864 SYP 105.0K

$232 SYP 28.2K

272.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 SYP 56.6K

$113 SYP 13.8K

310.68%

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

$49.39 SYP 6,004

59.18%

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 Tartus: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Damascus

$195 22.6%

Tartus

$169 26.7% 13.4% $26

Accommodation & Living

Damascus

$186 21.5%

Tartus

$77 12.1% 58.7% $109

Eating Out

Damascus

$177 20.4%

Tartus

$177 27.9% 0.1% $0.2

Groceries & Markets

Damascus

$167 19.3%

Tartus

$135 21.2% 19.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Damascus

$85 9.8%

Tartus

$51 8.1% 39.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Damascus

$39 4.5%

Tartus

$17 2.6% 57.3% $22

Getting Around

Damascus

$17 2%

Tartus

$9.8 * 1.5% 42.7% $7.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Damascus and $117 in Tartus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Damascus pays 59% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Damascus vs $42 in Tartus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $135 per month, with Tartus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Damascus

🇸🇾 Tartus

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

Same time as Damascus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,414,913 Capital

115,769

💱 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

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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 Tartus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $866 in Damascus and $635 in Tartus, so Tartus is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% 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: $514 in Damascus versus $117 in Tartus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $65 in Damascus versus $9.54 in Tartus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $866 per month in Damascus versus $635 in Tartus – Tartus is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Tartus gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Tartus wins on affordability, Damascus on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.