Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Suran

For one person, living is cheaper in Suran: $644 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Dubai
🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
$2,896
/mo nomad
Suran
🇸🇾 Syria
$644
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai and in Suran

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dubai and in Suran actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $644 in Suran.

  • Dubai $2,896
  • Suran $644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,384 in Dubai versus $1,018 in Suran.

  • Dubai $4,384
  • Suran $1,018

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,872 in Dubai versus $1,392 in Suran.

  • Dubai $5,872
  • Suran $1,392

Living in Dubai is roughly 350% more expensive than in Suran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 115% above, Suran is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dubai
Suran
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.67 AED 46.55
$9.95 SYP 1,209
27.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.7 AED 300
$42.45 SYP 5,158
92.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.34 AED 34.30
$6.83 SYP 831
36.75%
Cappuccino
$5.89 AED 21.62
$3.67 SYP 446
60.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 AED 6.20
$2.27 SYP 276
-25.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 AED 2.86
$0.88 SYP 107
-11.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$13.66 AED 50.2
$2.05 SYP 249
566.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$13.49 AED 49.54
$4.06 SYP 493
232.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dubai
Suran
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 AED 6.78
$1.09 SYP 133
68.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 AED 5.50
$0.39 SYP 47.37
284.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 AED 9.45
$1.57 SYP 191
63.69%
Eggs
$3.32 AED 12.18
$1.62 SYP 196
104.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.60 AED 46.28
$3.83 SYP 466
228.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.66 AED 35.46
$5.64 SYP 685
71.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.78 AED 46.93
$13.76 SYP 1,672
-7.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 AED 9.54
$1.03 SYP 125
152.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 AED 6.99
$1.35 SYP 164
40.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 AED 7.02
$1.15 SYP 140
66.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.37 AED 5.02
$1.02 SYP 124
34.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 AED 4.14
$0.80 SYP 97.5
41.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 AED 3.71
$0.76 SYP 92.4
32.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 AED 5.30
$0.44 SYP 53.3
227.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 AED 2.48
$0.62 SYP 74.8
8.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.88 AED 21.59
$2.84 SYP 345
107.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.15 AED 59.3
$6.13 SYP 745
163.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.72 AED 10.00
$1.11 SYP 135
145.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 AED 11.32
$2.86 SYP 347
7.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Dubai
Suran
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 AED 5.87
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.0 AED 279
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 AED 11.91
$1.01 SYP 123
220.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 AED 2.61
$1.54 SYP 187
-53.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.96 AED 29.22
$7.84 SYP 953
1.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 AED 3.62
$3.59 SYP 437
-72.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K AED 100.6K
$14.8K SYP 1.8M
85.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K AED 80.9K
$19.3K SYP 2.3M
14.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
Suran
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$249 AED 913
$141 SYP 17.1K
76.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.4 AED 200
$9.90 SYP 1,203
449.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$91.5 AED 336
$46.12 SYP 5,604
98.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
Suran
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$103 AED 380
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$42.32 AED 155
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.29 AED 59.8
$5.55 SYP 675
193.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dubai
Suran
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$844 AED 3,098
$67.4 SYP 8,191
1151.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.3K AED 67.1K
$1,762 SYP 214.1K
936.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
Suran
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.0 AED 246
$28.99 SYP 3,522
131.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.9 AED 213
$39.50 SYP 4,800
46.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 AED 375
$59.0 SYP 7,170
73.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.7 AED 363
$59.3 SYP 7,201
66.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dubai
Suran
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,393 AED 8,788
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,533 AED 5,630
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,594 AED 16.9K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,939 AED 10.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,046 AED 25.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,222 AED 15.5K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dubai
Suran
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,461 AED 12.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.54
14.25
-68.14%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Suran: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dubai
$1.5K
Suran
- * 100%
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dubai
$394
Suran
$197 50.1% $197
Eating Out
Dubai
$305
Suran
$175 42.6% $130
Groceries & Markets
Dubai
$292
Suran
$168 42.4% $124
Clothing & Footwear
Dubai
$147
Suran
$84 42.7% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Dubai
$136
Suran
$11 * 91.8% $125
Getting Around
Dubai
$89
Suran
$8.7 * 90.2% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $82.0 in Dubai vs $42.00 in Suran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $168 per month, with Suran cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇪 Dubai
🇸🇾 Suran
🕒 Local time
06:00 6:00 AM
05:00 5:00 AM
1 h behind Dubai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,790,000
30,716
💱 Currency
UAE Dirham AED د.إ
Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dubai Suran 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dubai
  • Suran

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Dubai vs Suran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Suran cheaper than Dubai?
Suran is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 350% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $4,344 in Dubai and $966 in Suran 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.
How do food prices compare in Dubai and in Suran?
Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Dubai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Dubai and in Suran?
All in, you'll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $644 in Suran – a 350% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Dubai or in Suran?
At $644 in Suran versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Suran but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Suran the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Dubai or Suran more family-friendly?
For families, Suran is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Dubai or Suran?
Safety-wise, Dubai and Suran are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Suran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 350% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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