Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hama and Damascus

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.

27

Cost of Living Index in Hama
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Hama Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
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Damascus Living Index

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Hama

🇸🇾 Syria

$557

/mo nomad

Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hama and in Damascus

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

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

Hama $557
Damascus $867

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

Hama $868
Damascus $1,405

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

Hama $1,180
Damascus $1,943

Living in Hama costs roughly 36% less than in Damascus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 SYP 926

$9.90 SYP 1,203

-23.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.44 SYP 3,699

$42.05 SYP 5,109

-27.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.70 SYP 329

$7.10 SYP 862

-61.97%

Cappuccino

$1.16 SYP 141

$3.78 SYP 459

-69.31%

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

$2.26 SYP 275

$2.29 SYP 278

-1.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 SYP 106

$0.81 SYP 98.7

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 SYP 237

$1.85 SYP 225

5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 SYP 218

$4.03 SYP 490

-55.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 SYP 129

$1.10 SYP 134

-3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 SYP 50.8

$0.42 SYP 50.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 SYP 191

$1.58 SYP 192

-0.63%

Eggs

$1.64 SYP 199

$1.63 SYP 198

0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 SYP 467

$3.97 SYP 483

-3.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.57 SYP 677

$5.86 SYP 713

-4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 SYP 1,689

$13.94 SYP 1,694

-0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 SYP 131

$1.03 SYP 125

4.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 SYP 173

$1.42 SYP 172

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 SYP 135

$1.10 SYP 133

0.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 SYP 128

$1.02 SYP 124

2.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 SYP 89.5

$0.76 SYP 91.9

-2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.3

$0.76 SYP 92.5

3.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 SYP 48.65

$0.43 SYP 52.5

-6.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 SYP 74.6

$0.62 SYP 75.5

-1.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 SYP 333

$2.76 SYP 335

-0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 SYP 746

$6.03 SYP 732

1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 SYP 134

$1.11 SYP 134

-0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 SYP 353

$2.84 SYP 345

2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 SYP 23.72

$0.21 SYP 25.45

-4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.19 SYP 1,238

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 SYP 123

$1.02 SYP 124

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 SYP 181

$1.56 SYP 190

-4.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 SYP 959

$7.81 SYP 949

1.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.60 SYP 437

$3.71 SYP 451

-2.96%

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

$15.0K SYP 1.8M

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

1.28%

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

$19.5K SYP 2.4M

$19.3K SYP 2.3M

0.81%

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

$143 SYP 17.3K

$138 SYP 16.7K

3.59%

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

$9.32 SYP 1,132

$9.68 SYP 1,176

-3.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.15 SYP 2,814

$46.92 SYP 5,702

-50.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.77 SYP 3,374

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.30 SYP 1,009

Cinema Ticket

$5.39 SYP 655

$5.57 SYP 677

-3.23%

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

$67.9 SYP 8,249

$67.0 SYP 8,142

1.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,747 SYP 212.2K

$1,751 SYP 212.8K

-0.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.42 SYP 3,454

$28.12 SYP 3,417

1.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.97 SYP 4,857

$40.32 SYP 4,900

-0.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 SYP 7,277

$60.6 SYP 7,367

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 SYP 7,143

$57.9 SYP 7,036

1.52%

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 Hama: October 19, 2026

Last update for Damascus: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hama

$175 31.5%

Damascus

$194 22.4% 11% $19

Groceries & Markets

Hama

$169 30.3%

Damascus

$170 19.7% 1.1% $1.8

Eating Out

Hama

$109 19.6%

Damascus

$176 20.2% 61.3% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Hama

$84 15.1%

Damascus

$84 9.7% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Hama

$11 * 1.9%

Damascus

$39 4.5% 261% $28

Getting Around

Hama

$9.2 * 1.7%

Damascus

$20 2.3% 115% $11

Accommodation & Living

Hama

- * 0%

Damascus

$184 21.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇸🇾 Hama

🇸🇾 Damascus

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

Same time as Hama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

312,994

1,414,913 Capital

💱 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

On the map

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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

Hama vs Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $835 in Hama and $1,301 in Damascus 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 $67.9 in Hama versus $67.0 in Damascus. 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.