Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Latakia and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Latakia: $477 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Latakia
🇸🇾 Syria
$477
/mo nomad
Cape Town
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,586
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Latakia and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $477 per month in Latakia vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Latakia $477
  • Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $789 per month in Latakia vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Latakia $789
  • Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $1,100 per month in Latakia vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

  • Latakia $1,100
  • Cape Town $3,263

Latakia is about 70% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Latakia sits 65% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Latakia
Cape Town
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.14 SYP 625
$12.14 R 200
-57.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.86 SYP 3,628
$45.34 R 747
-34.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.58 SYP 678
$5.88 R 96.9
-5.10%
Cappuccino
$1.03 SYP 125
$2.50 R 41.18
-58.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.95 SYP 115
$1.27 R 20.94
-25.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 SYP 103
$0.98 R 16.14
-13.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.99 SYP 120
$2.99 R 49.33
-66.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 SYP 356
$3.72 R 61.4
-21.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Latakia
Cape Town
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 SYP 105
$1.30 R 21.40
-33.85%
White Bread (500g)
$0.38 SYP 46.56
$1.25 R 20.68
-69.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.16 SYP 141
$2.23 R 36.76
-47.98%
Eggs
$1.45 SYP 177
$3.11 R 51.2
-53.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.88 SYP 472
$9.06 R 149
-57.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.08 SYP 617
$6.92 R 114
-26.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.03 SYP 1,705
$9.30 R 153
50.86%
Apples (1kg)
$0.86 SYP 105
$1.84 R 30.25
-53.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.13 SYP 137
$1.96 R 32.29
-42.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.69 SYP 83.5
$1.67 R 27.45
-58.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.65 SYP 78.8
$2.17 R 35.70
-70.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.68 SYP 82.6
$1.57 R 25.81
-56.69%
Onion (1kg)
$0.73 SYP 88.9
$1.48 R 24.45
-50.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.43 SYP 52.5
$1.30 R 21.41
-66.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 SYP 79.0
$1.13 R 18.60
-42.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.71 SYP 329
$3.60 R 59.3
-24.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.94 SYP 479
$6.15 R 101
-35.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 SYP 156
$1.38 R 22.66
-7.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 SYP 291
$2.14 R 35.20
12.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Latakia
Cape Town
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.07 SYP 7.97
$1.50 R 24.65
-95.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$60.8 R 1,001
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.02 SYP 125
$0.59 R 9.71
72.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.59 SYP 71.3
$1.50 R 24.65
-60.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.14 SYP 625
$5.11 R 84.2
0.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 SYP 133
$1.55 R 25.50
-29.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$14.8K SYP 1.8M
$36.2K R 596.5K
-59.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.3K SYP 2.3M
$31.2K R 514.8K
-38.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Latakia
Cape Town
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.0 SYP 8,262
$114 R 1,883
-40.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.32 SYP 889
$28.91 R 476
-74.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.60 SYP 4,205
$39.73 R 654
-12.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Latakia
Cape Town
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.03 SYP 1,705
$49.01 R 808
-71.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.75 SYP 1,184
$10.99 R 181
-11.28%
Cinema Ticket
$1.17 SYP 142
$9.15 R 151
-87.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Latakia
Cape Town
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$40.70 SYP 4,946
$259 R 4,264
-84.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,481 SYP 180.0K
$6,794 R 111.9K
-78.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Latakia
Cape Town
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.24 SYP 3,189
$56.2 R 926
-53.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.73 SYP 2,397
$32.41 R 534
-39.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$40.64 SYP 4,939
$121 R 1,987
-66.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.09 SYP 4,872
$108 R 1,781
-62.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Latakia
Cape Town
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$90.3 SYP 11.0K
$1,021 R 16.8K
-91.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$50.5 SYP 6,134
$717 R 11.8K
-92.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$251 SYP 30.5K
$1,824 R 30.1K
-86.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$124 SYP 15.1K
$1,327 R 21.9K
-90.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$700 SYP 85.0K
$2,391 R 39.4K
-70.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$246 SYP 29.9K
$1,542 R 25.4K
-84.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Latakia
Cape Town
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$57.9 SYP 7,037
$1,639 R 27.0K
-96.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.25
10.97
29.90%

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

Last update for Latakia: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Latakia
$151
Cape Town
$225 48.7% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Latakia
$110
Cape Town
$183 66.5% $73
Eating Out
Latakia
$88
Cape Town
$176 99.7% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Latakia
$57
Cape Town
$143 150% $86
Accommodation & Living
Latakia
$50
Cape Town
$717 1320% $666
Sport & Entertainment
Latakia
$16
Cape Town
$67 311% $51
Getting Around
Latakia
$4.2 *
Cape Town
$75 1673% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $90.3 in Latakia versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2730% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Latakia versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $225 – making Latakia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇾 Latakia
🇿🇦 Cape Town
🕒 Local time
21:54 9:54 PM
20:54 8:54 PM
1 h behind Latakia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
383,786
3,740,026 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SYP – Syrian Pound Converter

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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Latakia Cape Town 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Latakia
  • Cape Town

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
Latakia vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Latakia or Cape Town?
Cape Town costs about 232% more than Latakia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Latakia and in Cape Town?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $716 per month in Latakia and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Latakia or Cape Town?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Latakia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Latakia compared to Cape Town?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $477 in Latakia and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 232%.
How do childcare costs compare in Latakia and in Cape Town?
Kindergarten costs $40.70 per month in Latakia and $259 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Latakia or in Cape Town?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Latakia, where all-in costs run around $477, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Latakia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Latakia or Cape Town?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Latakia costs $477 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Latakia or to Cape Town?
If budget matters most, go with Latakia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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