Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Latakia and Damascus

For one person, living is cheaper in Latakia: $478 a month against $867 in Damascus, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Latakia
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Latakia Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Damascus
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Damascus Living Index

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Latakia

🇸🇾 Syria

$478

/mo nomad

Damascus

🇸🇾 Syria

$867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Latakia 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 Latakia and in Damascus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $478 in Latakia versus $867 in Damascus.

Latakia $478
Damascus $867

Estimated couple costs with rent: $790 in Latakia versus $1,405 in Damascus.

Latakia $790
Damascus $1,405

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,103 in Latakia versus $1,943 in Damascus.

Latakia $1,103
Damascus $1,943

Living in Latakia costs roughly 45% less than in Damascus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Latakia 65% lower, Damascus 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.12 SYP 623

$9.90 SYP 1,203

-48.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.68 SYP 3,607

$42.05 SYP 5,109

-29.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 SYP 652

$7.10 SYP 862

-24.51%

Cappuccino

$1.00 SYP 121

$3.78 SYP 459

-73.54%

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

$0.93 SYP 113

$2.29 SYP 278

-59.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 SYP 97.3

$0.81 SYP 98.7

-1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 SYP 120

$1.85 SYP 225

-46.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 SYP 373

$4.03 SYP 490

-23.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 SYP 113

$1.10 SYP 134

-15.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.38 SYP 46.67

$0.42 SYP 50.7

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 SYP 142

$1.58 SYP 192

-25.95%

Eggs

$1.46 SYP 178

$1.63 SYP 198

-10.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 SYP 481

$3.97 SYP 483

-0.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 SYP 608

$5.86 SYP 713

-14.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 SYP 1,726

$13.94 SYP 1,694

1.87%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 SYP 106

$1.03 SYP 125

-15.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 SYP 137

$1.42 SYP 172

-21.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 SYP 89.3

$1.10 SYP 133

-33.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 SYP 82.3

$1.02 SYP 124

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 SYP 83.4

$0.76 SYP 91.9

-9.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 SYP 97.0

$0.76 SYP 92.5

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 SYP 52.7

$0.43 SYP 52.5

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 SYP 80.7

$0.62 SYP 75.5

6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 SYP 329

$2.76 SYP 335

-1.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.98 SYP 484

$6.03 SYP 732

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SYP 156

$1.11 SYP 134

16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SYP 283

$2.84 SYP 345

-17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.08 SYP 9.56

$0.21 SYP 25.45

-61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.19 SYP 1,238

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 SYP 118

$1.02 SYP 124

-4.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 SYP 71.2

$1.56 SYP 190

-62.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 SYP 613

$7.81 SYP 949

-35.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 SYP 128

$3.71 SYP 451

-71.70%

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

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

0.20%

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

$19.1K SYP 2.3M

$19.3K SYP 2.3M

-1.09%

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

$67.4 SYP 8,190

$138 SYP 16.7K

-51.08%

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

$7.38 SYP 897

$9.68 SYP 1,176

-23.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.47 SYP 4,068

$46.92 SYP 5,702

-28.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.77 SYP 1,674

$27.77 SYP 3,374

-50.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.79 SYP 1,190

$8.30 SYP 1,009

17.95%

Cinema Ticket

$1.17 SYP 143

$5.57 SYP 677

-78.99%

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

$40.53 SYP 4,925

$67.0 SYP 8,142

-39.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,493 SYP 181.5K

$1,751 SYP 212.8K

-14.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.88 SYP 3,145

$28.12 SYP 3,417

-7.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.18 SYP 2,331

$40.32 SYP 4,900

-52.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.90 SYP 5,091

$60.6 SYP 7,367

-30.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.84 SYP 4,842

$57.9 SYP 7,036

-31.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.1 SYP 10.8K

$513 SYP 62.4K

-82.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.2 SYP 6,339

$184 SYP 22.4K

-71.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$245 SYP 29.8K

$858 SYP 104.2K

-71.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 SYP 15.4K

$462 SYP 56.2K

-72.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$705 SYP 85.7K

$1,744 SYP 212.0K

-59.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 SYP 30.4K

$616 SYP 74.9K

-59.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$58.5 SYP 7,108

$80.1 SYP 9,728

-26.93%

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 Latakia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Damascus: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Latakia

$153 32%

Damascus

$170 19.7% 11.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Latakia

$108 22.7%

Damascus

$194 22.4% 79.6% $86

Eating Out

Latakia

$87 18.2%

Damascus

$176 20.2% 102% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Latakia

$57 11.9%

Damascus

$84 9.7% 47.5% $27

Accommodation & Living

Latakia

$52 10.9%

Damascus

$184 21.2% 253% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Latakia

$16 3.4%

Damascus

$39 4.5% 141% $23

Getting Around

Latakia

$4.2 * 0.9%

Damascus

$20 2.3% 370% $16

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 $89.1 in Latakia and $513 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Damascus pays 37% 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: $30.00 in Latakia vs $42.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $153 vs $170 per month, with Latakia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Latakia

🇸🇾 Damascus

🕒 Local time

17:53 5:53 PM

Same time as Latakia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

383,786

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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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 Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Latakia and Damascus differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($478 vs $867 including rent). Latakia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Damascus. 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: $89.1 in Latakia versus $513 in Damascus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $40.53 in Latakia 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 Latakia – 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 $478 in Latakia versus $867 in Damascus, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Latakia but tight or insufficient in Damascus. The gap between the two cities makes Latakia 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 Latakia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Damascus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.