Cost of Living Comparison Between Latakia and Damascus Cost of Living Comparison Between Latakia and Damascus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $473 in Latakia versus $858 in Damascus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $781 in Latakia versus $1,383 in Damascus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,089 in Latakia versus $1,909 in Damascus.

Living in Latakia costs roughly 45% less than in Damascus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Latakia 66% lower, Damascus 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.94 SYP 601

$10.16 SYP 1,235

-51.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.31 SYP 3,685

$45.49 SYP 5,530

-33.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 SYP 658

$6.79 SYP 826

-20.18%

Cappuccino

$0.99 SYP 120

$3.66 SYP 445

-72.95%

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

$1.00 SYP 122

$2.19 SYP 267

-54.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 SYP 97.8

$0.82 SYP 99.5

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 SYP 120

$1.89 SYP 229

-47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 SYP 374

$2.93 SYP 356

5.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 SYP 116

$1.09 SYP 133

-12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 SYP 50.2

$0.39 SYP 46.99

5.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 SYP 141

$1.59 SYP 193

-27.04%

Eggs

$1.46 SYP 177

$1.62 SYP 197

-9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.89 SYP 473

$3.93 SYP 478

-1.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.20 SYP 632

$5.85 SYP 711

-11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 SYP 1,721

$13.75 SYP 1,671

2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$0.86 SYP 105

$1.02 SYP 124

-15.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 SYP 143

$1.41 SYP 171

-17.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 SYP 88.7

$1.10 SYP 134

-33.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 SYP 83.9

$1.05 SYP 128

-34.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 SYP 83.8

$0.74 SYP 89.8

-6.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 SYP 96.3

$0.74 SYP 90.2

6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 SYP 49.31

$0.44 SYP 53.2

-6.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SYP 76.5

$0.61 SYP 74.2

3.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 SYP 346

$2.73 SYP 332

4.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.08 SYP 495

$6.09 SYP 740

-33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SYP 163

$1.05 SYP 128

27.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SYP 278

$2.96 SYP 360

-22.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.07 SYP 7.95

$0.21 SYP 25.51

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.04 SYP 1,221

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 SYP 125

$1.02 SYP 124

0.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 SYP 69.5

$1.49 SYP 181

-61.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 SYP 618

$7.68 SYP 933

-33.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 SYP 128

$3.72 SYP 453

-71.77%

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

$15.0K SYP 1.8M

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

-1.17%

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

$18.8K SYP 2.3M

-0.07%

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

$67.5 SYP 8,204

$138 SYP 16.8K

-51.21%

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

$7.31 SYP 888

$9.53 SYP 1,158

-23.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.74 SYP 4,101

$46.09 SYP 5,603

-26.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.19 SYP 1,725

$28.43 SYP 3,455

-50.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.56 SYP 1,162

$8.57 SYP 1,042

11.55%

Cinema Ticket

$1.17 SYP 142

$5.64 SYP 686

-79.26%

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

$40.57 SYP 4,931

$66.8 SYP 8,117

-39.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,512 SYP 183.8K

$1,746 SYP 212.2K

-13.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.54 SYP 3,227

$28.89 SYP 3,512

-8.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.16 SYP 2,329

$40.07 SYP 4,871

-52.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.08 SYP 5,115

$59.4 SYP 7,215

-29.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.66 SYP 4,821

$58.4 SYP 7,104

-32.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$90.8 SYP 11.0K

$527 SYP 64.1K

-82.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$51.7 SYP 6,279

$183 SYP 22.3K

-71.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 SYP 30.4K

$837 SYP 101.7K

-70.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 SYP 15.3K

$443 SYP 53.8K

-71.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$705 SYP 85.7K

$1,705 SYP 207.2K

-58.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$246 SYP 29.8K

$611 SYP 74.3K

-59.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$58.3 SYP 7,085

$72.7 SYP 8,833

-19.79%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Damascus: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $90.8 in Latakia and $527 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Damascus pays 25% 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 $45.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $169 per month, with Latakia cheaper across the board.

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 ($473 vs $858 including rent). Latakia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% 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: $90.8 in Latakia versus $527 in Damascus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $40.57 in Latakia versus $66.8 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 $45.00 in Damascus. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $473 in Latakia versus $858 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.