Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Damascus Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Damascus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $734 in Damascus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,085 in Damascus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,437 in Damascus.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 212% more expensive than in Damascus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Damascus is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$5.93 SYP 720

173.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$27.18 SYP 3,303

133.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$5.65 SYP 686

82.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$1.49 SYP 182

89.93%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.12 SYP 136

104.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.68 SYP 82.1

132.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$1.58 SYP 193

115.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.48 SYP 302

62.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.04 SYP 126

4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.59 SYP 71.7

196.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.67 SYP 203

5.39%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.92 SYP 233

65.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$3.02 SYP 367

336.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$7.54 SYP 917

5.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

$11.18 SYP 1,358

38.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$0.88 SYP 107

169.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.79 SYP 218

-4.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.03 SYP 125

95.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$0.94 SYP 114

158.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.61 SYP 74.2

188.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.66 SYP 79.8

207.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.40 SYP 49.06

380.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.61 SYP 74.6

39.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$3.05 SYP 371

115.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$8.20 SYP 996

-31.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$0.98 SYP 119

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.75 SYP 212

69.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.10 SYP 11.69

2180.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$16.85 SYP 2,048

171.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.97 SYP 118

336.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.21 SYP 147

-33.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$6.26 SYP 761

194.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.61 SYP 439

-42.38%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$18.6K SYP 2.3M

86.47%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$20.9K SYP 2.5M

87.67%

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

$148 €129

$102 SYP 12.3K

45.82%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$8.25 SYP 1,003

148.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$54.4 SYP 6,611

-27.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$15.48 SYP 1,881

210.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$7.39 SYP 897

151.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$2.95 SYP 359

212.54%

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

$616 €538

$43.49 SYP 5,285

1316.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,804 SYP 219.2K

811.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$29.75 SYP 3,615

245.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$25.42 SYP 3,089

64.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$45.65 SYP 5,548

107.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$56.1 SYP 6,814

117.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$265 SYP 32.2K

516.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$170 SYP 20.6K

626.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$532 SYP 64.6K

482.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$281 SYP 34.2K

622.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

$1,714 SYP 208.3K

356.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

$596 SYP 72.5K

635.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$59.5 SYP 7,235

2599.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

13.75

-72.29%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Damascus: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $265 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2600% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $172 per month, with Damascus cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Damascus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Damascus differ by about 212% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $734 including rent). Damascus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2600% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $265 in Damascus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Damascus – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $734 in Damascus – a 212% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $734 in Damascus versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Damascus but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Damascus 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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Damascus are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Damascus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.