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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $875 in Damascus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,389 in Damascus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,903 in Damascus.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 162% more expensive than in Damascus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Damascus is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$10.14 SYP 1,232

73.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$44.44 SYP 5,400

41.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.88 SYP 836

68.31%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.79 SYP 461

-18.21%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.20 SYP 267

13.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.86 SYP 105

102.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.87 SYP 227

86.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.97 SYP 360

15.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.04 SYP 127

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.41 SYP 49.82

365.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.64 SYP 200

-8.54%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.62 SYP 197

145.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$3.82 SYP 464

247.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.56 SYP 675

44.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$13.82 SYP 1,679

30.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.06 SYP 129

121.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.37 SYP 167

27.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.09 SYP 132

69.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.06 SYP 128

140.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.80 SYP 97.6

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.75 SYP 91.5

180.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.41 SYP 49.63

263.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.62 SYP 75.3

32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$2.75 SYP 334

158.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.09 SYP 740

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.11 SYP 135

18.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.83 SYP 344

-24.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.21 SYP 25.45

1023.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$10.17 SYP 1,236

358.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.03 SYP 125

296.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.50 SYP 183

-24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$7.80 SYP 948

119.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$3.79 SYP 461

-39.05%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$14.7K SYP 1.8M

131.87%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$19.1K SYP 2.3M

116.08%

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

$169 €147

$141 SYP 17.1K

19.81%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$9.65 SYP 1,172

100.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$45.34 SYP 5,509

-26.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$27.63 SYP 3,357

76.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$8.43 SYP 1,024

130.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$5.65 SYP 687

69.38%

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

$696 €607

$66.5 SYP 8,073

947.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$1,755 SYP 213.2K

889.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$28.44 SYP 3,456

270.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$40.56 SYP 4,927

17.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$60.6 SYP 7,360

65.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$58.1 SYP 7,063

114.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$530 SYP 64.4K

213.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$186 SYP 22.5K

571.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$837 SYP 101.7K

254.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$438 SYP 53.3K

367.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$1,748 SYP 212.4K

348.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$609 SYP 74.0K

633.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$72.0 SYP 8,752

2164.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

14.25

-73.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Damascus: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $530 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 2165% 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 $44.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $168 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 162% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $875 including rent). Damascus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2165% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $530 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 $44.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $875 in Damascus – a 162% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $875 in Damascus versus $2,296 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 162% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.