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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $723 in Damascus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,081 in Damascus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,439 in Damascus.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 206% more expensive than Damascus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Damascus is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$6.07 SYP 670

162.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$27.25 SYP 3,011

137.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.45 SYP 602

92.84%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.49 SYP 165

92.62%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.12 SYP 124

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.72 SYP 80.0

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$1.62 SYP 179

115.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.46 SYP 272

57.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.98 SYP 108

16.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.62 SYP 69.0

182.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.70 SYP 188

3.53%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.88 SYP 208

71.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$3.04 SYP 336

343.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.67 SYP 847

3.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$11.26 SYP 1,244

40.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.92 SYP 102

151.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.79 SYP 198

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.00 SYP 110

101.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.87 SYP 96.6

182.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.66 SYP 72.7

178.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.65 SYP 72.2

207.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.38 SYP 41.96

407.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.57 SYP 63.3

38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.03 SYP 335

118.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$6.00 SYP 663

-4.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.98 SYP 109

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.82 SYP 201

63.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.10 SYP 11.54

2270.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$17.18 SYP 1,899

165.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.98 SYP 109

337.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.26 SYP 139

-34.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$6.39 SYP 706

186.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$3.59 SYP 397

-42.62%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$18.5K SYP 2.0M

84.92%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$21.2K SYP 2.3M

85.39%

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

$148 €127

$103 SYP 11.4K

43.19%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$8.22 SYP 908

149.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$54.6 SYP 6,036

-27.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$15.20 SYP 1,679

214.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$7.41 SYP 819

155.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$3.07 SYP 339

199.02%

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

$614 €529

$43.11 SYP 4,763

1324.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,799 SYP 198.8K

791.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$29.40 SYP 3,248

255.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$26.02 SYP 2,876

61.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$45.85 SYP 5,067

104.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$56.4 SYP 6,230

112.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$259 SYP 28.6K

528.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$169 SYP 18.6K

644.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$522 SYP 57.7K

480.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$290 SYP 32.1K

595.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,694 SYP 187.2K

360.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$598 SYP 66.1K

614.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$44.01 SYP 4,863

3543.40%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Damascus: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $259 in Damascus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 3543% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Damascus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 206% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $723 including rent). Damascus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 3543% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $259 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 $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $723 in Damascus – a 206% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $723 in Damascus versus $2,210 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 206% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.