Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Syria and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in Syria: $641 a month against $791 in China, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Syria
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Syria Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇸🇾 Syria

$641

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Syria and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Syria and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $641 in Syria versus $791 in China.

Syria $641
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,036 in Syria versus $1,251 in China.

Syria $1,036
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,431 in Syria versus $1,711 in China.

Syria $1,431
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $384–$870 in Syria. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in Syria costs about 19% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Syria 53% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.99 SYP 850

$2.98 ¥19.81

134.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.44 SYP 3,699

$22.09 ¥147

37.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 SYP 709

$5.20 ¥34.60

12.31%

Cappuccino

$1.66 SYP 202

$2.97 ¥19.74

-44.11%

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

$1.53 SYP 185

$0.48 ¥3.19

218.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 SYP 80.6

$0.30 ¥2.01

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 SYP 240

$1.08 ¥7.18

82.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SYP 361

$2.28 ¥15.15

30.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 SYP 107

$1.80 ¥11.96

-51.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 SYP 65.8

$1.68 ¥11.15

-67.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 SYP 164

$0.92 ¥6.13

46.74%

Eggs

$1.61 SYP 196

$1.61 ¥10.73

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 SYP 541

$13.38 ¥89.1

-66.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 SYP 680

$3.35 ¥22.28

67.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 SYP 1,524

$11.35 ¥75.5

10.48%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 SYP 112

$1.82 ¥12.12

-49.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 SYP 174

$1.31 ¥8.69

9.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 SYP 107

$1.49 ¥9.89

-40.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 SYP 89.9

$1.27 ¥8.47

-41.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 SYP 77.7

$0.71 ¥4.73

-9.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 SYP 96.8

$0.93 ¥6.21

-13.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.44 SYP 53.6

$0.62 ¥4.12

-29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 SYP 81.7

$0.56 ¥3.74

19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 SYP 340

$3.78 ¥25.15

-25.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.93 SYP 599

$12.13 ¥80.8

-59.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 SYP 143

$0.83 ¥5.54

42.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SYP 308

$1.68 ¥11.21

50.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 SYP 24.44

$0.29 ¥1.92

-31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.86 SYP 1,198

$17.83 ¥119

-44.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 SYP 118

$1.49 ¥9.89

-34.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 SYP 179

$0.37 ¥2.49

297.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 SYP 732

$7.10 ¥47.24

-15.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 SYP 245

$1.26 ¥8.37

60.32%

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

$15.2K SYP 1.8M

$19.4K ¥129.4K

-21.81%

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

$20.1K SYP 2.4M

$17.5K ¥116.7K

14.79%

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

$86.9 SYP 10.6K

$54.6 ¥363

59.26%

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

$9.33 SYP 1,134

$8.73 ¥58.1

6.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.75 SYP 3,372

$11.07 ¥73.7

150.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.90 SYP 1,933

$40.77 ¥271

-61.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 SYP 1,129

$14.48 ¥96.4

-35.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 SYP 599

$6.78 ¥45.12

-27.29%

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

$58.6 SYP 7,115

$517 ¥3,438

-88.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,322 SYP 160.7K

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-93.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.29 SYP 2,830

$46.53 ¥310

-49.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 SYP 3,537

$35.66 ¥237

-18.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.1 SYP 6,334

$77.0 ¥512

-32.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.81 SYP 4,960

$80.3 ¥534

-49.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 SYP 33.8K

$386 ¥2,567

-27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 SYP 15.8K

$235 ¥1,561

-44.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 SYP 66.6K

$822 ¥5,469

-33.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 SYP 35.3K

$453 ¥3,015

-35.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,363 SYP 165.6K

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-70.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$556 SYP 67.5K

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-76.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$71.6 SYP 8,695

$1,093 ¥7,275

-93.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.83

3.46

299.71%

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

Last update for Syria: October 27, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Syria

$160 24.9%

China

$210 26.5% 31.6% $50

Accommodation & Living

Syria

$130 20.2%

China

$235 29.6% 80.8% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Syria

$124 19.3%

China

$74 9.4% 40% $50

Eating Out

Syria

$118 18.4%

China

$88 11.1% 25.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Syria

$65 10.2%

China

$108 13.6% 64.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Syria

$26 4%

China

$54 6.9% 111% $29

Getting Around

Syria

$19 3%

China

$22 2.8% 17.6% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $187 in Syria, $298 in China. Capital cities: $516 in Damascus vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $65 in Syria, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 59% higher in China.

Dining out costs 68% more in Syria.

Public transport is 100% more expensive in China.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇸🇾 Syria

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

16:17 4:17 PM

5 h ahead of Syria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,865,423

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Syrian Pound SYP £

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.37 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to SYP – Syrian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇾 Syrian Pound (£)

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 136 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.37 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to SYP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Syria China 6,930 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Syria
China

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Syria vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $641 in Syria, Syria comes out about 19% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $298 in China and $187 in Syria. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Syria, $800 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: Syria wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.