Cost of Living Comparison Between Syria and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Syria and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $403 in Syria versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $631 in Syria versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $858 in Syria versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Syria costs about 43% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Syria 70% lower, China 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 SYP 526

$2.81 ¥18.98

69.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.97 SYP 2,206

$23.30 ¥158

-14.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 SYP 557

$5.01 ¥33.87

0.60%

Cappuccino

$0.99 SYP 109

$3.01 ¥20.38

-67.11%

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

$0.87 SYP 96.4

$0.45 ¥3.03

93.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 SYP 56.6

$0.29 ¥1.97

75.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 SYP 173

$0.95 ¥6.41

64.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SYP 224

$2.05 ¥13.87

-0.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 SYP 88.9

$1.76 ¥11.87

-54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 SYP 76.5

$1.62 ¥10.98

-57.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 SYP 143

$0.95 ¥6.45

35.79%

Eggs

$1.74 SYP 192

$1.56 ¥10.55

11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 SYP 424

$13.06 ¥88.3

-70.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.82 SYP 643

$3.28 ¥22.17

77.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 SYP 1,175

$10.65 ¥72.0

-0.19%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 SYP 95.9

$1.78 ¥12.03

-51.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SYP 194

$1.24 ¥8.42

41.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 SYP 100

$1.50 ¥10.12

-39.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 SYP 68.4

$1.15 ¥7.79

-46.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 SYP 62.7

$0.75 ¥5.07

-24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 SYP 69.2

$0.86 ¥5.81

-26.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 SYP 41.67

$0.62 ¥4.17

-38.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SYP 66.4

$0.56 ¥3.81

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 SYP 337

$3.51 ¥23.76

-13.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 SYP 555

$11.66 ¥78.9

-56.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 SYP 111

$0.80 ¥5.40

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 SYP 215

$1.66 ¥11.25

16.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 SYP 10.57

$0.43 ¥2.93

-76.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.71 SYP 962

$20.86 ¥141

-58.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 SYP 114

$1.37 ¥9.26

-24.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 SYP 109

$0.35 ¥2.38

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 SYP 618

$6.63 ¥44.82

-15.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 SYP 228

$1.14 ¥7.69

80.70%

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

$21.8K SYP 2.4M

$19.2K ¥129.7K

13.68%

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

$30.4K SYP 3.4M

$16.8K ¥113.4K

81.42%

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

$80.2 SYP 8,866

$51.2 ¥346

56.81%

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

$8.98 SYP 992

$10.16 ¥68.7

-11.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.82 SYP 3,406

$11.51 ¥77.9

167.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.45 SYP 1,376

$40.53 ¥274

-69.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.78 SYP 639

$15.05 ¥102

-61.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.08 SYP 341

$6.10 ¥41.26

-49.51%

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

$50.6 SYP 5,593

$402 ¥2,719

-87.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,764 SYP 195.0K

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-90.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.89 SYP 2,309

$45.57 ¥308

-54.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.68 SYP 2,948

$33.26 ¥225

-19.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.9 SYP 5,839

$72.6 ¥491

-27.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.80 SYP 5,171

$74.5 ¥503

-37.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$140 SYP 15.4K

$429 ¥2,903

-67.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.8 SYP 8,812

$257 ¥1,739

-68.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 SYP 35.1K

$895 ¥6,055

-64.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 SYP 18.5K

$541 ¥3,660

-69.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,486 SYP 164.2K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

-70.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$568 SYP 62.7K

$2,469 ¥16.7K

-77.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$52.5 SYP 5,805

$1,055 ¥7,132

-95.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

220.20%

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

Last update for Syria: May 31, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $46.00 in Syria, $286 in China. Capital cities: $259 in Damascus vs $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $58.0 in Syria, $861 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 522% higher in China.

Dining out costs 11% more in China.

Public transport is 1700% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 1384% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $865 per month in China and $362 in Syria, there's a 139% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Syria is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China beats Syria across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Syria, $800 covers most cities easily. In China, it works in regional areas but 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; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.