Moving to Syria from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to Syria — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to Syria, you would find that Syria is 65.3% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly SYP329,000,000 in Syria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Damascus averages 78°F vs 62°F in Wellington, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from New Zealand to Syria.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,000 → SYP329,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Syria
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 48.6% less
Groceries
pay 54.8% less
Transportation
pay 50.1% less
Housing
pay 76.9% less
Childcare
pay 91.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 62.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand and Syria stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
New Zealand performs better than Syria across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Syria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
New Zealand generally does better on environment, though Syria leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
New Zealand performs better than Syria across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though Syria leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
New Zealand performs better than Syria across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2009–2022), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), Ministry of Finance, Syria (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Wellington | Damascus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Damascus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand and Syria. To live, work, or study long-term in Syria, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Syria's immigration authority.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Syria
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Syria passport holder visiting New Zealand
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Syria than New Zealand?
Generally yes: Syria runs about 65% cheaper than New Zealand on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Syria?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a NZ$130,000 comparable salary, that's around SYP82,250,000 in Syria for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Syria?
With 6.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Syria can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in New Zealand and Syria.
Is Syria safe for expats?
New Zealand performs better than Syria across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Syria is 2.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Syria compared to New Zealand?
Syria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 15.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Syria, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. Syria scores 64 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Syria compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Damascus is 78°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Damascus receives around 5.3 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Syria?
The official language in Syria is Arabic. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
