Moving to Guatemala from Syria
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Syria to Guatemala — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Syria to Guatemala, you would find that Guatemala is 2.1 times more expensive than Syria overall. A SYP980,000,000 salary in Syria would need to be roughly GTQ1,180,000 in Guatemala to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Syria to Guatemala.
What does your salary buy?
SYP980,000,000 → GTQ1,180,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Guatemala
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 21.4% more
Groceries
pay 98.9% more
Transportation
pay 18.5% more
Housing
pay 3.1 times more
Childcare
pay 4.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 81.4% more
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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Syria to Guatemala, based on official data.
Who's moving to Guatemala?
Top countries of origin for Guatemala's foreign-born residents.
- 20,683
- 18,872
- 9,299
- 9,211
- 9,023
- 1,921
- · · ·
-
34.83
Syria
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Syria to Guatemala.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Syria generally does better on safety, though Guatemala leads in road traffic deaths.
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 Guatemala leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Guatemala performs significantly better than Syria across all environment metrics.
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
Syria generally does better on infrastructure, though Guatemala leads in water stress level.
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
share of people below the poverty line
Guatemala performs significantly better than Syria across all employment & economy metrics.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Syria generally does better on family life, though Guatemala leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), The World Factbook (2009–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Syria (2016), Superintendence of the Tax Administration (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 | Damascus | Guatemala City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) | 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) | 80°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) | 76°/60°F (25°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) | 74°/58°F (24°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Damascus | Guatemala City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.5°C) |
| Feb | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) | 77°/55°F (25.2°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) | 80°/57°F (26.6°/14.0°C) |
| Apr | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) | 82°/60°F (27.5°/15.4°C) |
| May | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) | 81°/61°F (27.1°/16.2°C) |
| Jun | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) | 78°/61°F (25.3°/16.2°C) |
| Jul | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) | 76°/60°F (24.5°/15.8°C) |
| Aug | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.8°C) |
| Sep | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.8°C) |
| Oct | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) | 75°/60°F (24.1°/15.4°C) |
| Nov | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) | 74°/57°F (23.4°/14.0°C) |
| Dec | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) | 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.1°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department,
Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología (INSIVUMEH)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Syria and Guatemala. To live, work, or study long-term in Guatemala, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Guatemala's immigration authority.
Syria passport holder visiting Guatemala
Visa Required
Guatemala passport holder visiting Syria
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Guatemala than Syria?
No — Guatemala is on average about 105% more expensive than Syria. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Guatemala?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly GTQ295,000 in Guatemala on a SYP980,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Guatemala?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Guatemala has 5.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Guatemala safe for expats?
Syria generally does better on safety, though Guatemala leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Guatemala is 23.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Syria.
How is healthcare in Guatemala compared to Syria?
Syria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Guatemala leads in adult obesity rate. There are 12.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Guatemala, compared to 15.2 in Syria. Guatemala scores 59 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Syria: 64).
What's the weather like in Guatemala compared to Syria?
The average high temperature in Guatemala City is 77°F, compared to 78°F in Damascus. Guatemala City receives around 46.7 in of rainfall per year, while Damascus gets 5.3 in.
What language do they speak in Guatemala?
The official language in Guatemala is Spanish. In Syria, the official language is Arabic.
