Moving to Latvia from Syria
What to Expect
Considering a move from Syria to Latvia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Syria to Latvia, you would find that Latvia is 91.3% more expensive than Syria overall. A SYP980,000,000 salary in Syria would need to be roughly €129,000 in Latvia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Latvian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Riga averages 50°F vs 78°F in Damascus, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Syria and Latvia.
What does your salary buy?
SYP980,000,000 → €129,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Latvia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 66.0% more
Groceries
pay 60.0% more
Transportation
pay 65.8% more
Housing
pay 97.0% more
Childcare
pay 8.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.2 times 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?
What the data shows about people moving from Syria to Latvia.
Who's moving to Latvia?
Top countries of origin for Latvia's foreign-born residents.
- 116,771
- 42,251
- 32,262
- 14,209
- 5,651
- 3,712
- · · ·
-
47.63
Syria
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Latvia compared to Syria.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Syria generally does better on safety, though Latvia 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
Latvia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Syria leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Syria generally does better on environment, though Latvia leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Latvia performs significantly 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
share of people below the poverty line
Latvia 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Latvia generally does better on family life, though Syria leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2010–2021), The World Factbook (2009–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance, Syria (2016), State Revenue Service, Latvia (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 | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) | 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) | 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) | 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) | 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Damascus | Riga |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) | 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) |
| Feb | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) | 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) |
| Mar | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) | 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) |
| Apr | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) |
| May | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) | 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) | 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) |
| Jul | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) | 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) |
| Aug | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) | 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) |
| Sep | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) | 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) |
| Oct | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) | 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) |
| Nov | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) | 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) |
| Dec | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) | 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department,
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Syria and Latvia. To live, work, or study long-term in Latvia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Latvia's immigration authority.
Syria passport holder visiting Latvia
Visa Required
Latvia 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 Latvia than Syria?
On average Latvia is around 91% pricier than Syria, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Latvia?
Budget about €32,250 for 3 months in Latvia (based on a SYP980,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Latvia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Latvia: 25.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Latvia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Latvia safe for expats?
Syria generally does better on safety, though Latvia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Latvia is 2.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.1 in Syria.
How is healthcare in Latvia compared to Syria?
Latvia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Syria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 34.0 doctors per 10,000 people in Latvia, compared to 15.2 in Syria. Latvia scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Syria: 64).
What's the weather like in Latvia compared to Syria?
The average high temperature in Riga is 50°F, compared to 78°F in Damascus. Riga receives around 24.9 in of rainfall per year, while Damascus gets 5.3 in.
What language do they speak in Latvia?
The official language in Latvia is Latvian. In Syria, the official language is Arabic.
