Moving to Syria from Turkey
What to Expect
Considering a move from Turkey to Syria? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Turkey to Syria, you would find that Syria is 39.3% cheaper than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly SYP590,000,000 in Syria to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Damascus averages 78°F vs 65°F in Istanbul, making it significantly warmer.
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How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.8% less
Groceries
pay 4.9% less
Transportation
pay 38.3% less
Housing
pay 48.6% less
Childcare
pay 89.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 43.5% 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.
What salary do you need in Syria?
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → SYP590,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Syria
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to Syria
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Syria compared to Turkey.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Syria leads in homicide rate.
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
Turkey 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
Turkey 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
Turkey 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
share of people below the poverty line
Turkey 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
Turkey 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), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), Ministry of Finance, Syria (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Syria vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Damascus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 60°/35°F (15°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 85°/51°F (29°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 96°/60°F (35°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 70°/40°F (21°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Damascus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 55°/33°F (12.6°/0.4°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 59°/34°F (14.8°/1.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 66°/39°F (18.9°/3.7°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 76°/45°F (24.5°/7.0°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 85°/51°F (29.7°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 94°/58°F (34.2°/14.2°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 98°/62°F (36.5°/16.9°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 97°/62°F (36.2°/16.5°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 92°/55°F (33.4°/13.0°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 82°/48°F (28.0°/8.9°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 69°/39°F (20.3°/4.0°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 58°/34°F (14.2°/1.3°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
Ministry of Defence Meteorological Department
Can you move from Turkey to Syria?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey 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.
Turkey passport holder visiting Syria
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Syria passport holder visiting Turkey
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 Turkey?
On average Syria is about 39% less expensive than Turkey, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Syria?
Budget about SYP147,500,000 for 3 months in Syria (based on a TRY3,700,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Syria?
Connectivity is usually fine (Syria: 6.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Syria offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Syria safe for expats?
Turkey generally does better on safety, though Syria leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Syria is 2.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey.
How is healthcare in Syria compared to Turkey?
Turkey generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Syria leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 15.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Syria, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. Syria scores 64 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).
What's the weather like in Syria compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Damascus is 78°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Damascus receives around 5.3 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in Syria?
The official language in Syria is Arabic. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
