Costs in Syria

Syria has no stable nationwide all-in household budget or single price list. Damascus and Aleppo are generally more expensive than many smaller or rural markets, while conflict damage, displacement, drought, fuel shortages, exchange-rate changes and local service availability can alter costs quickly. A monthly budget should state the governorate, household size, urban or rural setting, currency, market type and date of each price. The World Food Programme's March 2026 Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) provides a useful benchmark for a five-person household. It covered food, utilities, services and other basic resources but excluded rent. The benchmark was 2.65 million old Syrian pounds, including about 1.735 million old Syrian pounds for food, and had risen by 9% from February. A Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket (SMEB) has a different purpose and definition and should not be combined with the MEB. Rent and housing costs require a separate calculation. During Syria's 2026 currency redenomination, budgets must distinguish old and new Syrian pounds and never add or compare amounts without recording the denomination. The official minimum-wage snapshot was 750,000 old Syrian pounds, around 28% of the March MEB. A wage reform announced for May 2026 referred to 1.257 million old Syrian pounds. In March, reported daily wages were about 63,000 old Syrian pounds in the northeast and 49,000 in central areas, while the national estimate was about 83,000. USD is commonly used as a rent or reference currency, and TRY is especially relevant in northwestern Syria. Official and parallel-market rates can differ, so every comparison needs a date and market reference. Housing often dominates the budget. Many households face damaged or scarce housing, rent advances, deposits, broker payments or short-term arrangements. UNHCR post-return monitoring found that 62% of returnees lived in rented accommodation; among them, 61% could not afford the rent, 60% borrowed to pay it and 31% faced eviction risk. Ownership or inheritance should not automatically be treated as free housing because damage, missing documents and disputes can create substantial costs. Housing may also involve a formal lease, an informal arrangement, a host family or collective shelter. UNHCR cash-for-rent and shelter-repair assistance is limited, vulnerability-based or dependent on a technical assessment; UNHCR services are free and do not require intermediary fees. Utilities may include an electricity bill plus generator or diesel payments, solar equipment, reserve batteries, water-tank deliveries, wells, purchased drinking water, transport and maintenance. Electricity and water access differs by area and may be interrupted, so service availability should be checked before setting a monthly amount. Food costs are highly exposed to import prices, fuel, drought, exchange rates and market shocks. Food represented about 65% of the March MEB. Subsidized bread, cash and in-kind assistance vary by region, time and funding and should not be treated as guaranteed household income. Transport costs depend on fuel prices, distance, security and the reliability of public or private transport. An April 2025 reference placed transport diesel at about 9,424 old Syrian pounds per litre and a 25-litre gas cylinder at about 190,586 old Syrian pounds; these figures are outdated and serve only as a baseline for price trends. School and health travel should be budgeted separately. Health spending commonly includes consultations, diagnostics, medicines, transport and care by another household member. Medicines are usually paid out of pocket, and availability and prices vary by region even though the Ministry of Health regulates retail medicine prices. In 2025, about 59% of hospitals and 46% of primary healthcare centres were fully functional. Free or subsidized public and NGO services depend on location, programme capacity and eligibility. Public schools generally do not charge a regular registration fee, but school cards and stamps can create small charges. Families still need to consider transport, learning materials, uniforms, private support and document or equivalency costs. UNHCR education grants are targeted and project-based; a 2024 snapshot listed 600,000 old Syrian pounds for primary pupils and 1 million for secondary pupils, without creating an automatic payment for every household. Family costs vary with the number and age of children, disability, care needs, nutrition and transport. No reliable nationwide universal family or child allowance was identified. Households may instead rely on relatives, host families, remittances, NGOs or targeted UNICEF assistance. Communication usually combines prepaid mobile calls or data with fixed internet, shared access and charging supported by generators or other power sources. Current national tariff comparisons are fragmented, so ITU baskets should be treated as benchmarks rather than local price plans. Leisure spending is usually less significant than food, housing and health and varies by location, season and security; households under financial pressure often reduce it first. A practical budget can use four layers: the MEB without rent; housing and accommodation; a health and mobility reserve; and additional education, communication and family costs. Update prices at least monthly and weekly after a major fuel or exchange-rate shock. WFP VAM market monitoring, World Bank energy and exchange-rate datasets, the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Central Bank of Syria and relevant ministries can support price checks. Governorate water establishments and UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO and IOM provide location- and programme-specific information, but assistance is not a nationwide entitlement.