Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Paramaribo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Paramaribo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $999 in Paramaribo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,716 in Paramaribo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,433 in Paramaribo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 132% more expensive than in Paramaribo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Paramaribo is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$8.27 SRD 310

113.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$42.85 SRD 1,606

62.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$10.58 SRD 397

33.84%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.70 SRD 101

3.70%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.46

$1.24 SRD 46.36

126.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.83 SRD 31.04

148.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.07 SRD 115

49.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$4.01 SRD 150

16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.72 SRD 64.6

-28.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.28 SRD 47.88

58.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.67 SRD 62.6

18.56%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.50 SRD 131

-0.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$12.35 SRD 463

48.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$5.55 SRD 208

77.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$9.84 SRD 369

94.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.44 SRD 167

-38.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.04 SRD 76.6

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.13 SRD 117

-33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$5.39 SRD 202

-48.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.28 SRD 48.16

53.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.08 SRD 78.1

-13.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.84 SRD 69.0

-19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.48 SRD 55.6

-38.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$5.58 SRD 209

27.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$7.92 SRD 297

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.28 SRD 85.3

-39.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$3.32 SRD 124

-28.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.46 SRD 17.19

554.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$89.4 SRD 3,352

-67.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.98 SRD 112

46.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.54 SRD 95.3

-16.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$10.07 SRD 377

193.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.10 SRD 41.23

65.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.9K €33.2K

$24.6K SRD 920.9K

54.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K €28.4K

$25.3K SRD 947.6K

28.11%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €166

$39.43 SRD 1,478

379.41%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.29 €19.52

$26.19 SRD 982

-14.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$29.06 SRD 1,089

27.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$12.67 SRD 475

357.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$19.82 SRD 743

4.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.58 SRD 172

137.34%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 €618

$61.8 SRD 2,317

1042.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$1,950 SRD 73.1K

662.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$36.10 SRD 1,353

147.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$28.89 SRD 1,083

26.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$75.3 SRD 2,822

38.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$110 SRD 4,133

8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$503 SRD 18.9K

213.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$217 SRD 8,128

471.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,091 SRD 40.9K

148.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$568 SRD 21.3K

258.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$465 SRD 17.4K

1517.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$407 SRD 15.2K

1187.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$276 SRD 10.3K

756.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-78.81%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $503 in Paramaribo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 757% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in Paramaribo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $286 per month, with Paramaribo cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Paramaribo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Paramaribo differ by about 132% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $999 including rent). Paramaribo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 757% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $503 in Paramaribo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $61.8 in Paramaribo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $999 in Paramaribo versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paramaribo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Paramaribo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Paramaribo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Paramaribo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.