Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surinam Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surinam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,056 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,730 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,403 in Surinam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 123% more expensive than in Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Surinam is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$6.44 MUR 302

166.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$44.31 MUR 2,076

53.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.26 MUR 340

87.88%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.54 MUR 119

9.45%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.00 MUR 47.01

182.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.59 MUR 27.87

232.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.14 MUR 100

107.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.24 MUR 152

42.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.69 MUR 79.2

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.71 MUR 33.13

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.29 MUR 60.2

54.26%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.33 MUR 109

44.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$12.10 MUR 567

56.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.16 MUR 289

54.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$12.75 MUR 597

46.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.98 MUR 92.7

33.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.99 MUR 93.3

18.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.45 MUR 68.0

44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.74 MUR 128

-0.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.03 MUR 48.17

90.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.00 MUR 47.02

81.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.85 MUR 39.72

77.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.74 MUR 34.76

20.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$6.77 MUR 317

0.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.57 MUR 401

-7.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.72 MUR 80.5

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.26 MUR 106

6.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.99 MUR 46.55

193.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$4.45 MUR 209

2.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.60 MUR 122

-21.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$19.94 MUR 934

44.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.47 MUR 68.8

23.81%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

8.66%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

11.34%

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

$187 €162

$49.79 MUR 2,332

274.83%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$18.39 MUR 861

21.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$32.94 MUR 1,543

10.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$37.87 MUR 1,774

51.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.09 MUR 285

76.85%

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

$725 €628

$156 MUR 7,295

365.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,977 MUR 186.3K

280.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$84.2 MUR 3,943

4.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$78.3 MUR 3,667

-52.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$133 MUR 6,219

-22.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$95.3 MUR 4,463

24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$505 MUR 23.6K

201.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$353 MUR 16.5K

248.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$930 MUR 43.5K

193.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$724 MUR 33.9K

174.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.67

-49.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Surinam: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $505 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $233 per month, with Surinam 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 Surinam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Surinam differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,056 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,584 in Surinam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $505 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $156 in Surinam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surinam – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,056 in Surinam versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surinam but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Surinam 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 Surinam 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 Surinam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.