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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,076 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,748 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,421 in Surinam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Surinam is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$6.72 MUR 316

154.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$43.73 MUR 2,059

58.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$7.34 MUR 345

87.74%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.65 MUR 125

4.15%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.95 MUR 44.77

193.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.56 MUR 26.37

255.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.18 MUR 103

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.32 MUR 156

42.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.62 MUR 76.4

-20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.66 MUR 31.20

210.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.27 MUR 59.6

56.69%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.34 MUR 110

44.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$12.03 MUR 567

56.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$6.30 MUR 296

48.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.85 MUR 605

48.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.97 MUR 92.6

37.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.00 MUR 94.3

17.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.43 MUR 67.2

48.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.62 MUR 123

8.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.03 MUR 48.65

91.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.01 MUR 47.77

78.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.85 MUR 39.99

70.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.76 MUR 35.99

13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.74 MUR 317

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.26 MUR 389

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.78 MUR 83.8

-21.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.26 MUR 107

4.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.04 MUR 49.20

180.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.52 MUR 213

-1.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.73 MUR 129

-24.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$19.90 MUR 937

48.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.44 MUR 67.9

26.39%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

6.97%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

13.79%

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

$189 €163

$49.27 MUR 2,320

284.07%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$18.45 MUR 869

23.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$33.54 MUR 1,580

12.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$38.70 MUR 1,823

49.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$5.89 MUR 277

83.70%

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

$728 €628

$153 MUR 7,227

374.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,018 MUR 189.2K

267.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$85.7 MUR 4,036

3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$79.5 MUR 3,746

-53.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$134 MUR 6,300

-23.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$93.0 MUR 4,379

24.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$513 MUR 24.1K

206.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$351 MUR 16.5K

246.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$955 MUR 45.0K

192.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$735 MUR 34.6K

168.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Surinam: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $513 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $232 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 117% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,076 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,614 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $513 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $153 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Surinam versus $2,337 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 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.