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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $635 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,067 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,498 in Surinam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 290% more expensive than in Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Surinam is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$5.77 MUR 274

224.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$38.66 MUR 1,836

79.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$7.50 MUR 356

83.60%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.58 MUR 123

20.16%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.15 MUR 54.6

146.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.62 MUR 29.68

203.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.57 MUR 122

54.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.76 MUR 226

-4.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.55 MUR 73.7

-18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$0.75 MUR 35.59

188.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.15 MUR 54.6

53.04%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.56 MUR 122

100.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$5.20 MUR 247

243.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.47 MUR 307

49.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$11.41 MUR 542

76.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.78 MUR 132

16.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.63 MUR 125

-15.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.45 MUR 69.1

79.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.94 MUR 140

-6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$0.94 MUR 44.45

135.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.00 MUR 47.70

112.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.74 MUR 35.02

109.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.84 MUR 40.11

13.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$6.28 MUR 298

16.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.37 MUR 397

-3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.66 MUR 78.7

-7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.38 MUR 113

17.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.35 MUR 207

-24.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.27 MUR 155

-54.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$21.30 MUR 1,012

60.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.40 MUR 66.4

23.57%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

-0.59%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

-1.64%

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

$187 €163

$44.49 MUR 2,113

320.50%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$10.55 MUR 501

43.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$28.75 MUR 1,366

31.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$6.55 MUR 311

74.20%

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

$997 €868

$127 MUR 6,023

685.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,624 MUR 362.1K

116.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$76.9 MUR 3,652

20.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$74.9 MUR 3,559

-44.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$122 MUR 5,809

-9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$76.6 MUR 3,638

63.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.67

-52.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Surinam: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $39.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $218 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 290% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $635 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $952 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.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $127 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 $39.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Surinam versus $2,476 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 290% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.