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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,066 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,742 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,418 in Surinam.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Surinam is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.54 MUR 306

169.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$43.22 MUR 2,022

58.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.30 MUR 342

88.36%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.62 MUR 123

5.34%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.94 MUR 44.16

195.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.60 MUR 28.16

241.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.18 MUR 102

111.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.26 MUR 153

40.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.63 MUR 76.4

-21.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.69 MUR 32.39

205.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.33 MUR 62.3

48.12%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.31 MUR 108

48.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$11.92 MUR 558

57.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$6.14 MUR 287

53.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$12.44 MUR 582

52.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.03 MUR 95.1

33.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.00 MUR 93.8

18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.45 MUR 68.0

43.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.75 MUR 128

0.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.98 MUR 45.99

101.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.00 MUR 47.00

79.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.86 MUR 40.22

75.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.79 MUR 37.13

13.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$6.71 MUR 314

0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.38 MUR 392

-9.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.71 MUR 79.9

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.14 MUR 100.0

12.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.04 MUR 48.77

191.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$4.53 MUR 212

-2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.68 MUR 126

-23.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$19.62 MUR 918

49.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.47 MUR 68.7

28.57%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

6.84%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

10.07%

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

$189 €161

$48.55 MUR 2,272

288.44%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$18.55 MUR 868

19.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$33.90 MUR 1,586

8.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$37.69 MUR 1,763

53.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$6.15 MUR 288

79.67%

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

$726 €622

$156 MUR 7,302

365.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,017 MUR 188.0K

278.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$86.8 MUR 4,062

1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$79.9 MUR 3,739

-53.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$131 MUR 6,148

-21.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$94.8 MUR 4,435

25.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$520 MUR 24.3K

193.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$352 MUR 16.5K

246.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$965 MUR 45.2K

189.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$731 MUR 34.2K

177.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Surinam: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $520 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $43.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $231 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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,066 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,599 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $520 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 $43.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,066 in Surinam versus $2,341 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 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.