Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Suriname Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Suriname

Name: Suriname
Address: SR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $299 in Suriname, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,320 per month in Costa Rica vs $532 in Suriname, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,104 per month in Costa Rica vs $765 in Suriname, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 414% more than Suriname on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while Suriname is 78% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.69 ₡4,405

$7.14 SRD 267

35.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡27.2K

$43.56 SRD 1,632

37.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 ₡4,390

$10.25 SRD 384

-5.85%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₡1,814

$2.77 SRD 104

44.04%

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

$2.18 ₡991

$1.25 SRD 46.67

74.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₡744

$0.64 SRD 23.92

156.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 ₡1,385

$2.90 SRD 109

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₡2,008

$3.98 SRD 149

11.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡932

$1.72 SRD 64.4

19.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₡1,462

$1.23 SRD 46.00

160.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,131

$1.46 SRD 54.6

70.55%

Eggs

$3.29 ₡1,495

$3.34 SRD 125

-1.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 ₡4,141

$12.48 SRD 468

-27.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 ₡4,409

$5.40 SRD 202

79.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ₡5,999

$10.35 SRD 388

27.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 ₡2,059

$4.31 SRD 162

5.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡713

$1.92 SRD 71.8

-18.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,457

$3.27 SRD 122

-2.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₡1,337

$5.44 SRD 204

-45.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 ₡1,359

$1.35 SRD 50.6

121.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 ₡1,233

$1.90 SRD 71.3

42.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡468

$1.92 SRD 72.0

-46.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₡1,136

$1.47 SRD 55.0

70.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 ₡2,296

$5.63 SRD 211

-10.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,359

$8.59 SRD 322

88.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,089

$2.15 SRD 80.4

11.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,258

$3.32 SRD 124

-16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₡430

$0.45 SRD 16.83

111.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 ₡22.3K

$91.6 SRD 3,433

-46.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₡846

$2.94 SRD 110

-36.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡914

$2.56 SRD 96.0

-21.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 ₡3,526

$10.14 SRD 380

-23.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡683

$1.09 SRD 40.85

37.61%

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

$36.8K ₡16.7M

$25.4K SRD 950.5K

44.97%

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

$35.5K ₡16.1M

$24.5K SRD 918.7K

44.61%

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

$87.5 ₡39.8K

$38.62 SRD 1,447

126.51%

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

$25.82 ₡11.7K

$26.01 SRD 974

-0.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 ₡24.8K

$28.78 SRD 1,078

89.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ₡25.7K

$12.70 SRD 476

344.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.13 ₡13.2K

$20.09 SRD 752

45.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ₡4,156

$4.75 SRD 178

92.42%

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

$555 ₡252.3K

$62.5 SRD 2,340

788.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,828 ₡4.5M

$1,953 SRD 73.2K

403.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 ₡33.6K

$35.81 SRD 1,342

106.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.6K

$28.94 SRD 1,084

87.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.9K

$74.4 SRD 2,786

59.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₡46.4K

$111 SRD 4,153

-8.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ₡373.9K

$511 SRD 19.1K

61.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₡249.6K

$220 SRD 8,253

149.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 ₡667.9K

$1,057 SRD 39.6K

38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ₡465.3K

$577 SRD 21.6K

77.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 ₡1.1M

$493 SRD 18.5K

371.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,612 ₡733.2K

$425 SRD 15.9K

279.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,076 ₡489.4K

$284 SRD 10.6K

279.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

16.25

-35.20%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Last update for Suriname: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $125 in Suriname. For reference, capital cities sit at $872 in San Jose and $500 in Paramaribo.

Average salary: $1,110 in Costa Rica vs $289 in Suriname. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 521% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 155% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 77% more expensive in Suriname.

Salaries are 284% higher in Costa Rica, giving Suriname stronger purchasing power.

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

Costa Rica vs Suriname: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suriname is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 221% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Suriname, contributing to the overall 221% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Suriname, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Suriname is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.