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 $1,540 per month in Costa Rica vs $296 in Suriname, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,324 per month in Costa Rica vs $524 in Suriname, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,107 per month in Costa Rica vs $752 in Suriname, rent included.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 420% higher than in Suriname on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 16% above the global median, while Suriname is 78% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ₡4,542

$7.14 SRD 268

41.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡26.8K

$42.38 SRD 1,593

41.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,447

$10.25 SRD 385

-3.22%

Cappuccino

$4.06 ₡1,822

$2.71 SRD 102

49.82%

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

$2.12 ₡949

$1.18 SRD 44.31

79.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₡774

$0.64 SRD 23.89

170.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 ₡1,342

$2.77 SRD 104

7.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 ₡2,016

$4.09 SRD 154

10.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₡907

$1.65 SRD 61.8

22.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₡1,385

$1.27 SRD 47.88

143.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,089

$1.47 SRD 55.3

65.31%

Eggs

$3.32 ₡1,487

$3.21 SRD 121

3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 ₡4,116

$12.38 SRD 465

-25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₡4,176

$5.42 SRD 204

71.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ₡5,929

$10.32 SRD 388

28.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,124

$4.45 SRD 167

6.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.95 SRD 73.4

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,456

$3.12 SRD 117

4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 ₡1,325

$5.30 SRD 199

-44.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 ₡1,310

$1.35 SRD 50.7

116.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 ₡1,245

$1.94 SRD 72.7

43.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡460

$1.93 SRD 72.5

-47.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₡1,100

$1.47 SRD 55.3

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 ₡2,270

$5.67 SRD 213

-10.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.79 ₡7,530

$8.15 SRD 306

106.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₡1,030

$2.25 SRD 84.6

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,259

$3.34 SRD 125

-15.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₡460

$0.48 SRD 18.14

114.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.91 ₡21.9K

$88.4 SRD 3,323

-44.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡811

$3.02 SRD 114

-40.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡903

$2.51 SRD 94.4

-19.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 ₡3,443

$10.07 SRD 379

-23.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡674

$1.12 SRD 42.18

33.93%

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

$36.2K ₡16.2M

$24.9K SRD 934.2K

45.61%

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

$36.0K ₡16.1M

$24.9K SRD 935.1K

44.76%

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

$87.9 ₡39.4K

$39.83 SRD 1,497

120.61%

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

$25.69 ₡11.5K

$26.45 SRD 994

-2.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 ₡24.4K

$29.48 SRD 1,108

84.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 ₡25.5K

$12.68 SRD 477

348.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 ₡12.9K

$20.37 SRD 766

40.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 ₡4,034

$4.59 SRD 173

96.08%

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

$556 ₡249.4K

$63.3 SRD 2,379

778.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K ₡4.6M

$1,921 SRD 72.2K

428.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 ₡32.9K

$36.07 SRD 1,356

103.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 ₡23.8K

$28.59 SRD 1,075

85.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.3K

$76.8 SRD 2,885

54.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₡46.3K

$112 SRD 4,216

-8.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡358.2K

$510 SRD 19.2K

56.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₡243.5K

$221 SRD 8,295

146.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 ₡659.7K

$1,096 SRD 41.2K

34.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₡473.3K

$561 SRD 21.1K

88.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 ₡1.1M

$475 SRD 17.9K

417.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₡735.2K

$403 SRD 15.2K

306.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ₡486.0K

$282 SRD 10.6K

284.82%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Suriname: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $752 in Costa Rica vs $125 in Suriname. For reference, capital cities sit at $873 in San Jose and $501 in Paramaribo.

Average salary: $1,101 in Costa Rica vs $288 in Suriname. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 502% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 160% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 77% more expensive in Suriname.

Salaries are 282% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Suriname.

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 223% 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 223% 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.