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 $2,325 per month in Costa Rica vs $524 in Suriname, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,113 per month in Costa Rica vs $749 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 14% above the global median, while Suriname is 78% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.92 ₡4,484

$6.97 SRD 259

42.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 ₡27.2K

$43.09 SRD 1,602

39.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 ₡4,429

$10.61 SRD 394

-7.63%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ₡1,859

$2.78 SRD 103

47.84%

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

$2.10 ₡951

$1.19 SRD 44.14

76.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡770

$0.63 SRD 23.48

169.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₡1,359

$2.82 SRD 105

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₡1,986

$3.97 SRD 148

10.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₡909

$1.66 SRD 61.7

21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 ₡1,401

$1.27 SRD 47.08

144.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$1.45 SRD 54.0

68.97%

Eggs

$3.37 ₡1,524

$3.33 SRD 124

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 ₡4,127

$12.33 SRD 459

-25.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 ₡4,275

$5.45 SRD 203

73.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 ₡5,970

$10.25 SRD 381

28.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 ₡2,052

$4.55 SRD 169

-0.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡729

$1.92 SRD 71.2

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₡1,440

$3.13 SRD 116

1.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,387

$5.58 SRD 207

-44.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 ₡1,346

$1.32 SRD 49.07

125.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$1.90 SRD 70.8

43.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ₡458

$1.83 SRD 68.2

-44.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₡1,102

$1.48 SRD 54.9

64.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 ₡2,277

$5.60 SRD 208

-10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.95 ₡7,205

$7.80 SRD 290

104.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₡1,063

$2.26 SRD 83.9

3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₡1,228

$3.38 SRD 126

-19.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ₡438

$0.45 SRD 16.74

115.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.77 ₡22.5K

$88.4 SRD 3,286

-43.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₡855

$3.02 SRD 112

-37.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 ₡879

$2.45 SRD 91.1

-20.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.78 ₡3,513

$9.83 SRD 366

-20.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡683

$1.08 SRD 40.16

39.81%

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

$37.3K ₡16.9M

$24.6K SRD 916.3K

51.53%

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

$35.7K ₡16.1M

$25.5K SRD 946.5K

40.31%

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

$86.7 ₡39.2K

$39.98 SRD 1,486

116.91%

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

$25.28 ₡11.4K

$26.35 SRD 980

-4.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 ₡24.7K

$28.68 SRD 1,067

90.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 ₡26.1K

$12.50 SRD 465

362.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.25 ₡13.2K

$19.80 SRD 736

47.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 ₡4,112

$4.62 SRD 172

96.97%

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

$542 ₡244.9K

$64.3 SRD 2,389

743.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ₡4.5M

$1,892 SRD 70.3K

429.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 ₡33.3K

$35.64 SRD 1,325

106.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 ₡24.5K

$28.20 SRD 1,048

92.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡53.9K

$75.1 SRD 2,791

58.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ₡46.9K

$112 SRD 4,167

-7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 ₡360.9K

$503 SRD 18.7K

58.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₡246.3K

$216 SRD 8,032

152.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 ₡669.5K

$1,055 SRD 39.2K

40.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 ₡468.4K

$578 SRD 21.5K

79.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,403 ₡1.1M

$478 SRD 17.8K

403.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,603 ₡724.1K

$402 SRD 15.0K

298.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,079 ₡487.7K

$284 SRD 10.5K

280.61%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Suriname: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $777 in Costa Rica vs $124 in Suriname. For reference, capital cities sit at $880 in San Jose and $498 in Paramaribo.

Average salary: $1,089 in Costa Rica vs $290 in Suriname. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 527% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 160% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 77% more expensive in Suriname.

Salaries are 276% 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 226% 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 226% 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.