Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Surinam Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Surinam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,066 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,742 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $2,418 in Surinam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 39% more expensive than Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Surinam is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$6.54 MUR 306

98.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$929

$43.22 MUR 2,022

22.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$170

$7.30 MUR 342

33.15%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.6

$2.62 MUR 123

43.13%

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

$1.57 MX$27.46

$0.94 MUR 44.16

67.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.76

$0.60 MUR 28.16

88.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.7

$2.18 MUR 102

45.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.6

$3.26 MUR 153

42.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.37

$1.63 MUR 76.4

-0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.36

$0.69 MUR 32.39

292.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.89

$1.33 MUR 62.3

41.35%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.90

$2.31 MUR 108

8.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$11.92 MUR 558

-15.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.14 MUR 287

35.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$209

$12.44 MUR 582

-4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$50.1

$2.03 MUR 95.1

40.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.62

$2.00 MUR 93.8

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.48

$1.45 MUR 68.0

43.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.46

$2.75 MUR 128

-28.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.79

$0.98 MUR 45.99

120.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.16

$1.00 MUR 47.00

118.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.34

$0.86 MUR 40.22

61.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.69

$0.79 MUR 37.13

41.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$6.71 MUR 314

-37.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$249

$8.38 MUR 392

70.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.85

$1.71 MUR 79.9

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.5

$2.14 MUR 100.0

71.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$1.04 MUR 48.77

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.26

$4.53 MUR 212

-69.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.32

$2.68 MUR 126

-88.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.9

$19.62 MUR 918

-72.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.63

$1.47 MUR 68.7

-8.16%

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

$18.9K MX$330.5K

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

-47.93%

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

$23.2K MX$405.2K

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

-21.25%

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

$40.82 MX$714

$48.55 MUR 2,272

-15.92%

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

$27.50 MX$481

$18.55 MUR 868

48.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$532

$33.90 MUR 1,586

-10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$935

$37.69 MUR 1,763

41.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$110

$6.15 MUR 288

1.95%

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

$436 MX$7,632

$156 MUR 7,302

179.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$183.2K

$4,017 MUR 188.0K

160.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$86.8 MUR 4,062

-34.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$784

$79.9 MUR 3,739

-43.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,799

$131 MUR 6,148

-21.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,888

$94.8 MUR 4,435

13.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.5K

$520 MUR 24.3K

92.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.9K

$352 MUR 16.5K

76.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.4K

$965 MUR 45.2K

121.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.6K

$731 MUR 34.2K

69.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Surinam: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $520 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $43.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 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

Mexico City vs Surinam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Surinam differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,484 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 $2,225 in Mexico City 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: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $520 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,066 in Surinam versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surinam but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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, Mexico City 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 39% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.