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: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $635 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $1,067 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $1,498 in Surinam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 161% more expensive than in Surinam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, Surinam is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$5.77 MUR 274

106.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$886

$38.66 MUR 1,836

33.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$196

$7.50 MUR 356

52.13%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.6

$2.58 MUR 123

54.65%

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

$1.66 MX$28.48

$1.15 MUR 54.6

44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.77

$0.62 MUR 29.68

114.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.6

$2.57 MUR 122

35.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$101

$4.76 MUR 226

23.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.21

$1.55 MUR 73.7

21.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$55.9

$0.75 MUR 35.59

333.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.10

$1.15 MUR 54.6

87.83%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.72

$2.56 MUR 122

13.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$5.20 MUR 247

147.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$6.47 MUR 307

55.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$272

$11.41 MUR 542

39.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.6

$2.78 MUR 132

18.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.44

$2.63 MUR 125

-23.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.76

$1.45 MUR 69.1

51.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.44

$2.94 MUR 140

-19.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.27

$0.94 MUR 44.45

118.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.00 MUR 47.70

90.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.74 MUR 35.02

117.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$0.84 MUR 40.11

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$93.8

$6.28 MUR 298

-13.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$303

$8.37 MUR 397

110.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.28

$1.66 MUR 78.7

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.4

$2.38 MUR 113

96.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$357

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$35.99

$4.35 MUR 207

-51.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.60

$3.27 MUR 155

-82.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$99.8

$21.30 MUR 1,012

-72.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.56

$1.40 MUR 66.4

15.00%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

-37.56%

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

$26.8K MX$459.2K

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

-13.84%

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

$65.2 MX$1,119

$44.49 MUR 2,113

46.50%

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

$30.09 MX$517

$10.55 MUR 501

185.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$638

$28.75 MUR 1,366

29.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,026

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$456

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.55 MUR 311

7.48%

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

$465 MX$7,976

$127 MUR 6,023

266.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$227.8K

$7,624 MUR 362.1K

74.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,303

$76.9 MUR 3,652

-1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$960

$74.9 MUR 3,559

-25.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,920

$122 MUR 5,809

-8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,068

$76.6 MUR 3,638

57.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$18.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$35.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.67

69.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Last update for Surinam: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $218 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 161% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $635 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City and $952 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.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $127 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 $39.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Surinam versus $1,660 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 161% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.