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: $1,472 in Mexico City versus $1,056 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Mexico City versus $1,730 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,245 in Mexico City versus $2,403 in Surinam.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, Surinam is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$6.44 MUR 302

104.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.5 MX$926

$44.31 MUR 2,076

20.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$161

$7.26 MUR 340

28.51%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$64.0

$2.54 MUR 119

45.67%

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

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.00 MUR 47.01

60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.34

$0.59 MUR 27.87

89.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 MX$54.3

$2.14 MUR 100

46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 MX$83.9

$3.24 MUR 152

49.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.61

$1.69 MUR 79.2

-2.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$46.96

$0.71 MUR 33.13

281.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.03

$1.29 MUR 60.2

48.06%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.81

$2.33 MUR 109

11.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 MX$170

$12.10 MUR 567

-18.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$146

$6.16 MUR 289

36.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 MX$206

$12.75 MUR 597

-6.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.98 MUR 92.7

48.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.10

$1.99 MUR 93.3

-12.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$1.45 MUR 68.0

40.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.64

$2.74 MUR 128

-24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.20

$1.03 MUR 48.17

108.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$1.00 MUR 47.02

126.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.97

$0.85 MUR 39.72

63.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.31

$0.74 MUR 34.76

51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$6.77 MUR 317

-37.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.51 MX$303

$8.57 MUR 401

104.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.58

$1.72 MUR 80.5

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.8

$2.26 MUR 106

60.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.10

$0.99 MUR 46.55

-64.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.32 MX$334

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.80

$4.45 MUR 209

-68.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.77

$2.60 MUR 122

-89.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 MX$91.3

$19.94 MUR 934

-73.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.50

$1.47 MUR 68.8

-7.48%

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

$19.1K MX$330.5K

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

-47.21%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

-19.06%

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

$40.53 MX$701

$49.79 MUR 2,332

-18.60%

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

$27.38 MX$474

$18.39 MUR 861

48.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$526

$32.94 MUR 1,543

-7.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$903

$37.87 MUR 1,774

37.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MX$107

$6.09 MUR 285

1.64%

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

$425 MX$7,355

$156 MUR 7,295

172.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$185.7K

$3,977 MUR 186.3K

169.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 MX$1,009

$84.2 MUR 3,943

-30.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$771

$78.3 MUR 3,667

-43.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,791

$133 MUR 6,219

-22.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,881

$95.3 MUR 4,463

14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$17.5K

$505 MUR 23.6K

100.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$353 MUR 16.5K

76.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 MX$36.7K

$930 MUR 43.5K

127.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$724 MUR 33.9K

69.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,792 MX$65.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 MX$36.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 MX$18.2K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Surinam: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,014 in Mexico City and $505 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $233 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 ($1,472 vs $1,056 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,208 in Mexico City and $1,584 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: $1,014 in Mexico City versus $505 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 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 $44.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,056 in Surinam versus $1,472 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.