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: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,076 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $1,748 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,421 in Surinam.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Surinam is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$223

$6.72 MUR 316

93.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$903

$43.73 MUR 2,059

20.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$162

$7.34 MUR 345

28.47%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.3

$2.65 MUR 125

34.72%

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

$1.61 MX$27.55

$0.95 MUR 44.77

69.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$19.81

$0.56 MUR 26.37

105.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$54.0

$2.18 MUR 103

44.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$83.4

$3.32 MUR 156

46.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.17

$1.62 MUR 76.4

4.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$45.23

$0.66 MUR 31.20

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.67

$1.27 MUR 59.6

49.61%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.62

$2.34 MUR 110

8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$173

$12.03 MUR 567

-16.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$142

$6.30 MUR 296

31.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$199

$12.85 MUR 605

-9.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.0

$1.97 MUR 92.6

53.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.35

$2.00 MUR 94.3

-14.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.16

$1.43 MUR 67.2

43.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.36

$2.62 MUR 123

-21.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.43

$1.03 MUR 48.65

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.25

$1.01 MUR 47.77

114.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.08

$0.85 MUR 39.99

64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.26

$0.76 MUR 35.99

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$73.7

$6.74 MUR 317

-36.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$265

$8.26 MUR 389

86.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.78 MUR 83.8

-6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$63.3

$2.26 MUR 107

63.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.55

$1.04 MUR 49.20

-63.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.70

$4.52 MUR 213

-69.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.74

$2.73 MUR 129

-89.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$92.9

$19.90 MUR 937

-72.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$21.98

$1.44 MUR 67.9

-11.11%

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

$19.0K MX$325.8K

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

-47.71%

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

$23.5K MX$402.7K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-19.35%

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

$41.02 MX$704

$49.27 MUR 2,320

-16.74%

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

$26.92 MX$462

$18.45 MUR 869

45.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$510

$33.54 MUR 1,580

-11.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$898

$38.70 MUR 1,823

35.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$450

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$106

$5.89 MUR 277

4.92%

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

$427 MX$7,331

$153 MUR 7,227

178.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$183.6K

$4,018 MUR 189.2K

166.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$975

$85.7 MUR 4,036

-33.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$769

$79.5 MUR 3,746

-43.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,794

$134 MUR 6,300

-21.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,819

$93.0 MUR 4,379

13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.1K

$513 MUR 24.1K

94.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.7K

$351 MUR 16.5K

76.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$36.5K

$955 MUR 45.0K

122.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.5K

$735 MUR 34.6K

70.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.0K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Surinam: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $513 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $44.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $232 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,076 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,171 in Mexico City and $1,614 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: $995 in Mexico City versus $513 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $153 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 $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Surinam versus $1,447 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.