Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Paramaribo

For one person, living is cheaper in Paramaribo: $984 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Paramaribo
Learn more

Paramaribo Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Paramaribo

🇸🇷 Suriname

$984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Paramaribo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Paramaribo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $984 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Paramaribo $984

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $1,657 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Paramaribo $1,657

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $2,331 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Paramaribo $2,331

Montreal costs about 104% more than Paramaribo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montreal sits 49% above the global median, while Paramaribo is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$13.44 SRD 504

43.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$52.4 SRD 1,964

44.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$10.99 SRD 412

-3.28%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$2.88 SRD 108

36.46%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$1.41 SRD 52.9

36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$0.88 SRD 32.91

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$2.66 SRD 99.7

136.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$3.89 SRD 146

84.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$1.83 SRD 68.7

21.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$1.39 SRD 52.2

120.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$1.61 SRD 60.3

82.61%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$2.98 SRD 112

18.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$11.84 SRD 444

11.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$6.17 SRD 231

82.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$10.18 SRD 381

35.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$4.77 SRD 179

-28.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$3.11 SRD 116

-53.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$3.73 SRD 140

-12.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$5.89 SRD 221

-51.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.33 SRD 49.77

39.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$2.02 SRD 75.6

-9.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.48 SRD 55.6

64.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$1.51 SRD 56.4

0.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$5.58 SRD 209

105.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$7.80 SRD 292

32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.00 SRD 75.0

11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$3.78 SRD 142

-25.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$0.77 SRD 28.90

235.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$2.13 SRD 79.8

52.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.54 SRD 57.8

-3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$7.17 SRD 269

360.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$1.19 SRD 44.50

14.29%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$24.6K SRD 921.2K

11.56%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$25.3K SRD 948.6K

-21.09%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$37.31 SRD 1,398

104.02%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$25.70 SRD 963

34.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$30.67 SRD 1,149

39.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$13.84 SRD 518

109.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$20.32 SRD 761

0.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$4.96 SRD 186

126.01%

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

$505 CA$720

$62.3 SRD 2,335

710.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$1,739 SRD 65.2K

820.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$33.84 SRD 1,268

72.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$20.87 SRD 782

82.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$67.4 SRD 2,525

37.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$104 SRD 3,903

1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$487 SRD 18.3K

154.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$263 SRD 9,855

274.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$949 SRD 35.6K

121.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$508 SRD 19.0K

218.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$462 SRD 17.3K

990.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$400 SRD 15.0K

856.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$279 SRD 10.5K

945.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

-72.13%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Paramaribo

$263 26.3% 73.3% $723

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Paramaribo

$300 30% 12.8% $44

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Paramaribo

$205 20.5% 29.9% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Paramaribo

$94 9.4% 39% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Paramaribo

$102 10.2% 23.3% $31

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Paramaribo

$13 * 1.3% 86.8% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Paramaribo

$24 2.4% 53.8% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $487 in Paramaribo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 946% higher in Montreal, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $52.0 in Paramaribo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $300 – making Paramaribo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇸🇷 Paramaribo

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

242,946 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 37.47 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 41.99 SRD (100 SRD = 2.38 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Paramaribo 4,760 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Paramaribo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Montreal vs Paramaribo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal costs about 104% more than Paramaribo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $1,476 in Paramaribo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paramaribo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $52.0 in Paramaribo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Montreal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paramaribo, where all-in costs run around $984, than in Montreal at $2,003. In Paramaribo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Paramaribo costs $984 versus $2,003 in Montreal. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Paramaribo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montreal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.