Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Lelydorp

For one person, living is cheaper in Lelydorp: $199 a month against $1,002 in Paramaribo, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Paramaribo
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Paramaribo Living Index

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Paramaribo

🇸🇷 Suriname

$1,002

/mo nomad

Lelydorp

🇸🇷 Suriname

$199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paramaribo and in Lelydorp

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,002 in Paramaribo versus $199 in Lelydorp.

Paramaribo $1,002
Lelydorp $199

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,659 in Paramaribo versus $405 in Lelydorp.

Paramaribo $1,659
Lelydorp $405

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,316 in Paramaribo versus $611 in Lelydorp.

Paramaribo $2,316
Lelydorp $611

Living in Paramaribo is roughly 404% more expensive than in Lelydorp, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Paramaribo 26% lower, Lelydorp 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 SRD 506

$5.10 SRD 192

163.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 SRD 1,989

$34.87 SRD 1,314

51.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 SRD 408

$5.93 SRD 223

82.46%

Cappuccino

$2.86 SRD 108

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

$1.41 SRD 53.3

$1.23 SRD 46.42

14.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 SRD 32.98

$0.47 SRD 17.52

87.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 SRD 100

$2.02 SRD 76.1

31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 SRD 146

$2.98 SRD 112

29.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SRD 65.8

$1.17 SRD 44.09

49.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 SRD 53.1

$0.98 SRD 37.04

43.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SRD 62.3

$1.18 SRD 44.31

39.83%

Eggs

$3.12 SRD 118

$2.77 SRD 104

12.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 SRD 444

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 SRD 231

$4.07 SRD 153

50.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 SRD 386

$7.91 SRD 298

29.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 SRD 180

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 SRD 113

$1.46 SRD 55.1

106.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 SRD 138

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 SRD 226

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SRD 49.65

$0.98 SRD 36.83

34.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 SRD 74.9

$0.98 SRD 36.75

103.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 SRD 57.7

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SRD 54.1

$0.87 SRD 32.84

65.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 SRD 213

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 SRD 304

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 SRD 78.8

$1.95 SRD 73.6

7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 SRD 142

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 SRD 29.23

$0.49 SRD 18.33

59.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 SRD 81.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SRD 58.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 SRD 271

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 SRD 44.76

$0.94 SRD 35.38

26.60%

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

$25.5K SRD 959.6K

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

$25.3K SRD 952.9K

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

$37.49 SRD 1,412

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

$25.86 SRD 974

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 SRD 1,139

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.51 SRD 509

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.20 SRD 761

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 SRD 194

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

$63.1 SRD 2,378

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,777 SRD 66.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.60 SRD 1,266

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.88 SRD 787

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 SRD 2,571

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SRD 3,873

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 SRD 18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 SRD 10.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 SRD 35.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SRD 18.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$461 SRD 17.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$396 SRD 14.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$282 SRD 10.6K

$303 SRD 11.4K

-7.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-5.88%

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

Last update for Paramaribo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lelydorp: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Paramaribo

$300 29.9%

Lelydorp

–

Accommodation & Living

Paramaribo

$266 26.6%

Lelydorp

–

Eating Out

Paramaribo

$204 20.4%

Lelydorp

–

Clothing & Footwear

Paramaribo

$102 10.1%

Lelydorp

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paramaribo

$94 9.3%

Lelydorp

–

Sport & Entertainment

Paramaribo

$24 2.4%

Lelydorp

–

Getting Around

Paramaribo

$13 * 1.3%

Lelydorp

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Lelydorp pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Paramaribo vs $35.00 in Lelydorp for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $115 per month, with Lelydorp cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇷 Paramaribo

🇸🇷 Lelydorp

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

Same time as Paramaribo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,946 Capital

19,000

💱 Currency

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SRD = 2.65 USD

100 SRD = 2.36 EUR

100 SRD = 2.65 USD

100 SRD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Paramaribo Lelydorp 15 km

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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

Paramaribo vs Lelydorp: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lelydorp wins on cost – living expenses run 404% lower than in Paramaribo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lelydorp the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Lelydorp. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you'll spend $1,002 per month in Paramaribo versus $199 in Lelydorp – a 404% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Paramaribo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $199 in Lelydorp versus $1,002 in Paramaribo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lelydorp but tight or insufficient in Paramaribo. The gap between the two cities makes Lelydorp 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, Paramaribo and Lelydorp 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 Lelydorp gentler on the wallet – expenses run 404% less than in Paramaribo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.