Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,015 per month in Paramaribo vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,740 per month in Paramaribo vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,464 per month in Paramaribo vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Paramaribo and Medellin have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Paramaribo and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Paramaribo 24% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.42 SRD 311

$5.99 COP 21.4K

40.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.33 SRD 1,598

$32.86 COP 117.4K

31.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 SRD 381

$7.09 COP 25.3K

45.56%

Cappuccino

$2.66 SRD 98.1

$1.71 COP 6,115

55.56%

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

$1.18 SRD 43.71

$1.10 COP 3,924

7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 SRD 28.97

$0.78 COP 2,781

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 SRD 109

$1.68 COP 5,997

75.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 SRD 154

$3.07 COP 11.0K

35.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SRD 66.5

$1.09 COP 3,906

65.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SRD 46.65

$1.26 COP 4,508

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 SRD 61.8

$1.38 COP 4,922

21.01%

Eggs

$3.46 SRD 128

$2.19 COP 7,827

57.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 SRD 465

$4.40 COP 15.7K

186.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 SRD 211

$5.63 COP 20.1K

1.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.77 SRD 361

$8.89 COP 31.8K

9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 SRD 162

$2.34 COP 8,349

87.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 SRD 72.5

$1.06 COP 3,777

84.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 SRD 120

$1.50 COP 5,374

116.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 SRD 203

$1.38 COP 4,924

299.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SRD 47.11

$1.15 COP 4,111

11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 SRD 74.2

$1.16 COP 4,155

73.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 SRD 70.3

$0.89 COP 3,182

114.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SRD 56.3

$0.84 COP 2,997

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 SRD 211

$2.28 COP 8,145

150.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 SRD 289

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 SRD 81.7

$1.20 COP 4,284

84.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 SRD 121

$2.47 COP 8,824

32.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 SRD 16.68

$0.86 COP 3,056

-47.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.4 SRD 3,370

$41.40 COP 147.9K

120.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 SRD 111

$1.47 COP 5,264

105.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 SRD 90.7

$1.96 COP 7,009

25.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 SRD 366

$7.74 COP 27.6K

28.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 SRD 41.87

$0.95 COP 3,409

20.00%

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

$25.1K SRD 925.9K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

38.42%

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

$25.3K SRD 931.6K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-4.65%

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

$39.72 SRD 1,465

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-51.71%

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

$25.69 SRD 948

$9.50 COP 33.9K

170.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.40 SRD 1,085

$24.23 COP 86.5K

21.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.83 SRD 473

$25.89 COP 92.4K

-50.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 SRD 745

$19.00 COP 67.9K

6.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 SRD 169

$3.93 COP 14.0K

16.28%

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

$63.4 SRD 2,338

$309 COP 1.1M

-79.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,939 SRD 71.5K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-67.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.87 SRD 1,323

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-38.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.12 SRD 1,037

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 SRD 2,816

$103 COP 366.4K

-25.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 SRD 4,107

$108 COP 387.2K

2.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 SRD 18.3K

$476 COP 1.7M

4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 SRD 7,878

$379 COP 1.4M

-43.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 SRD 40.1K

$838 COP 3.0M

29.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 SRD 21.0K

$724 COP 2.6M

-21.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$479 SRD 17.7K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-82.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$395 SRD 14.6K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-67.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 SRD 10.3K

$512 COP 1.8M

-45.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

19.14%

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

Last update for Paramaribo: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $496 in Paramaribo versus $476 in Medellin. 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 84% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Paramaribo versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $188 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,523 per month in Paramaribo and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $43.00 in Paramaribo and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 121% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Paramaribo at $1,015. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paramaribo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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