Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Paramaribo: $1,002 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Paramaribo
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Paramaribo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Paramaribo

🇸🇷 Suriname

$1,002

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paramaribo and in Medellin

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 Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,002 per month in Paramaribo vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Paramaribo $1,002
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,659 per month in Paramaribo vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Paramaribo $1,659
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,316 per month in Paramaribo vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Paramaribo $2,316
Medellin $3,190

Paramaribo is about 38% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Paramaribo sits 26% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 SRD 506

$7.93 COP 25.2K

69.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 SRD 1,989

$46.13 COP 146.3K

14.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 SRD 408

$9.50 COP 30.1K

13.89%

Cappuccino

$2.86 SRD 108

$3.11 COP 9,866

-8.04%

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

$1.41 SRD 53.3

$1.83 COP 5,800

-22.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 SRD 32.98

$1.38 COP 4,360

-36.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 SRD 100

$3.05 COP 9,672

-12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 SRD 146

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-29.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SRD 65.8

$1.45 COP 4,600

20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 SRD 53.1

$2.36 COP 7,496

-40.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SRD 62.3

$1.68 COP 5,328

-1.79%

Eggs

$3.12 SRD 118

$2.86 COP 9,077

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 SRD 444

$10.19 COP 32.3K

15.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 SRD 231

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-35.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 SRD 386

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-27.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 SRD 180

$4.07 COP 12.9K

17.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 SRD 113

$1.50 COP 4,742

100.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 SRD 138

$2.17 COP 6,891

69.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 SRD 226

$2.31 COP 7,310

160.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SRD 49.65

$1.93 COP 6,113

-31.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 SRD 74.9

$1.64 COP 5,196

21.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 SRD 57.7

$1.13 COP 3,571

35.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SRD 54.1

$1.25 COP 3,954

15.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 SRD 213

$3.99 COP 12.6K

41.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 SRD 304

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-39.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 SRD 78.8

$1.70 COP 5,384

22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 SRD 142

$2.37 COP 7,525

59.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 SRD 29.23

$1.21 COP 3,827

-35.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 SRD 81.0

$1.32 COP 4,179

62.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SRD 58.0

$2.14 COP 6,774

-28.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 SRD 271

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-15.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 SRD 44.76

$1.30 COP 4,114

-8.46%

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

$25.5K SRD 959.6K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-8.99%

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

$25.3K SRD 952.9K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-28.57%

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

$37.49 SRD 1,412

$172 COP 545.6K

-78.21%

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

$25.86 SRD 974

$13.37 COP 42.4K

93.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 SRD 1,139

$28.73 COP 91.1K

5.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.51 SRD 509

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-70.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.20 SRD 761

$17.04 COP 54.0K

18.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 SRD 194

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-17.99%

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

$63.1 SRD 2,378

$770 COP 2.4M

-91.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,777 SRD 66.9K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-80.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.60 SRD 1,266

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-61.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.88 SRD 787

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-63.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 SRD 2,571

$137 COP 432.9K

-50.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SRD 3,873

$97.9 COP 310.4K

5.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 SRD 18.1K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-54.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 SRD 10.0K

$616 COP 2.0M

-56.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 SRD 35.4K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SRD 18.8K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-51.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$461 SRD 17.3K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-88.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$396 SRD 14.9K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-76.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$282 SRD 10.6K

$652 COP 2.1M

-56.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

46.25%

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

Last update for Paramaribo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Paramaribo

$300 29.9%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 1.6% $4.9

Accommodation & Living

Paramaribo

$266 26.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 132% $350

Eating Out

Paramaribo

$204 20.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 17.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Paramaribo

$102 10.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 67.6% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paramaribo

$94 9.3%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 129% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Paramaribo

$24 2.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 143% $34

Getting Around

Paramaribo

$13 * 1.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 620% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $480 in Paramaribo versus $1,055 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 131% higher in Medellin, 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 $53.0 in Paramaribo versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇷 Paramaribo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

19:15 7:15 PM

2 h behind Paramaribo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,946 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SRD = 2.65 USD

100 SRD = 2.36 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SRD – Surinamese Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇷 Surinamese Dollar ($)

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 37.67 SRD (100 SRD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 42.35 SRD (100 SRD = 2.36 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to SRD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Paramaribo Medellin 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Paramaribo
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,503 per month in Paramaribo and $2,421 in Medellin. 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 $53.0 in Paramaribo and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paramaribo, where all-in costs run around $1,002, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Paramaribo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Paramaribo – 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 Paramaribo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.