Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paramaribo and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Paramaribo: $1,002 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

49

Cost of Living Index in Paramaribo
Learn more

Paramaribo Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Paramaribo

🇸🇷 Suriname

$1,002

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paramaribo and in Phuket

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

A single person spends $1,002 per month in Paramaribo vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Paramaribo $1,002
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,659 per month in Paramaribo vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Paramaribo $1,659
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,316 per month in Paramaribo vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Paramaribo $2,316
Phuket $2,867

Paramaribo is about 17% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Paramaribo and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Paramaribo 26% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.42 SRD 506

$4.58 ฿153

193.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 SRD 1,989

$32.48 ฿1,086

62.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 SRD 408

$8.55 ฿286

26.55%

Cappuccino

$2.86 SRD 108

$2.72 ฿91.0

5.15%

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

$1.41 SRD 53.3

$0.94 ฿31.25

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 SRD 32.98

$0.49 ฿16.39

79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 SRD 100

$2.59 ฿86.6

2.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 SRD 146

$3.83 ฿128

1.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SRD 65.8

$1.74 ฿58.1

0.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 SRD 53.1

$1.43 ฿47.82

-1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 SRD 62.3

$1.53 ฿51.0

7.84%

Eggs

$3.12 SRD 118

$2.17 ฿72.7

43.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 SRD 444

$19.15 ฿640

-38.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 SRD 231

$3.30 ฿110

85.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 SRD 386

$11.14 ฿372

-8.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 SRD 180

$2.95 ฿98.5

62.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 SRD 113

$1.68 ฿56.1

79.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.67 SRD 138

$2.30 ฿76.8

59.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 SRD 226

$2.13 ฿71.3

182.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SRD 49.65

$1.53 ฿51.1

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 SRD 74.9

$1.36 ฿45.55

46.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 SRD 57.7

$1.12 ฿37.44

36.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SRD 54.1

$0.55 ฿18.24

161.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 SRD 213

$4.26 ฿142

32.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 SRD 304

$18.19 ฿608

-55.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 SRD 78.8

$1.74 ฿58.2

20.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 SRD 142

$2.79 ฿93.3

35.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 SRD 29.23

$2.22 ฿74.1

-64.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 SRD 81.0

$2.91 ฿97.3

-26.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SRD 58.0

$1.01 ฿33.79

52.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 SRD 271

$3.83 ฿128

87.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 SRD 44.76

$1.49 ฿49.85

-20.13%

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

$25.5K SRD 959.6K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-4.52%

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

$25.3K SRD 952.9K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-5.30%

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

$37.49 SRD 1,412

$99.4 ฿3,321

-62.27%

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

$25.86 SRD 974

$11.28 ฿377

129.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 SRD 1,139

$17.36 ฿580

74.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.51 SRD 509

$52.3 ฿1,747

-74.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.20 SRD 761

$10.85 ฿362

86.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 SRD 194

$7.57 ฿253

-31.97%

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

$63.1 SRD 2,378

$558 ฿18.7K

-88.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,777 SRD 66.9K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-84.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.60 SRD 1,266

$62.9 ฿2,102

-46.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.88 SRD 787

$28.58 ฿955

-26.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 SRD 2,571

$96.1 ฿3,213

-29.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 SRD 3,873

$88.1 ฿2,943

16.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 SRD 18.1K

$729 ฿24.4K

-34.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 SRD 10.0K

$460 ฿15.4K

-42.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 SRD 35.4K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-55.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 SRD 18.8K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-59.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$461 SRD 17.3K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-86.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$396 SRD 14.9K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-84.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$282 SRD 10.6K

$493 ฿16.5K

-42.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

187.25%

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

Last update for Paramaribo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Paramaribo

$300 29.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 10.7% $32

Accommodation & Living

Paramaribo

$266 26.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 72.9% $194

Eating Out

Paramaribo

$204 20.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 40.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Paramaribo

$102 10.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 22.2% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paramaribo

$94 9.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 36.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Paramaribo

$24 2.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 183% $44

Getting Around

Paramaribo

$13 * 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 200% $26

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 $729 in Phuket. 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 75% higher in Phuket, 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇷 Paramaribo

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

07:14 7:14 AM

10 h ahead of Paramaribo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,946 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 SRD = 2.65 USD

100 SRD = 2.36 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SRD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Paramaribo Phuket 16,710 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Paramaribo
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 21% 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 $1,503 per month in Paramaribo and $1,811 in Phuket. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,002 in Paramaribo and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 21%.

Kindergarten costs $63.1 per month in Paramaribo and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Paramaribo, where all-in costs run around $1,002, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Paramaribo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Paramaribo costs $1,002 versus $1,207 in Phuket. 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, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.