Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paramaribo

For one person, living is cheaper in Paramaribo: $1,035 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Paramaribo
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Paramaribo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Paramaribo

🇸🇷 Suriname

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket 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 Phuket and in Paramaribo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,035 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Paramaribo $1,035

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,707 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Paramaribo $1,707

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,379 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Paramaribo $2,379

Phuket costs about 24% more than Paramaribo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Paramaribo are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Paramaribo 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.36 SRD 500

-66.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$52.9 SRD 1,979

-38.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.21 SRD 420

-21.41%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.80 SRD 105

1.07%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.36 SRD 50.7

-36.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.85 SRD 31.98

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.64 SRD 98.8

-3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.95 SRD 148

-6.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.75 SRD 65.5

-5.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.39 SRD 52.1

5.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.68 SRD 62.8

-10.71%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.03 SRD 113

-31.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$11.70 SRD 438

62.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.21 SRD 232

-46.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.17 SRD 381

7.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$4.82 SRD 181

-39.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$3.09 SRD 116

-45.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.77 SRD 141

-40.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.13 SRD 229

-66.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.32 SRD 49.29

14.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$2.01 SRD 75.2

-31.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.54 SRD 57.6

-30.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.52 SRD 57.1

-65.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.65 SRD 212

-25.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.90 SRD 296

137.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.02 SRD 75.8

-9.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.68 SRD 138

-22.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.55 SRD 20.49

163.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$31.71 SRD 1,187

78.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.14 SRD 80.0

41.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.50 SRD 56.1

-32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$7.19 SRD 269

-48.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.17 SRD 43.98

25.64%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$25.5K SRD 954.2K

5.07%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$24.8K SRD 929.2K

7.54%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$37.77 SRD 1,414

155.10%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$25.57 SRD 957

-55.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$30.52 SRD 1,143

-44.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$13.67 SRD 512

391.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$20.29 SRD 759

-47.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.04 SRD 189

48.81%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$63.8 SRD 2,389

645.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$1,758 SRD 65.8K

540.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$33.13 SRD 1,240

88.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$20.78 SRD 778

36.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$66.7 SRD 2,497

41.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$102 SRD 3,815

-15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$478 SRD 17.9K

49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$268 SRD 10.0K

82.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$937 SRD 35.1K

105.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$501 SRD 18.8K

185.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$474 SRD 17.7K

781.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$405 SRD 15.2K

650.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$277 SRD 10.4K

81.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-65.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Paramaribo

$268 25.9% 45.3% $223

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Paramaribo

$301 29.1% 13% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Paramaribo

$94 9.1% 24.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Paramaribo

$100 9.7% 17.9% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Paramaribo

$204 19.7% 67.7% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Paramaribo

$24 2.3% 71.1% $58

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Paramaribo

$44 4.2% 38.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $478 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 81% higher in Phuket. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $53 in Paramaribo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $301 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇷 Paramaribo

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

14:38 2:38 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

242,946 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Surinamese Dollar SRD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 SRD = 2.67 USD

100 SRD = 2.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SRD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Surinamese Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 37.44 SRD (100 SRD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 41.68 SRD (100 SRD = 2.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Paramaribo 16,710 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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

Phuket vs Paramaribo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 24% more than Paramaribo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,552 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $478 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $64 in Paramaribo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,278 in Phuket and $1,035 in Paramaribo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.