Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surinam Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surinam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,060 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,730 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,401 in Surinam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than Surinam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Surinam 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$6.72 MUR 313

-30.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$43.40 MUR 2,018

7.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$7.25 MUR 337

19.72%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.57 MUR 120

14.79%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.98 MUR 45.56

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.60 MUR 27.88

-35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.22 MUR 103

13.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.24 MUR 151

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.63 MUR 75.8

36.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.71 MUR 33.17

153.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.29 MUR 59.8

69.77%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.23 MUR 104

3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$11.96 MUR 556

61.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$6.31 MUR 293

-40.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$12.68 MUR 590

4.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.05 MUR 95.3

62.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.96 MUR 91.2

-15.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.49 MUR 69.4

53.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.76 MUR 128

-27.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.04 MUR 48.37

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.01 MUR 46.90

49.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.84 MUR 39.07

22.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.75 MUR 34.95

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$6.66 MUR 310

-33.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$8.74 MUR 407

122.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.75 MUR 81.4

2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.16 MUR 101

24.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$1.05 MUR 48.61

36.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$4.36 MUR 203

-30.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$2.62 MUR 122

-60.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$19.73 MUR 918

-30.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.39 MUR 64.5

-6.47%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

-23.19%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$28.9K MUR 1.3M

14.38%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$48.90 MUR 2,274

151.47%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$18.06 MUR 840

-23.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$33.15 MUR 1,542

-43.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$38.34 MUR 1,783

59.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$6.04 MUR 281

46.85%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$153 MUR 7,104

355.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$3,952 MUR 183.8K

306.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$84.4 MUR 3,926

-29.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$79.8 MUR 3,712

-56.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$131 MUR 6,075

-13.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$95.1 MUR 4,423

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$522 MUR 24.3K

17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$347 MUR 16.1K

29.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$964 MUR 44.9K

116.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$710 MUR 33.0K

110.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Surinam: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $522 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $43 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $233 per month, with Surinam cheaper across the board.

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 Surinam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surinam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,590 in Surinam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $522 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $153 in Surinam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surinam – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Surinam versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surinam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surinam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surinam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Surinam 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 Surinam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.