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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,061 in Surinam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,713 in Surinam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,364 in Surinam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 19% more expensive than in Surinam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Surinam 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$6.70 MUR 316

-32.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,565

$43.40 MUR 2,045

6.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$7.12 MUR 336

21.49%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.58 MUR 122

19.77%

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

$0.68 ฿22.89

$1.03 MUR 48.40

-33.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.44

$0.59 MUR 27.95

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.6

$2.17 MUR 102

11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$3.35 MUR 158

13.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.65 MUR 77.6

32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$0.66 MUR 31.08

175.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.32 MUR 62.2

65.15%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$2.25 MUR 106

-0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿673

$11.97 MUR 564

66.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$6.26 MUR 295

-41.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿458

$12.46 MUR 587

8.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.05 MUR 96.6

60.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.93 MUR 90.8

-12.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.8

$1.49 MUR 70.4

56.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.4

$2.63 MUR 124

-22.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.99 MUR 46.77

61.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$1.00 MUR 47.33

49.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.17

$0.80 MUR 37.65

26.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.75 MUR 35.23

-36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$6.65 MUR 314

-33.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿629

$8.26 MUR 389

125.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.3

$1.71 MUR 80.6

4.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.4

$2.22 MUR 105

26.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.90

$1.05 MUR 49.41

35.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$4.44 MUR 209

-30.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.19

$2.75 MUR 130

-62.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿460

$20.19 MUR 952

-32.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.23

$1.47 MUR 69.2

-10.88%

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

$27.3K ฿920.7K

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

-24.36%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

16.41%

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

$123 ฿4,157

$50.4 MUR 2,376

144.32%

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

$13.81 ฿466

$18.45 MUR 870

-25.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿625

$33.41 MUR 1,574

-44.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,037

$37.91 MUR 1,787

59.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$6.20 MUR 292

43.39%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$156 MUR 7,344

340.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.8K

$4,017 MUR 189.3K

287.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,945

$83.7 MUR 3,946

-31.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,170

$81.1 MUR 3,820

-57.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,879

$134 MUR 6,304

-14.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,865

$94.4 MUR 4,447

-10.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$516 MUR 24.3K

19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$347 MUR 16.3K

27.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.1K

$939 MUR 44.2K

118.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$716 MUR 33.8K

110.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Surinam: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $516 in Surinam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $230 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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,591 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: $618 in Phuket versus $516 in Surinam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $156 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 $1,061 in Surinam versus $1,261 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 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.