Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Paramaribo Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Paramaribo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,015 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,740 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,464 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 28% more than Paramaribo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Paramaribo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Paramaribo 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.42 SRD 311

39.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$43.33 SRD 1,598

-3.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$10.32 SRD 381

3.10%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.66 SRD 98.1

32.33%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.18 SRD 43.71

27.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.79 SRD 28.97

22.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.95 SRD 109

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$4.16 SRD 154

6.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.80 SRD 66.5

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.26 SRD 46.65

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.67 SRD 61.8

-1.80%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.46 SRD 128

-27.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.61 SRD 465

-33.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.71 SRD 211

46.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.77 SRD 361

9.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$4.39 SRD 162

-40.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.96 SRD 72.5

-25.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$3.25 SRD 120

-41.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$5.51 SRD 203

-62.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.28 SRD 47.11

39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.01 SRD 74.2

8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.91 SRD 70.3

-45.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.53 SRD 56.3

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$5.71 SRD 211

-28.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.84 SRD 289

31.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.21 SRD 81.7

-22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.28 SRD 121

-21.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.45 SRD 16.68

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$91.4 SRD 3,370

-71.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.02 SRD 111

7.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$2.46 SRD 90.7

1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$9.93 SRD 366

-67.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.14 SRD 41.87

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$25.1K SRD 925.9K

20.65%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$25.3K SRD 931.6K

-7.22%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$39.72 SRD 1,465

108.64%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$25.69 SRD 948

-13.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$29.40 SRD 1,085

-0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$12.83 SRD 473

302.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$20.21 SRD 745

-9.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.57 SRD 169

10.94%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$63.4 SRD 2,338

216.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,939 SRD 71.5K

168.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$35.87 SRD 1,323

2.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$28.12 SRD 1,037

41.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$76.3 SRD 2,816

2.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$111 SRD 4,107

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$496 SRD 18.3K

96.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$214 SRD 7,878

119.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,087 SRD 40.1K

51.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$570 SRD 21.0K

114.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$479 SRD 17.7K

723.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$395 SRD 14.6K

1543.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$278 SRD 10.3K

138.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-28.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $496 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 139% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $43.00 in Paramaribo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $288 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Playa del Carmen vs Paramaribo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 28% more than Paramaribo, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,523 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $63.4 in Paramaribo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – 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 $1,015, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Paramaribo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Paramaribo costs $1,015 versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Paramaribo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.