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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,103 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,791 in Paramaribo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,480 in Paramaribo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 15% more than Paramaribo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Paramaribo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Paramaribo 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$12.99 SRD 490

-10.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$53.3 SRD 2,008

-11.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$11.05 SRD 416

7.51%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.77 SRD 104

43.68%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.41 SRD 53.3

1.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.83 SRD 31.20

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.68 SRD 101

19.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.89 SRD 146

74.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.83 SRD 69.1

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.40 SRD 52.7

57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.66 SRD 62.7

3.01%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.12 SRD 118

-12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.84 SRD 409

-11.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.28 SRD 237

43.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.50 SRD 396

22.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$4.93 SRD 186

-41.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.39 SRD 90.0

-37.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.82 SRD 144

-43.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$6.12 SRD 231

-63.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.42 SRD 53.4

39.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.98 SRD 74.6

0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.55 SRD 58.5

-20.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.50 SRD 56.4

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$5.65 SRD 213

-19.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.72 SRD 291

34.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.07 SRD 77.9

-21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.82 SRD 144

-24.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.78 SRD 29.42

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$88.4 SRD 3,332

-67.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.02 SRD 114

78.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.05 SRD 77.4

81.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$9.85 SRD 371

-41.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.17 SRD 44.03

31.62%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$25.1K SRD 945.6K

-10.12%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$25.4K SRD 957.6K

2.55%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$37.23 SRD 1,403

145.45%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$25.14 SRD 947

0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$30.65 SRD 1,155

1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$13.44 SRD 507

400.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$20.27 SRD 764

43.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.93 SRD 186

-1.42%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$62.3 SRD 2,350

258.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$1,726 SRD 65.0K

145.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$37.18 SRD 1,401

26.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$26.63 SRD 1,004

66.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$72.1 SRD 2,718

11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$103 SRD 3,869

-9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$481 SRD 18.1K

120.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$266 SRD 10.0K

46.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,141 SRD 43.0K

88.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$494 SRD 18.6K

157.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$473 SRD 17.8K

746.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$402 SRD 15.2K

1516.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$279 SRD 10.5K

171.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-28.44%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Paramaribo: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $481 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 172% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $53.0 in Paramaribo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $298 – 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 15% more than Paramaribo, with the gap driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,654 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 $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $62.3 in Paramaribo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% 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 $1,103, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $1,103 versus $1,266 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.