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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,076 in Surinam, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,748 in Surinam, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,421 in Surinam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Surinam are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Surinam 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.72 MUR 316

76.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$43.73 MUR 2,059

-1.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.34 MUR 345

45.10%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.65 MUR 125

30.19%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.95 MUR 44.77

57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.56 MUR 26.37

69.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.18 MUR 103

38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.32 MUR 156

38.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.62 MUR 76.4

-14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.66 MUR 31.20

180.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.27 MUR 59.6

26.77%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.34 MUR 110

10.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.03 MUR 567

-31.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.30 MUR 296

32.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.85 MUR 605

-17.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.97 MUR 92.6

33.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.00 MUR 94.3

-25.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.43 MUR 67.2

34.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.62 MUR 123

-20.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.03 MUR 48.65

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.01 MUR 47.77

123.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.85 MUR 39.99

24.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.76 MUR 35.99

43.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.74 MUR 317

-38.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.26 MUR 389

25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.78 MUR 83.8

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.26 MUR 107

15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.04 MUR 49.20

-48.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.52 MUR 213

-30.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.73 MUR 129

-8.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$19.90 MUR 937

-84.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.44 MUR 67.9

-11.81%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

-16.32%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-18.99%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$49.27 MUR 2,320

68.46%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.45 MUR 869

23.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$33.54 MUR 1,580

-12.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$38.70 MUR 1,823

31.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.89 MUR 277

-16.30%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$153 MUR 7,227

28.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,018 MUR 189.2K

31.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$85.7 MUR 4,036

-56.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$79.5 MUR 3,746

-49.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$134 MUR 6,300

-40.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$93.0 MUR 4,379

-3.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$513 MUR 24.1K

86.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$351 MUR 16.5K

35.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$955 MUR 45.0K

72.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$735 MUR 34.6K

66.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Surinam: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $513 in Surinam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Surinam. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $232 in Surinam – so Surinam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Surinam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,614 in Surinam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surinam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,076 in Surinam. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $153 in Surinam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surinam, where all-in costs run around $1,076, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Surinam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surinam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Surinam. 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.