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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,056 in Surinam, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,730 in Surinam, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,403 in Surinam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 19% 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 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.44 MUR 302

81.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$44.31 MUR 2,076

-5.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.26 MUR 340

44.77%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.54 MUR 119

41.34%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.00 MUR 47.01

51.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.59 MUR 27.87

55.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.14 MUR 100

38.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.24 MUR 152

36.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.69 MUR 79.2

-17.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.71 MUR 33.13

164.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.29 MUR 60.2

20.93%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.33 MUR 109

12.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$12.10 MUR 567

-31.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.16 MUR 289

35.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.75 MUR 597

-14.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.98 MUR 92.7

36.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.99 MUR 93.3

-24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.45 MUR 68.0

28.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.74 MUR 128

-20.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.03 MUR 48.17

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.00 MUR 47.02

123.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.85 MUR 39.72

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.74 MUR 34.76

47.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.77 MUR 317

-38.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.57 MUR 401

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.72 MUR 80.5

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.26 MUR 106

15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.99 MUR 46.55

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.45 MUR 209

-30.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.60 MUR 122

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$19.94 MUR 934

-84.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.47 MUR 68.8

-10.88%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$36.2K MUR 1.7M

-17.63%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

-20.04%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$49.79 MUR 2,332

63.25%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$18.39 MUR 861

22.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$32.94 MUR 1,543

-8.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$37.87 MUR 1,774

39.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.09 MUR 285

-19.21%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$156 MUR 7,295

28.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,977 MUR 186.3K

30.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$84.2 MUR 3,943

-57.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$78.3 MUR 3,667

-48.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$133 MUR 6,219

-39.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$95.3 MUR 4,463

-9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$505 MUR 23.6K

93.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$353 MUR 16.5K

33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$930 MUR 43.5K

77.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$724 MUR 33.9K

66.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Surinam: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $505 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $44.00 in Surinam. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $233 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 19%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,584 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,056 in Surinam. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $156 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 $1,056, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.