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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,066 in Surinam, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,742 in Surinam, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,418 in Surinam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 21% more than Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Surinam are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Surinam 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.54 MUR 306

82.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$43.22 MUR 2,022

-1.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.30 MUR 342

45.07%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.62 MUR 123

38.17%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.94 MUR 44.16

56.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.60 MUR 28.16

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.18 MUR 102

41.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.26 MUR 153

36.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.63 MUR 76.4

-12.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.69 MUR 32.39

172.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.33 MUR 62.3

22.56%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.31 MUR 108

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.92 MUR 558

-31.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.14 MUR 287

35.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$12.44 MUR 582

-10.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.03 MUR 95.1

30.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.00 MUR 93.8

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.45 MUR 68.0

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.75 MUR 128

-24.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.98 MUR 45.99

82.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.00 MUR 47.00

118.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.86 MUR 40.22

25.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.79 MUR 37.13

31.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$6.71 MUR 314

-40.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$8.38 MUR 392

21.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.71 MUR 79.9

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.14 MUR 100.0

16.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.04 MUR 48.77

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$4.53 MUR 212

-30.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.68 MUR 126

-10.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$19.62 MUR 918

-84.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.47 MUR 68.7

-13.61%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

-14.84%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.4K MUR 1.4M

-20.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$48.55 MUR 2,272

68.92%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$18.55 MUR 868

21.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$33.90 MUR 1,586

-12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$37.69 MUR 1,763

37.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.15 MUR 288

-19.19%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$156 MUR 7,302

26.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,017 MUR 188.0K

31.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$86.8 MUR 4,062

-58.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$79.9 MUR 3,739

-49.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$131 MUR 6,148

-39.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$94.8 MUR 4,435

-6.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$520 MUR 24.3K

85.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$352 MUR 16.5K

32.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$965 MUR 45.2K

65.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$731 MUR 34.2K

65.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Surinam: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 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 $43.00 in Surinam. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $231 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 21%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,599 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,066 in Surinam. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 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 $1,066, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.