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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $635 in Surinam, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,067 in Surinam, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,498 in Surinam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 99% more than Surinam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Surinam are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Surinam 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.77 MUR 274

101.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$38.66 MUR 1,836

21.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.50 MUR 356

58.40%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.58 MUR 123

54.26%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.15 MUR 54.6

24.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.62 MUR 29.68

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.57 MUR 122

24.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.76 MUR 226

42.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.55 MUR 73.7

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.75 MUR 35.59

193.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.15 MUR 54.6

48.70%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.56 MUR 122

7.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$5.20 MUR 247

84.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.47 MUR 307

39.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$11.41 MUR 542

12.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.78 MUR 132

3.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.63 MUR 125

-42.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.45 MUR 69.1

48.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.94 MUR 140

-23.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.94 MUR 44.45

110.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.00 MUR 47.70

99.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.74 MUR 35.02

66.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.84 MUR 40.11

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$6.28 MUR 298

-27.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.37 MUR 397

23.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.66 MUR 78.7

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.38 MUR 113

21.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$4.35 MUR 207

23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.27 MUR 155

14.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$21.30 MUR 1,012

-72.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.40 MUR 66.4

10.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

-38.36%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

-16.08%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$44.49 MUR 2,113

105.39%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$10.55 MUR 501

138.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$28.75 MUR 1,366

8.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$6.55 MUR 311

-25.80%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$127 MUR 6,023

76.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,624 MUR 362.1K

-44.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$76.9 MUR 3,652

-38.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$74.9 MUR 3,559

-40.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$122 MUR 5,809

-34.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$76.6 MUR 3,638

20.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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 Surinam: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Surinam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $218 – making Surinam 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 Surinam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 99%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $952 in Surinam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $635 in Surinam. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $127 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 $635, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.