Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Surinam

For one person, living is cheaper in Surinam: $626 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Surinam
Learn more

Surinam Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Surinam

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Surinam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sao Paulo and in Surinam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $626 in Surinam.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Surinam $626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Sao Paulo versus $1,049 in Surinam.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Surinam $1,049

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Sao Paulo versus $1,472 in Surinam.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Surinam $1,472

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 95% more expensive than in Surinam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 10% lower, Surinam 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$5.96 MUR 280

46.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$38.18 MUR 1,797

27.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$7.54 MUR 355

19.76%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$2.70 MUR 127

-5.56%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$1.18 MUR 55.3

14.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.68 MUR 31.99

33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$2.68 MUR 126

14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$4.62 MUR 218

-5.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.61 MUR 75.6

-26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$0.72 MUR 33.80

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.10 MUR 51.8

34.55%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$2.65 MUR 125

6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$5.31 MUR 250

137.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$6.18 MUR 291

-12.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$11.05 MUR 520

-2.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$2.81 MUR 132

0.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$2.66 MUR 125

-31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$1.45 MUR 68.3

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$2.98 MUR 140

-31.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$0.93 MUR 43.58

56.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$0.96 MUR 45.08

30.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$0.73 MUR 34.57

71.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$0.89 MUR 41.98

10.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$6.34 MUR 298

-52.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$8.60 MUR 405

12.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$1.66 MUR 78.3

10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$2.38 MUR 112

5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$4.09 MUR 192

-55.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$3.22 MUR 151

-68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$20.97 MUR 987

-51.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.39 MUR 65.2

-7.19%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$37.0K MUR 1.7M

-36.32%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$30.4K MUR 1.4M

13.34%

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

$104 R$527

$44.93 MUR 2,115

131.56%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$10.67 MUR 502

55.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$28.60 MUR 1,346

-22.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$6.39 MUR 301

51.64%

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

$573 R$2,906

$124 MUR 5,826

363.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$7,598 MUR 357.7K

122.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$78.6 MUR 3,702

-15.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$75.1 MUR 3,533

-18.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$120 MUR 5,633

-17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$78.1 MUR 3,678

16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.67

75.11%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Surinam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Surinam

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Surinam

$217 34.8% 10.6% $26

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Surinam

$133 21.2% 17.3% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Surinam

$158 25.3% 10.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Surinam

$84 13.5% 41% $58

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Surinam

$20 * 3.2% 65.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Surinam

$13 * 2% 77.1% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $38.00 in Surinam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $218 per month, with Surinam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇲🇺 Surinam

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

7 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

10,500

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Surinam 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Surinam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Sao Paulo vs Surinam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surinam is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,833 in Sao Paulo and $938 in Surinam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $573 in Sao Paulo versus $124 in Surinam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surinam – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $626 in Surinam versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surinam but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Surinam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surinam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Surinam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Surinam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.