Cost of Living Comparison Between Surinam and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Surinam and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,060 in Surinam versus $2,336 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,730 in Surinam versus $3,475 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,401 in Surinam versus $4,614 in Barcelona.

Living in Surinam costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surinam is 21% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.72 MUR 313

$17.45 €14.88

-61.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.40 MUR 2,018

$69.8 €59.6

-37.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 MUR 337

$13.91 €11.86

-47.88%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MUR 120

$2.74 €2.34

-6.20%

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

$0.98 MUR 45.56

$2.70 €2.30

-63.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MUR 27.88

$2.03 €1.73

-70.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 MUR 103

$4.51 €3.85

-50.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MUR 151

$4.61 €3.93

-29.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 MUR 75.8

$1.28 €1.09

27.34%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.17

$2.10 €1.79

-66.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MUR 59.8

$1.99 €1.70

-35.18%

Eggs

$2.23 MUR 104

$3.45 €2.95

-35.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.96 MUR 556

$18.61 €15.87

-35.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 MUR 293

$9.41 €8.03

-32.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 MUR 590

$18.70 €15.95

-32.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 MUR 95.3

$2.61 €2.22

-21.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MUR 91.2

$2.39 €2.04

-17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MUR 69.4

$2.19 €1.86

-31.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 MUR 128

$2.81 €2.40

-1.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 MUR 48.37

$2.03 €1.73

-48.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 46.90

$1.87 €1.60

-45.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.07

$1.45 €1.24

-42.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 MUR 34.95

$0.92 €0.79

-18.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 MUR 310

$6.82 €5.82

-2.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 MUR 407

$7.71 €6.58

13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 MUR 81.4

$1.38 €1.18

26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 MUR 101

$2.33 €1.99

-7.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 MUR 48.61

$2.88 €2.46

-63.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.04 €24.77

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 MUR 203

$4.43 €3.78

-1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 MUR 122

$2.14 €1.82

22.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.73 MUR 918

$28.96 €24.71

-31.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MUR 64.5

$1.90 €1.62

-26.84%

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

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

$37.9K €32.3K

-4.15%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.3M

$33.3K €28.4K

-13.27%

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

$48.90 MUR 2,274

$186 €158

-73.66%

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

$18.06 MUR 840

$22.17 €18.91

-18.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.15 MUR 1,542

$36.52 €31.15

-9.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.34 MUR 1,783

$58.4 €49.81

-34.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.75 €17.70

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 MUR 281

$11.10 €9.47

-45.59%

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

$153 MUR 7,104

$705 €601

-78.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,952 MUR 183.8K

$15.2K €13.0K

-74.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 MUR 3,926

$86.4 €73.7

-2.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.8 MUR 3,712

$36.88 €31.46

116.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,075

$104 €88.8

25.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 MUR 4,423

$115 €98.4

-17.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 MUR 24.3K

$1,538 €1,312

-66.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 MUR 16.1K

$1,242 €1,060

-72.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 MUR 44.9K

$2,728 €2,327

-64.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MUR 33.0K

$2,011 €1,716

-64.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,155 €6,104

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,843 €4,131

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 €2,111

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.39

96.76%

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

Last update for Surinam: April 22, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $522 in Surinam and $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Surinam vs $70 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $318 per month, with Surinam cheaper across the board.

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

Surinam vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surinam and Barcelona differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,060 vs $2,336 including rent). Surinam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,590 in Surinam and $3,504 in Barcelona 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $522 in Surinam versus $1,538 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $153 in Surinam versus $705 in Barcelona. 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 $43.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Surinam versus $2,336 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surinam but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Surinam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Surinam and Barcelona 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 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.