Cost of Living Comparison Between Surinam and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Surinam and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in Surinam versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,713 in Surinam versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,364 in Surinam versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Surinam costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surinam 21% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 MUR 316

$4.53 ฿153

47.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.40 MUR 2,045

$46.36 ฿1,565

-6.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 MUR 336

$8.65 ฿292

-17.69%

Cappuccino

$2.58 MUR 122

$3.09 ฿104

-16.50%

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

$1.03 MUR 48.40

$0.68 ฿22.89

51.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MUR 27.95

$0.37 ฿12.44

59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 MUR 102

$2.42 ฿81.6

-10.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MUR 158

$3.81 ฿129

-12.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MUR 77.6

$2.18 ฿73.5

-24.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MUR 31.08

$1.82 ฿61.3

-63.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MUR 62.2

$2.18 ฿73.5

-39.45%

Eggs

$2.25 MUR 106

$2.24 ฿75.4

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 MUR 564

$19.93 ฿673

-39.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 MUR 295

$3.64 ฿123

71.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.46 MUR 587

$13.56 ฿458

-8.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 MUR 96.6

$3.29 ฿111

-37.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MUR 90.8

$1.69 ฿56.9

14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MUR 70.4

$2.33 ฿78.8

-36.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 MUR 124

$2.03 ฿68.4

29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.77

$1.60 ฿54.0

-38.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.33

$1.49 ฿50.5

-32.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 MUR 37.65

$1.01 ฿34.17

-20.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 MUR 35.23

$0.48 ฿16.09

56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 MUR 314

$4.45 ฿150

49.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 MUR 389

$18.63 ฿629

-55.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MUR 80.6

$1.79 ฿60.3

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 MUR 105

$2.80 ฿94.4

-20.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 MUR 49.41

$1.42 ฿47.90

-26.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 MUR 209

$3.09 ฿104

43.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 MUR 130

$1.04 ฿35.19

164.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.19 MUR 952

$13.63 ฿460

48.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MUR 69.2

$1.31 ฿44.23

12.21%

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

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

$27.3K ฿920.7K

32.20%

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

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-14.09%

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

$50.4 MUR 2,376

$123 ฿4,157

-59.07%

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

$18.45 MUR 870

$13.81 ฿466

33.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.41 MUR 1,574

$18.52 ฿625

80.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 MUR 1,787

$60.4 ฿2,037

-37.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 MUR 292

$8.89 ฿300

-30.26%

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

$156 MUR 7,344

$687 ฿23.2K

-77.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,017 MUR 189.3K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

-74.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.7 MUR 3,946

$57.6 ฿1,945

45.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.1 MUR 3,820

$34.66 ฿1,170

133.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 MUR 6,304

$115 ฿3,879

16.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 MUR 4,447

$84.9 ฿2,865

11.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 MUR 24.3K

$618 ฿20.8K

-16.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 MUR 16.3K

$443 ฿15.0K

-21.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 MUR 44.2K

$2,047 ฿69.1K

-54.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 MUR 33.8K

$1,506 ฿50.8K

-52.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.33

25.14%

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

Last update for Surinam: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Surinam and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Surinam vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $292 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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surinam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,591 in Surinam and $1,891 in Phuket 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: $516 in Surinam versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $156 in Surinam versus $687 in Phuket. 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,061 in Surinam versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surinam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Surinam and Phuket 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 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.