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: $1,060 in Surinam versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,730 in Surinam versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,401 in Surinam versus $3,339 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 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.72 MUR 313

$4.66 ฿150

44.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.40 MUR 2,018

$46.44 ฿1,496

-6.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 MUR 337

$8.68 ฿280

-16.47%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MUR 120

$2.95 ฿95.0

-12.88%

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

$0.98 MUR 45.56

$0.70 ฿22.52

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MUR 27.88

$0.39 ฿12.70

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 MUR 103

$2.53 ฿81.6

-12.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MUR 151

$3.78 ฿122

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 MUR 75.8

$2.22 ฿71.5

-26.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MUR 33.17

$1.80 ฿57.8

-60.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MUR 59.8

$2.19 ฿70.4

-41.10%

Eggs

$2.23 MUR 104

$2.31 ฿74.5

-3.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.96 MUR 556

$19.34 ฿623

-38.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 MUR 293

$3.77 ฿121

67.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 MUR 590

$13.22 ฿426

-4.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 MUR 95.3

$3.33 ฿107

-38.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MUR 91.2

$1.65 ฿53.1

18.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MUR 69.4

$2.29 ฿73.7

-34.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 MUR 128

$1.99 ฿64.1

38.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 MUR 48.37

$1.53 ฿49.24

-32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 46.90

$1.51 ฿48.77

-33.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.07

$1.03 ฿33.12

-18.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 MUR 34.95

$0.51 ฿16.57

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 MUR 310

$4.41 ฿142

51.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 MUR 407

$19.41 ฿625

-54.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 MUR 81.4

$1.80 ฿58.0

-2.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 MUR 101

$2.68 ฿86.4

-19.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 MUR 48.61

$1.43 ฿46.11

-26.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 MUR 203

$3.04 ฿97.9

43.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 MUR 122

$1.04 ฿33.37

151.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.73 MUR 918

$13.68 ฿441

44.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MUR 64.5

$1.30 ฿41.85

6.92%

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

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

$27.9K ฿898.9K

30.19%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.3M

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-12.57%

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

$48.90 MUR 2,274

$123 ฿3,962

-60.23%

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

$18.06 MUR 840

$13.82 ฿445

30.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.15 MUR 1,542

$18.86 ฿608

75.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.34 MUR 1,783

$61.2 ฿1,970

-37.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 MUR 281

$8.87 ฿286

-31.91%

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

$153 MUR 7,104

$696 ฿22.4K

-78.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,952 MUR 183.8K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-75.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 MUR 3,926

$59.3 ฿1,910

42.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.8 MUR 3,712

$34.85 ฿1,123

129.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,075

$113 ฿3,646

15.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 MUR 4,423

$85.1 ฿2,740

11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 MUR 24.3K

$615 ฿19.8K

-15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 MUR 16.1K

$448 ฿14.4K

-22.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 MUR 44.9K

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-53.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MUR 33.0K

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-52.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $522 in Surinam and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Surinam vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $291 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,590 in Surinam and $1,904 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: $522 in Surinam versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $153 in Surinam versus $696 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 $1,060 in Surinam versus $1,270 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 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.