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: $1,081 in Surinam versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,754 in Surinam versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,427 in Surinam versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Surinam costs roughly 15% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surinam 19% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 MUR 311

$4.70 ฿154

39.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.63 MUR 2,116

$45.37 ฿1,489

-1.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 MUR 341

$8.43 ฿277

-14.83%

Cappuccino

$2.59 MUR 123

$2.93 ฿96.1

-11.60%

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

$0.98 MUR 46.27

$0.69 ฿22.50

42.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 26.96

$0.37 ฿12.04

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 MUR 106

$2.41 ฿79.0

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MUR 161

$3.72 ฿122

-8.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MUR 79.3

$2.23 ฿73.3

-25.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MUR 31.50

$1.83 ฿60.1

-63.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MUR 59.9

$2.17 ฿71.1

-41.94%

Eggs

$2.34 MUR 111

$2.21 ฿72.6

5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 MUR 566

$19.74 ฿648

-39.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 MUR 295

$3.63 ฿119

71.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 MUR 602

$13.53 ฿444

-6.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 MUR 98.6

$3.28 ฿108

-36.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 MUR 93.4

$1.61 ฿52.9

22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 68.5

$2.41 ฿79.0

-40.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 MUR 130

$2.08 ฿68.4

31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 48.46

$1.53 ฿50.2

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 45.10

$1.48 ฿48.58

-35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 MUR 37.21

$0.99 ฿32.44

-21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 MUR 35.35

$0.51 ฿16.74

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 MUR 309

$4.41 ฿145

48.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 MUR 389

$19.38 ฿636

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MUR 84.3

$1.78 ฿58.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 MUR 106

$2.71 ฿89.0

-17.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 47.64

$1.37 ฿44.99

-27.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 MUR 211

$3.02 ฿99.1

47.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 MUR 128

$0.99 ฿32.63

172.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 MUR 940

$14.10 ฿463

40.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MUR 66.0

$1.36 ฿44.71

2.21%

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

$35.1K MUR 1.7M

$28.2K ฿925.3K

24.41%

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

$28.6K MUR 1.4M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-13.20%

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

$50.4 MUR 2,388

$122 ฿3,993

-58.61%

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

$18.62 MUR 883

$13.57 ฿445

37.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.52 MUR 1,589

$18.31 ฿601

83.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.53 MUR 1,779

$60.2 ฿1,976

-37.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$5.98 MUR 283

$8.69 ฿285

-31.19%

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

$157 MUR 7,443

$693 ฿22.8K

-77.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,952 MUR 187.4K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

-74.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 MUR 4,098

$59.5 ฿1,953

45.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.0 MUR 3,841

$34.77 ฿1,141

133.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 MUR 6,303

$115 ฿3,760

16.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 MUR 4,511

$83.3 ฿2,733

14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 MUR 24.6K

$613 ฿20.1K

-15.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 MUR 16.6K

$437 ฿14.3K

-19.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 MUR 45.8K

$2,094 ฿68.7K

-53.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 MUR 33.8K

$1,509 ฿49.5K

-52.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $520 in Surinam and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Surinam vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $293 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,622 in Surinam and $1,898 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: $520 in Surinam versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Surinam versus $693 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 $45.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,081 in Surinam versus $1,265 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 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.