Cost of Living Comparison Between Suriname and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between Suriname and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $299 per month in Suriname vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $524 per month in Suriname vs $2,325 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $749 per month in Suriname vs $3,113 in Costa Rica, rent included.

Suriname is roughly 81% cheaper than Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Suriname sits 78% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 SRD 259

$9.92 ₡4,484

-29.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.09 SRD 1,602

$60.2 ₡27.2K

-28.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 SRD 394

$9.80 ₡4,429

8.27%

Cappuccino

$2.78 SRD 103

$4.11 ₡1,859

-32.36%

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

$1.19 SRD 44.14

$2.10 ₡951

-43.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 SRD 23.48

$1.70 ₡770

-62.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 SRD 105

$3.01 ₡1,359

-6.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 SRD 148

$4.39 ₡1,986

-9.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 SRD 61.7

$2.01 ₡909

-17.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SRD 47.08

$3.10 ₡1,401

-59.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 SRD 54.0

$2.45 ₡1,105

-40.82%

Eggs

$3.33 SRD 124

$3.37 ₡1,524

-1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 SRD 459

$9.13 ₡4,127

35.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 SRD 203

$9.46 ₡4,275

-42.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 SRD 381

$13.21 ₡5,970

-22.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 SRD 169

$4.54 ₡2,052

0.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 SRD 71.2

$1.61 ₡729

19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 SRD 116

$3.19 ₡1,440

-1.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 SRD 207

$3.07 ₡1,387

81.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SRD 49.07

$2.98 ₡1,346

-55.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 SRD 70.8

$2.72 ₡1,228

-30.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 SRD 68.2

$1.01 ₡458

81.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SRD 54.9

$2.44 ₡1,102

-39.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 SRD 208

$5.04 ₡2,277

11.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.80 SRD 290

$15.95 ₡7,205

-51.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SRD 83.9

$2.35 ₡1,063

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 SRD 126

$2.72 ₡1,228

24.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 SRD 16.74

$0.97 ₡438

-53.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.4 SRD 3,286

$49.77 ₡22.5K

77.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 SRD 112

$1.89 ₡855

59.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 SRD 91.1

$1.94 ₡879

26.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.83 SRD 366

$7.78 ₡3,513

26.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 SRD 40.16

$1.51 ₡683

-28.48%

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

$24.6K SRD 916.3K

$37.3K ₡16.9M

-34.00%

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

$25.5K SRD 946.5K

$35.7K ₡16.1M

-28.73%

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

$39.98 SRD 1,486

$86.7 ₡39.2K

-53.90%

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

$26.35 SRD 980

$25.28 ₡11.4K

4.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.68 SRD 1,067

$54.7 ₡24.7K

-47.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.50 SRD 465

$57.8 ₡26.1K

-78.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.80 SRD 736

$29.25 ₡13.2K

-32.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 SRD 172

$9.10 ₡4,112

-49.23%

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

$64.3 SRD 2,389

$542 ₡244.9K

-88.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,892 SRD 70.3K

$10.0K ₡4.5M

-81.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.64 SRD 1,325

$73.6 ₡33.3K

-51.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.20 SRD 1,048

$54.3 ₡24.5K

-48.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 SRD 2,791

$119 ₡53.9K

-37.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 SRD 4,167

$104 ₡46.9K

7.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 SRD 18.7K

$799 ₡360.9K

-37.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 SRD 8,032

$545 ₡246.3K

-60.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 SRD 39.2K

$1,482 ₡669.5K

-28.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SRD 21.5K

$1,037 ₡468.4K

-44.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$478 SRD 17.8K

$2,403 ₡1.1M

-80.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$402 SRD 15.0K

$1,603 ₡724.1K

-74.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$284 SRD 10.5K

$1,079 ₡487.7K

-73.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.25

10.53

54.32%

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

Last update for Suriname: June 7, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $124 in Suriname vs $777 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $498 in Paramaribo and $880 in San Jose.

Average salary: $290 in Suriname vs $1,089 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 527% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 160% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 77% more expensive in Suriname.

Salaries are 276% higher in Costa Rica, giving Suriname stronger purchasing power.

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

Suriname vs Costa Rica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suriname is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 226% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Suriname, contributing to the overall 226% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Suriname, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Suriname is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.