For one person, living is cheaper in Suriname: $1,017 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Suriname and in the United States
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Suriname and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,017 per month in Suriname vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.
Suriname $1,017
United States $2,734
A couple spends around $1,669 per month in Suriname vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.
Suriname $1,669
United States $3,985
A family of three spends $2,322 per month in Suriname vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.
Suriname $2,322
United States $5,235
📏
The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Suriname ($198–$1,035), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Suriname is roughly 63% lower than in the United States on average.
📊
Suriname sits 25% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Suriname
United States
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.01SRD 487
$20.03$20.03
-35.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.07SRD 1,725
$80.0$80.0
-42.44%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.51SRD 393
$11.80$11.80
-10.93%
Cappuccino
$2.86SRD 107
$5.55$5.55
-48.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42SRD 53.2
$2.66$2.66
-46.62%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86SRD 32.22
$2.17$2.17
-60.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.38SRD 88.9
$6.12$6.12
-61.11%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80SRD 142
$7.94$7.94
-52.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Suriname
United States
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.87SRD 70.1
$1.04$1.04
79.81%
White Bread(500g)
$1.35SRD 50.4
$3.59$3.59
-62.40%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.43SRD 53.4
$4.52$4.52
-68.36%
Eggs
$3.08SRD 115
$4.28$4.28
-28.04%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.73SRD 439
$13.22$13.22
-11.27%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.32SRD 237
$12.60$12.60
-49.84%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.08SRD 378
$17.60$17.60
-42.73%
Apples(1kg)
$4.90SRD 183
$5.30$5.30
-7.55%
Banana(1kg)
$2.40SRD 89.8
$1.69$1.69
42.01%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.67SRD 138
$4.44$4.44
-17.34%
Tomato(1kg)
$5.96SRD 223
$4.77$4.77
24.95%
Potato(1kg)
$1.25SRD 46.93
$2.97$2.97
-57.91%
Onion(1kg)
$2.01SRD 75.4
$3.15$3.15
-36.19%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.52SRD 57.1
$2.20$2.20
-30.91%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.36SRD 51.0
$2.35$2.35
-42.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.62SRD 210
$10.98$10.98
-48.82%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.03SRD 301
$15.05$15.05
-46.64%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.07SRD 77.6
$2.06$2.06
0.49%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80SRD 142
$3.79$3.79
0.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Suriname
United States
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.54SRD 20.34
$1.94$1.94
-72.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$31.74SRD 1,189
$59.4$59.4
-46.56%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.12SRD 79.4
$3.58$3.58
-40.78%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.52SRD 56.8
$1.88$1.88
-19.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.13SRD 267
$29.84$29.84
-76.11%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.13SRD 42.31
$1.02$1.02
10.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.9KSRD 931.3K
$28.8K$28.8K
-13.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8KSRD 928.3K
$26.2K$26.2K
-5.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suriname
United States
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$37.09SRD 1,389
$218$218
-82.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.34SRD 949
$62.5$62.5
-59.44%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.87SRD 1,156
$74.5$74.5
-58.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Suriname
United States
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$13.67SRD 512
$41.86$41.86
-67.34%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.46SRD 766
$22.81$22.81
-10.30%
Cinema Ticket
$4.96SRD 186
$14.70$14.70
-66.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Suriname
United States
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$63.5SRD 2,378
$1,489$1,489
-95.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$1,780SRD 66.6K
$25.3K$25.3K
-92.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Suriname
United States
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.01SRD 1,236
$54.3$54.3
-39.25%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.92SRD 783
$42.71$42.71
-51.02%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$66.2SRD 2,480
$94.1$94.1
-29.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103SRD 3,865
$114$114
-9.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Suriname
United States
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$480SRD 18.0K
$1,659$1,659
-71.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$262SRD 9,819
$1,348$1,348
-80.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$945SRD 35.4K
$2,682$2,682
-64.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$503SRD 18.8K
$2,169$2,169
-76.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$460SRD 17.2K
$3,283$3,283
-85.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$401SRD 15.0K
$2,482$2,482
-83.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Suriname
United States
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$285SRD 10.7K
$4,296$4,296
-93.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
16.25
6.55
148.09%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Suriname: October 25, 2026
Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Suriname
$295 29%
United States
$415 15.2% ↑ 40.9%$120
🏠Accommodation & Living
Suriname
$262 25.8%
United States
$1.3K 49.3% ↑ 414%$1.1K
🍽Eating Out
Suriname
$199 19.5%
United States
$328 12% ↑ 65.2%$129
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Suriname
$101 9.9%
United States
$137 5% ↑ 36.4%$37
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suriname
$93 9.2%
United States
$355 13% ↑ 280%$262
🚌Getting Around
Suriname
$44 4.3%
United States
$80 2.9% ↑ 83.7%$37
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Suriname
$24 2.3%
United States
$71 2.6% ↑ 202%$48
🛒Groceries & Markets
Suriname
$688 29.6%
United States
$953 18.2% ↑ 38.6%$265
🏠Accommodation & Living
Suriname
$503 21.7%
United States
$2.2K 41.4% ↑ 331%$1.7K
🍽Eating Out
Suriname
$634 27.3%
United States
$1.1K 20.3% ↑ 67.7%$429
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Suriname
$223 9.6%
United States
$305 5.8% ↑ 36.4%$81
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Suriname
$119 5.1%
United States
$417 8% ↑ 252%$299
🚌Getting Around
Suriname
$88 3.8%
United States
$164 3.1% ↑ 85.8%$76
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Suriname
$68 2.9%
United States
$165 3.2% ↑ 145%$98
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $478 in Suriname vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $478 in Paramaribo and $2,768 in Washington, DC.
💰Average salary: $289 in Suriname vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 239% higher in the United States.
⭐Dining out costs 70% more in the United States.
⭐Public transport is 97% more expensive in the United States.
⭐Salaries are about 16 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.
Suriname→United States4,640 km≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
Suriname
United States
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Suriname and the United States compare in cost of living?
Suriname is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 63% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Suriname and the United States?
Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $478 in Suriname.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Suriname or the United States?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Suriname, adding to the overall 169% price gap.
How far does $2,000 go in Suriname compared to the United States?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Suriname, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Suriname and in the United States?
Suriname is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.