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 the United States and in Suriname
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Suriname actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $1,017 in Suriname, rent included.
United States $2,734
Suriname $1,017
A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,669 in Suriname, rent included.
United States $3,985
Suriname $1,669
A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $2,322 in Suriname, rent included.
United States $5,235
Suriname $2,322
📏
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 the United States is about 169% higher than in Suriname on average.
📊
The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Suriname is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
United States
Suriname
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.03$20.03
$13.01SRD 487
53.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.0$80.0
$46.07SRD 1,725
73.74%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.80$11.80
$10.51SRD 393
12.27%
Cappuccino
$5.55$5.55
$2.86SRD 107
94.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66$2.66
$1.42SRD 53.2
87.32%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17$2.17
$0.86SRD 32.22
152.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.12$6.12
$2.38SRD 88.9
157.14%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.94$7.94
$3.80SRD 142
108.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United States
Suriname
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.04$1.04
$1.87SRD 70.1
-44.39%
White Bread(500g)
$3.59$3.59
$1.35SRD 50.4
165.93%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.52$4.52
$1.43SRD 53.4
216.08%
Eggs
$4.28$4.28
$3.08SRD 115
38.96%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.22$13.22
$11.73SRD 439
12.70%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.60$12.60
$6.32SRD 237
99.37%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.60$17.60
$10.08SRD 378
74.60%
Apples(1kg)
$5.30$5.30
$4.90SRD 183
8.16%
Banana(1kg)
$1.69$1.69
$2.40SRD 89.8
-29.58%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.44$4.44
$3.67SRD 138
20.98%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.77$4.77
$5.96SRD 223
-19.97%
Potato(1kg)
$2.97$2.97
$1.25SRD 46.93
137.60%
Onion(1kg)
$3.15$3.15
$2.01SRD 75.4
56.72%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.20$2.20
$1.52SRD 57.1
44.74%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35$2.35
$1.36SRD 51.0
72.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$10.98$10.98
$5.62SRD 210
95.37%
Wine(Bottle)
$15.05$15.05
$8.03SRD 301
87.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.06$2.06
$2.07SRD 77.6
-0.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79$3.79
$3.80SRD 142
-0.26%
🚌 Getting Around
United States
Suriname
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.94$1.94
$0.54SRD 20.34
259.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$59.4$59.4
$31.74SRD 1,189
87.11%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.58$3.58
$2.12SRD 79.4
68.87%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.88$1.88
$1.52SRD 56.8
23.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$29.84$29.84
$7.13SRD 267
318.51%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.02$1.02
$1.13SRD 42.31
-9.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.8K$28.8K
$24.9KSRD 931.3K
15.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K$26.2K
$24.8KSRD 928.3K
5.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
Suriname
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$218$218
$37.09SRD 1,389
487.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.5$62.5
$25.34SRD 949
146.53%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.5$74.5
$30.87SRD 1,156
141.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United States
Suriname
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$41.86$41.86
$13.67SRD 512
206.22%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.81$22.81
$20.46SRD 766
11.49%
Cinema Ticket
$14.70$14.70
$4.96SRD 186
196.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United States
Suriname
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,489$1,489
$63.5SRD 2,378
2244.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$25.3K$25.3K
$1,780SRD 66.6K
1318.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United States
Suriname
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.3$54.3
$33.01SRD 1,236
64.62%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.71$42.71
$20.92SRD 783
104.16%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$94.1$94.1
$66.2SRD 2,480
42.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114$114
$103SRD 3,865
9.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United States
Suriname
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,659$1,659
$480SRD 18.0K
245.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,348$1,348
$262SRD 9,819
413.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,682$2,682
$945SRD 35.4K
183.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,169$2,169
$503SRD 18.8K
331.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,283$3,283
$460SRD 17.2K
613.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,482$2,482
$401SRD 15.0K
519.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United States
Suriname
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,296$4,296
$285SRD 10.7K
1407.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.55
16.25
-59.69%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026
Last update for Suriname: 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.
🏠Accommodation & Living
United States
$1.3K 49.3%
Suriname
$262 25.8% ↓ 80.5%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
United States
$415 15.2%
Suriname
$295 29% ↓ 29%$120
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$355 13%
Suriname
$93 9.2% ↓ 73.7%$262
🍽Eating Out
United States
$328 12%
Suriname
$199 19.5% ↓ 39.5%$129
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United States
$137 5%
Suriname
$101 9.9% ↓ 26.7%$37
🚌Getting Around
United States
$80 2.9%
Suriname
$44 4.3% ↓ 45.6%$37
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United States
$71 2.6%
Suriname
$24 2.3% ↓ 66.9%$48
🏠Accommodation & Living
United States
$2.2K 41.4%
Suriname
$503 21.7% ↓ 76.8%$1.7K
🛒Groceries & Markets
United States
$953 18.2%
Suriname
$688 29.6% ↓ 27.8%$265
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$417 8%
Suriname
$119 5.1% ↓ 71.6%$299
🍽Eating Out
United States
$1.1K 20.3%
Suriname
$634 27.3% ↓ 40.4%$429
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United States
$305 5.8%
Suriname
$223 9.6% ↓ 26.7%$81
🚌Getting Around
United States
$164 3.1%
Suriname
$88 3.8% ↓ 46.2%$76
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United States
$165 3.2%
Suriname
$68 2.9% ↓ 59.1%$98
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $478 in Suriname. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $478 in Paramaribo.
💰Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $289 in Suriname. 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.
United States→Suriname4,640 km≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
United States
Suriname
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
United States vs Suriname: 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.
United States vs other spots: cost of living compared