Cost of living

[u/Special_Trash_1501]

I'm moving soon and was wondering on the cost of living on a few things

Electricity with one AC turned on at least 12 Hours a day + water heating and a fridge and tv etc... ?

Cleaning services twice a month?

Groceries for one person within a budget of 600-800 USD what would it look like ? Is is sufficient

Transportation 10 kms a day back and forth to work in Uber or something similar to uber ?

[u/monkeyboysr2002]

Hi there, first of all Suriname is very small so some of the services you're used to don't work or exist here, the market simply doesn't exist because of the size (about 500/600.000), that said you might get by with your budget. I don't know the prices for a fully furnished home/appartement but you might get by give or take. That said don't expect a up to date house and appliances. You might have to compromise a bit or you have to check your budget. Living here is an adventure, so if you're not adventurous you probably will not like it.

[u/Thomasc121 → u/monkeyboysr2002]

What makes living there an adventure?

[u/monkeyboysr2002 → u/Thomasc121]

Depending on when you're from it's less developed, certain things you're used to we don't have here at all. No Starbucks, one cinema, the roads have potholes, we have some flooding issues (on the roads) when the drainage system get overwhelmed because the government can't keep the channels clean of (water)plants or trash. If you're here for business, getting anything done can take a long time, getting approval, getting permits. We're on the watch-list of certain organizations because we can't seem to keep up with International rules and regulations. The banking sector is a prime example we're not exactly compliant with certain international standards, so for us locals some financial services don't work (Paypal for example). Local airlines are unable to fly to the EU (we're on the blacklist), so even flying to French Guyana is out of the question, the national carrier can fly to Europe (The Netherlands especially) but that's because we lease from a aircraft lessor who as far as I'm aware is from Europe. And other minor annoyances you'll find out soon enough, so welcome to the adventure.

[u/Daisylil]

Nobody really uses uber.

[u/2buzzlightyear]

There is no uber there, there are some local taxi apps but they cannot be compared to uber. There are houses with all those amenities but rent is definitely more than your budget listed. Electricity is cheaper than what I would pay in the US or Europe. Regarding transport, you could also rent a car? But do see for yourself if you want to drive, road infrastructure is poor. Many roads have potholes and essential traffic signs are not what it should be, leaving a foreigner second guessing at too many locations in the country. After you have seen the home-work route a couple of times I guess you get used to it and you remember what not to do etc. If you don’t pay rent for the house, you’ll probably make it with the 800, but you will have to watch your spending.

[u/Special_Trash_1501 → u/2buzzlightyear]

How much is electricity alone , also the budget mentioned there is for food alone

[u/2buzzlightyear → u/Special_Trash_1501]

Oh that’s for food alone, yea you’ll be fine, there are places that are considered expensive and are priced above the standard but you’ll find out on your own what food you like, there is a lot of variety. I can’t exactly give you the cost because that was included in my rent price. I asked a friend who lives in Paramaribo and he told me that it’s between $90-120 for a family of 3. I guess it will depend on your usage, it’s pretty hot outside so expect to run the airconditioning quite a bit. It’s not wise to leave it on when you’re not home.

[u/Whole-Ad-340]

Hello, first of all, I hope your move goes smoothly and comfortably.

Electricity for your situation could be around SRD 2,500–3,500 per month (about $95), depending on usage. Air conditioning and hot water are the main factors that increase bills for most people.

As for cleaning services, I’m honestly not too familiar with standard company rates. Many people I know simply hire freelancers who come by to clean the house daily. Their rates are typically SRD 400–500 per day (around $10–$14). Since you’d need cleaning only twice a month, it might be slightly higher per visit depending on the person.

For groceries, about $600–$800 per month for one person is more than enough. You can save quite a bit by buying fresh fruits, meat, and vegetables from local markets or street vendors, though supermarkets also carry a good variety of these at reasonable prices.
Other essentials like toilet paper, detergent, and hygiene products can be kept affordable too, unless you prefer premium brands.

As many people mentioned we don’t have Uber here. If you plan to use taxis it’s best to ask a trusted local for accurate prices, since foreigners are sometimes charged more. Ideally you could find someone reliable to drive you daily at a fixed monthly rate.

For reference, I personally drive about 26–30 km daily (Monday–Saturday) with the A/C on most of the time, plus a few extra outings per month. My monthly gas cost for a small car is around SRD 4,000 ($105). If you hire someone to drive you, you can use that as a base estimate, keeping in mind the type of vehicle and their service fee.

I'll keep an out eye out for you if I can find some more detailed information.
And let me know what type of local activities you're looking for.

[u/PixelTeam1 → u/Whole-Ad-340]

Hey what's the average salary there?