Suriname, Paramaribo

Country Full Name: Republic of Suriname.

Location: Suriname is in Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between French Guiana and Guyana.

Country Climate: Tropical; moderated by trade winds.

Country Terrain: Mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps.

Major Languages: Dutch (official), English, Sranang Tongo, Hindi, Javanese.

Major Religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity.

Population: 0.5 million (2008 est.) 0.5 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Suriname is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for more than 15% of GDP and 70% of export earnings. Other main export products include rice, bananas and shrimp.

Currency: Suriname Dollar (SRD).

Inflation: 17.7% (2011 est.).

City: Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname.

City Economy: Paramaribo's major exports are gold, bauxite, sugar cane, rice, cacao, coffee, rum, and tropical woods. Cement and paint are manufactured in the city.

The cost of living in Paramaribo in Suriname is very low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Paramaribo in Suriname is currently ranked 798 overall out of 950 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 950 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very low compared to other places for items such as alcoholic beverages, alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine (where alcohol is legally sold) as well as for tobacco products such as cigarettes. There are 919 places that are more expensive, and 30 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are low compared to other places for items such as clothing and footwear products, business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear. There are 585 places that are more expensive, and 364 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract, data, and calls. There are 781 places that are more expensive, and 168 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees. There are 612 places that are more expensive, and 337 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are high compared to other places for items such as furniture, household equipment and appliances, DVD player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine. There are 196 places that are more expensive, and 753 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are low compared to other places for items such as food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs . There are 673 places that are more expensive, and 276 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance, general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions. There are 909 places that are more expensive, and 40 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are low compared to other places for items such as housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes, mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies. There are 570 places that are more expensive, and 379 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are low compared to other places for items such as stationery, linen, general goods and services, domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps. There are 723 places that are more expensive, and 226 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very low compared to other places for items such as personal care products and services, cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner. There are 943 places that are more expensive, and 6 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very low compared to other places for items such as books, camera film, cinema tickets, DVDs and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets. There are 783 places that are more expensive, and 166 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food). There are 675 places that are more expensive, and 274 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low compared to other places for items such as public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance, hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase. There are 622 places that are more expensive, and 327 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Paramaribo in Suriname are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Paramaribo in Suriname is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Paramaribo in Suriname are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is at at 1 January 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
Salary Purchasing Power Parity Calculator
Cost of Living Index Calculator
Cost of Living Allowance Calculator