Suriname on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Paramaribo and Commewijne are affordable on a budget, though interior trips raise costs sharply. A realistic daily minimum in the city is about SRD 1,700 per person sharing a room.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | SRD700 | SRD2,000 | SRD4,000 |
| Food & drink | SRD500 | SRD1,000 | SRD2,000 |
| Sights & tickets | SRD300 | SRD1,000 | SRD2,000 |
| Local transport | SRD200 | SRD500 | SRD1,200 |
| Per person, per day | SRD1,700 | SRD4,500 | SRD9,200 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Suriname day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walking the UNESCO-listed wooden inner city of Paramaribo
- The Waterkant riverfront and its merchant houses
- The Palmentuin palm garden behind the Presidential Palace
- Keizerstraat, with the synagogue and mosque side by side
- The exterior of the wooden Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
- Sunset over the Suriname River from the Waterkant
Cheap eats
- Javanese bami or nasi at the Waterkant stalls, SRD 150-300
- Saoto soup, SRD 150-300
- Roti with chicken and potato, SRD 150-300
- Pom (baked root vegetable and chicken) sandwich from a snack bar, cheap
- Fresh fruit and juices from the Central Market
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in guesthouses in Paramaribo's inner city, often in wooden houses, for about SRD 1,200-2,000 for a double.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the inner city, and use minibuses on fixed routes or taxis (SRD 150-400) for longer trips. Cross to Commewijne by the small boat from Leonsberg and rent a bike. For the interior, packages include transport.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Fort Zeelandia and the Suriname Museum (about SRD 250)
- Lunch: roti at a local restaurant, about SRD 200
- Afternoon: free walk through the wooden city, Palmentuin and Keizerstraat
- Evening: bami and a Parbo beer at the Waterkant stalls, about SRD 300
- Total: about SRD 1,700 including a shared guesthouse room
More ways to save
- Plan the interior as one package rather than separate boats and lodges.
- Combine plantations and dolphins in one tour day to save on boat costs.
- Visit Peperpot early, when monkeys and birds are most active and it is cooler.
- Bring repellent and rain gear from home; they are expensive locally.
- Check the e-visa or tourist card rules on the official website only.
- Ask your guesthouse for current exchange rates and taxi prices.
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Common questions
Can you visit Suriname on a budget?
Yes in Paramaribo and Commewijne; the interior is the expensive part.
What is free in Paramaribo?
The UNESCO wooden city, the Waterkant, the Palmentuin and Keizerstraat's synagogue and mosque.
How do I get around Paramaribo?
Walk the centre, and use taxis (about SRD 150-400) or minibuses for longer trips.