Rio de Janeiro vs Paramaribo
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
Internet speed
plan speedRio de Janeiroup to 1,000 Mbpsup to 1,000 MbpsParamaribo182.66 Mbps182.66 MbpsWinter
averageRio de Janeiro18–25 °C18–25 °CParamaribo22–32 °C22–32 °CPrecipitation
per yearRio de Janeiro1,173 mm1,173 mmParamaribo2,147.7 mm2,147.7 mm
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Daily life
Rio de Janeiro
Tijuca is almost half the price of Barra. On top of rent comes the building fee (condomínio) of 12–19 reais per m² a month, that is 700–1,100 reais for 60 m².
SpecialistSECOVI-Rio: rent, sale and building fee (condomínio) across 20 districts, June 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Nothing yet
Housing
Rio de Janeiro
A two-room apartment of about 60 m² by listings: Tijuca 2,100, Laranjeiras 3,400, Flamengo 3,800, Botafogo 4,600, Copacabana 4,600, Barra 4,900 reais a month.
SpecialistSECOVI-Rio: rent, sale and building fee (condomínio) across 20 districts, June 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026
An apartment of about 60 m² by listings: from 400k reais in Tijuca to 880k in Barra. Botafogo 800k, Copacabana 740k, Flamengo 700k.
SpecialistSECOVI-Rio: rent, sale and building fee (condomínio) across 20 districts, June 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
We found no reliable rent figures. MPs say landlords increasingly demand payment in dollars or euros, and families spend hundreds of euros a month on housing.
SpecialistWaterkant: Cambiel expects no solution to the housing problem, 18 May 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Rio de Janeiro
DIEESE's basic basket in Rio in August 2026 is 851.19 reais per adult. For a family of two adults and two children, about 2,550 a month.
SpecialistDIEESE: national basic food basket survey, August 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026
DIEESE calculates that a family of four needed 7,566 reais a month in August 2026. The figure is one for the whole country and already includes housing; it does not reflect Rio rents.
SpecialistDIEESE: nominal and necessary minimum wage by month · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Nothing yet
Family and kids
Rio de Janeiro
Private school: on average about 2,200 reais a month by listings including scholarships, range 190–4,200. International schools in Barra 5,100–8,300.
SpecialistMelhor Escola: scholarships and monthly fees of private schools in Tijuca (Rio) · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Nothing yet
Healthcare
Rio de Janeiro
The city has 139 municipal Clínicas da Família and 244 SUS primary care points (as of 27 September 2026). We did not look at private clinics or insurance prices.
OfficialRio City Hall: opening of the 139th Clínica da Família, 244 primary care units · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Nothing yet
Transport
Rio de Janeiro
Bus, BRT and VLT: 5 reais, metro 7.90, SuperVia train 7.60. The Bilhete Único Carioca combines up to three trips within 3 hours.
SpecialistG1: bus, BRT and VLT fare in Rio rises to 5 reais from 4 January 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026
International flights only from Galeão (20 km from the center): direct to Lisbon, Paris, Madrid, London, Rome, New York, Miami. Santos Dumont handles domestic flights.
SpecialistCartões, Milhas e Viagens: Galeão international destinations in 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is in Zanderij, 45 km south of the city. Flights to Amsterdam (KLM, SLM), Miami, Panama, Curaçao and Belém.
OfficialJohan Adolf Pengel Airport: about the airport · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Rio de Janeiro
The coolest month is July: average minimum 18.4°C, maximum 25.3°C. No frost, and winter is noticeably drier than summer: 56 mm in July.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Rio de Janeiro · checked 30 Sep 2026
January and February: average minimum 23.3–23.5°C, average maximum 29.4–30.2°C. These are 1961–1990 norms, we did not open recent heat measurements.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Rio de Janeiro · checked 30 Sep 2026
About 1,170 mm a year. Rainiest December–April (169 mm in December), driest July–August (50–56 mm).
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Rio de Janeiro · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
About 2150 mm a year. Wettest in May-June (275-330 mm a month, 22 rainy days each), driest in September-October (76-95 mm).
OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Paramaribo · checked 6 Oct 2026
There is no winter: in January it is about 22 degrees at night and 32 by day. Hottest are September to November, 34-35 degrees by day.
OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Paramaribo · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Rio de Janeiro
965 intentional homicides in 2025 against 946 in 2024. Deaths from police action 449 against 339 a year earlier.
SpecialistCrime Brasil: crime in the city of Rio, 20 years of ISP data, 2025 results · checked 30 Sep 2026
We did not find a full ISP breakdown by district. According to the press, phone thefts in the first 9 months of 2025: Catete 2,121, Leblon 1,880, Barra 1,806, Copacabana 1,702, Botafogo 1,310.
SpecialistExtra: phone thefts and robberies in Rio state, police districts with the most cases · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Paramaribo has burglaries and armed robberies, and pickpocketing is growing in shopping areas. Quiet secluded places, including Palmentuin, are risky.
OfficialUK Foreign Office: Suriname travel advice, Safety and security (updated 10 December 2025) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
Rio de Janeiro
Fiber in Rio goes up to 1 Gbps at Oi and up to 10 Gbps at Claro, according to the operators' sites. Actual speed depends on the building and the plan.
SpecialistOi Fibra: 500 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s plans · checked 30 Sep 2026
Oi Fibra: 500 Mbps – 89.90 reais, gigabit – 159.90 when paying by card. The page was updated in April 2025, prices may be higher now.
SpecialistOi Fibra: 500 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s plans · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
Median fixed internet in Suriname is 183 Mbit/s (Speedtest, August 2026). Telesur Fiber 400 Mbit/s costs 1124.96 SRD (about 30 dollars) excluding VAT, 2-year contract.
SpecialistSpeedtest Global Index: Suriname, median speeds, August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Rio de Janeiro
A 13 kg cylinder in Rio averages 99.63 reais (89.99–113.00) according to ANP for 20–26 September 2026. The Naturgy piped gas tariff was not confirmed.
OfficialANP: weekly price survey, 13 kg gas cylinder (GLP) by municipality, 20-26 September 2026 · checked 30 Sep 2026
Water in 115 districts of Rio is supplied by Águas do Rio, residential tariff 2: 6.52–7.52 reais per m³ in the first 15 m³, 98–113 reais for 15 m³. Tariff 1, which is cheaper, also exists. Without sewage.
OfficialÁguas do Rio: water tariffs from December 2025 (regions 1 and 4, zones A and B) · checked 30 Sep 2026
The Light tariff for homes is 0.881 reais per kWh before taxes, but a court later raised the increase for homes from 6.4% to 14.6%, so the figure is probably out of date.
SpecialistEnergy calculator: Light home tariff from 15 March 2026 (based on ANEEL data) · checked 30 Sep 2026
Light benchmark for 300 kWh: about 264 reais before taxes, about 351 with taxes, at the 0.881 tariff. After the court decision of 29 May 2026 the bill is probably higher.
SpecialistEnergy calculator: Light tariff, a 300 kWh bill with ICMS (based on ANEEL data) · checked 30 Sep 2026
Paramaribo
SWM water: 41.81 SRD per m³ since January 2026 plus a 40 SRD meter rent and 5% VAT. 15 m³ a month is about 700 SRD, roughly 18.5 dollars.
OfficialSWM: water tariffs July 2025 - January 2026 and a sample bill · checked 6 Oct 2026
EBS electricity: 1.971 SRD per kWh up to 400 kWh plus 211.78 SRD a month. 300 kWh is about 803 SRD (21 dollars) before the subsidy in the tariff table.
OfficialEBS: electricity tariffs in force since December 2024 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Bottled gas at Ministry of Economic Affairs prices: a 20 lb (about 9 kg) refill in Paramaribo costs 35.75 SRD, 28 lb 48.50, 100 lb 186 SRD.
OfficialEBS: gas cylinder refill prices set by the Ministry of Economic Affairs · checked 6 Oct 2026

