Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambon and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $646 a month against $685 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. The total is higher in Surabaya despite lower rent and utilities.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index

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Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$646

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambon and in Surabaya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambon and in Surabaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $646 in Ambon versus $685 in Surabaya.

Ambon $646
Surabaya $685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,021 in Ambon versus $1,189 in Surabaya.

Ambon $1,021
Surabaya $1,189

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,397 in Ambon versus $1,693 in Surabaya.

Ambon $1,397
Surabaya $1,693

Living in Ambon costs roughly 6% less than in Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ambon 53% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

$1.68 Rp 30.5K

-33.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.36 Rp 242.8K

$11.51 Rp 209.2K

16.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.91 Rp 71.1K

$3.11 Rp 56.5K

25.72%

Cappuccino

$1.45 Rp 26.4K

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

-5.84%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 Rp 8,183

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

-23.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,079

$0.28 Rp 5,132

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.7K

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

-1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 Rp 61.1K

$4.20 Rp 76.4K

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 Rp 18.5K

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

-18.40%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 Rp 17.7K

$1.25 Rp 22.8K

-22.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 Rp 15.5K

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

4.94%

Eggs

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

19.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.05 Rp 128.1K

$7.35 Rp 133.5K

-4.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 Rp 53.1K

$3.02 Rp 55.0K

-3.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 Rp 134.1K

$7.40 Rp 134.5K

-0.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

$2.04 Rp 37.1K

6.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

$1.24 Rp 22.6K

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

$1.86 Rp 33.9K

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

-18.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 22.0K

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

-9.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

1.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

$0.96 Rp 17.4K

-9.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,662

$0.39 Rp 7,121

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

13.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.08 Rp 383.1K

$24.42 Rp 443.9K

-13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 Rp 54.3K

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,621

$0.27 Rp 4,854

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.46 Rp 208.4K

$16.60 Rp 301.7K

-30.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 Rp 9,364

$0.47 Rp 8,511

10.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,767

$0.45 Rp 8,195

-17.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 Rp 50.5K

$2.56 Rp 46.5K

8.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.6K Rp 393.4M

$24.3K Rp 442.5M

-11.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K Rp 626.9M

$31.7K Rp 575.5M

8.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$71.4 Rp 1.3M

$86.6 Rp 1.6M

-17.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$5.55 Rp 100.9K

$4.57 Rp 83.0K

21.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 Rp 338.3K

$19.49 Rp 354.1K

-4.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.34 Rp 333.2K

$15.35 Rp 279.0K

19.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.46 Rp 153.7K

$6.53 Rp 118.6K

29.56%

Cinema Ticket

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$2.62 Rp 47.7K

-46.56%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$100 Rp 1.8M

$270 Rp 4.9M

-62.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,411 Rp 152.9M

$9,294 Rp 168.9M

-9.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.94 Rp 798.7K

$69.1 Rp 1.3M

-36.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 Rp 575.6K

$38.24 Rp 695.1K

-17.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

-5.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

-6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 Rp 4.5M

$274 Rp 5.0M

-8.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$148 Rp 2.7M

12.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 Rp 9.7M

$1,204 Rp 21.9M

-55.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$402 Rp 7.3M

$607 Rp 11.0M

-33.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,237 Rp 22.5M

$2,146 Rp 39.0M

-42.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 Rp 12.9M

$1,065 Rp 19.3M

-33.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$122 Rp 2.2M

$266 Rp 4.8M

-54.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

7.5

26.13%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ambon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ambon

$191 29.6%

Surabaya

$205 29.8% 6.9% $13

Accommodation & Living

Ambon

$165 25.6%

Surabaya

$148 21.5% 10.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Ambon

$99 15.3%

Surabaya

$117 17.1% 18.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambon

$96 14.8%

Surabaya

$111 16.1% 15.7% $15

Eating Out

Ambon

$59 9.1%

Surabaya

$64 9.4% 9.5% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Ambon

$21 3.3%

Surabaya

$21 3% 2.6% $0.5

Getting Around

Ambon

$15 2.3%

Surabaya

$20 3% 37.2% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $250 in Ambon and $274 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surabaya pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Ambon vs $12 in Surabaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $191 vs $205, with Ambon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ambon

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

00:46 12:46 AM

22:46 10:46 PM

2 h behind Ambon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

275,888

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ambon Surabaya 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ambon
Surabaya

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

Ambon vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Surabaya. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Ambon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $250 in Ambon versus $274 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $646 per month in Ambon versus $685 in Surabaya – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 31% less than in Surabaya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Ambon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Ambon wins on affordability, Surabaya on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.