Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banda Aceh and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $319 a month against $682 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index

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Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$319

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Banda Aceh 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 Banda Aceh and in Surabaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $319 per month in Banda Aceh vs $682 in Surabaya, rent included.

Banda Aceh $319
Surabaya $682

A couple spends around $510 per month in Banda Aceh vs $1,188 in Surabaya, rent included.

Banda Aceh $510
Surabaya $1,188

A family of three spends $701 per month in Banda Aceh vs $1,694 in Surabaya, rent included.

Banda Aceh $701
Surabaya $1,694

Banda Aceh is about 53% cheaper than Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Banda Aceh and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Banda Aceh 76% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

39.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.09 Rp 128.6K

$11.34 Rp 205.7K

-37.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

$2.74 Rp 49.7K

22.26%

Cappuccino

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$1.51 Rp 27.4K

-19.21%

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

$0.38 Rp 6,876

$0.66 Rp 12.0K

-42.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,801

$0.28 Rp 5,141

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.7K

$4.07 Rp 73.9K

-6.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

35.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

-34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

-6.90%

Eggs

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

30.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 Rp 153.7K

$7.45 Rp 135.2K

13.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$2.91 Rp 52.7K

-17.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.46 Rp 117.2K

$7.47 Rp 135.4K

-13.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

$2.00 Rp 36.3K

7.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

-34.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

-55.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

-49.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

-34.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

70.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

-9.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,239

$0.43 Rp 7,728

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 Rp 53.4K

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

55.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.59 Rp 446.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 Rp 30.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,325

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.73 Rp 303.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,041

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,613

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 Rp 46.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

1.15%

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

$25.0K Rp 453.3M

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

$32.1K Rp 582.2M

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

$33.04 Rp 599.4K

$86.4 Rp 1.6M

-61.75%

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

$2.27 Rp 41.2K

$4.56 Rp 82.7K

-50.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.59 Rp 428.0K

$19.27 Rp 349.6K

22.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.48 Rp 171.9K

$15.43 Rp 280.0K

-38.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.23 Rp 239.9K

$6.74 Rp 122.3K

96.29%

Cinema Ticket

$2.61 Rp 47.4K

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

$280 Rp 5.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,910 Rp 34.6M

$4,211 Rp 76.4M

-54.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.71 Rp 502.6K

$69.0 Rp 1.3M

-59.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

$37.98 Rp 688.9K

-41.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.51 Rp 789.3K

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

-46.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.47 Rp 498.3K

$72.3 Rp 1.3M

-62.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 Rp 5.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 Rp 2.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 Rp 22.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 Rp 11.1M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,179 Rp 39.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 Rp 19.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$253 Rp 4.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

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

Last update for Banda Aceh: November 2, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Banda Aceh

–

Surabaya

$205 30.1%

Accommodation & Living

Banda Aceh

–

Surabaya

$146 21.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Banda Aceh

–

Surabaya

$117 17.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banda Aceh

–

Surabaya

$110 16.2%

Eating Out

Banda Aceh

–

Surabaya

$62 9.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Banda Aceh

–

Surabaya

$21 3%

Getting Around

Banda Aceh

–

Surabaya

$21 3%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7 in Banda Aceh versus $11 in Surabaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $131 vs $205 – making Banda Aceh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

Same time as Banda Aceh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,446

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Banda Aceh Surabaya 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Banda Aceh
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

Banda Aceh vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Surabaya is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $479 per month in Banda Aceh and $1,022 in Surabaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Surabaya, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7 in Banda Aceh and $11 in Surabaya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $319 in Banda Aceh and $682 in Surabaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Surabaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $319 in Banda Aceh to $682 in Surabaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.