Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banjarmasin and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjarmasin: $584 a month against $677 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Banjarmasin
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$584
/mo nomad
Surabaya
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$677
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $584 per month in Banjarmasin vs $677 in Surabaya, rent included.

  • Banjarmasin $584
  • Surabaya $677

A couple spends around $921 per month in Banjarmasin vs $1,179 in Surabaya, rent included.

  • Banjarmasin $921
  • Surabaya $1,179

A family of three spends $1,258 per month in Banjarmasin vs $1,680 in Surabaya, rent included.

  • Banjarmasin $1,258
  • Surabaya $1,680

Banjarmasin is about 14% cheaper than Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Banjarmasin and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Banjarmasin 57% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Banjarmasin
Surabaya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.14 Rp 20.6K
$1.69 Rp 30.4K
-32.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.15 Rp 254.8K
$11.35 Rp 204.3K
24.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.28 Rp 59.1K
$3.15 Rp 56.6K
4.13%
Cappuccino
$1.23 Rp 22.2K
$1.55 Rp 28.0K
-20.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 Rp 14.1K
$0.56 Rp 10.2K
39.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35 Rp 6,222
$0.28 Rp 5,078
25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.89 Rp 88.0K
$2.17 Rp 39.0K
125.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 Rp 63.2K
$4.12 Rp 74.2K
-14.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Banjarmasin
Surabaya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 Rp 23.7K
$1.26 Rp 22.8K
4.76%
White Bread (500g)
$0.97 Rp 17.4K
$1.28 Rp 23.1K
-24.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.85 Rp 15.2K
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
-3.41%
Eggs
$1.54 Rp 27.7K
$1.20 Rp 21.7K
28.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.69 Rp 120.3K
$7.53 Rp 135.5K
-11.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.12 Rp 38.1K
$3.05 Rp 54.8K
-30.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.25 Rp 58.5K
$7.42 Rp 133.6K
-56.20%
Apples (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.4K
$2.08 Rp 37.4K
-8.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.12 Rp 20.1K
$1.24 Rp 22.4K
-9.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
$1.88 Rp 33.8K
-52.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.29 Rp 23.2K
$1.56 Rp 28.1K
-17.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 Rp 23.4K
$1.37 Rp 24.6K
-5.11%
Onion (1kg)
$0.90 Rp 16.2K
$1.98 Rp 35.7K
-54.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.73 Rp 13.1K
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
-17.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 Rp 7,234
$0.40 Rp 7,119
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.93 Rp 34.8K
$1.91 Rp 34.4K
1.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.41 Rp 385.3K
$24.93 Rp 448.7K
-14.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 Rp 33.4K
$1.68 Rp 30.3K
10.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 Rp 56.1K
$2.96 Rp 53.3K
5.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Banjarmasin
Surabaya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 Rp 5,217
$0.32 Rp 5,704
-9.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.77 Rp 301.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.52 Rp 9,283
$0.47 Rp 8,459
10.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 Rp 6,657
$0.44 Rp 7,837
-15.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.63 Rp 47.3K
$2.71 Rp 48.8K
-2.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.79 Rp 14.2K
$0.87 Rp 15.7K
-9.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 438.7M
$24.4K Rp 439.3M
-0.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K Rp 479.8M
$32.0K Rp 575.4M
-16.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Banjarmasin
Surabaya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$41.10 Rp 739.8K
$86.9 Rp 1.6M
-52.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.75 Rp 49.5K
$4.50 Rp 81.0K
-38.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.31 Rp 311.5K
$19.07 Rp 343.3K
-9.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Banjarmasin
Surabaya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.71 Rp 354.7K
$17.84 Rp 321.2K
10.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.89 Rp 142.0K
$6.64 Rp 119.5K
18.83%
Cinema Ticket
$5.62 Rp 101.1K
$2.67 Rp 48.1K
110.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Banjarmasin
Surabaya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$95.9 Rp 1.7M
$281 Rp 5.1M
-65.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,380 Rp 150.8M
$9,385 Rp 168.9M
-10.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Banjarmasin
Surabaya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.79 Rp 770.1K
$71.6 Rp 1.3M
-40.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 Rp 454.4K
$39.15 Rp 704.7K
-35.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$53.7 Rp 965.7K
$82.4 Rp 1.5M
-34.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$32.67 Rp 588.1K
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
-56.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Banjarmasin
Surabaya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$216 Rp 3.9M
$281 Rp 5.1M
-23.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$162 Rp 2.9M
$148 Rp 2.7M
9.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$557 Rp 10.0M
$1,218 Rp 21.9M
-54.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$370 Rp 6.7M
$608 Rp 10.9M
-39.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,052 Rp 18.9M
$2,195 Rp 39.5M
-52.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$822 Rp 14.8M
$1,063 Rp 19.1M
-22.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Banjarmasin
Surabaya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$204 Rp 3.7M
$272 Rp 4.9M
-24.98%
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 Banjarmasin: October 11, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Banjarmasin
$171
Surabaya
$208 21.6% $37
Accommodation & Living
Banjarmasin
$162
Surabaya
$148 9% $15
Eating Out
Banjarmasin
$70
Surabaya
$64 8.1% $5.7
Clothing & Footwear
Banjarmasin
$69
Surabaya
$121 73.7% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Banjarmasin
$61
Surabaya
$111 80.7% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Banjarmasin
$31
Surabaya
$23 25.1% $7.8
Getting Around
Banjarmasin
$20
Surabaya
$3.9 * 80.7% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $216 in Banjarmasin versus $281 in Surabaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Surabaya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14.00 in Banjarmasin versus $11.00 in Surabaya. Groceries tell a different story – $171 in Banjarmasin vs $208 in Surabaya – so Banjarmasin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Banjarmasin
🇮🇩 Surabaya
🕒 Local time
12:19 12:19 PM
11:19 11:19 AM
1 h behind Banjarmasin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
715,703
2,765,487
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Banjarmasin Surabaya 480 km
From you
  • Banjarmasin
  • 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
Banjarmasin vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Surabaya cheaper than Banjarmasin?
Yes – Surabaya is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $877 per month in Banjarmasin and $1,016 in Surabaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjarmasin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Banjarmasin and in Surabaya?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $584 in Banjarmasin and $677 in Surabaya. That's a gap of about 16%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $95.9 per month in Banjarmasin and $281 in Surabaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough for either Banjarmasin or Surabaya?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $584 in Banjarmasin and $677 in Surabaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Banjarmasin or Surabaya more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Banjarmasin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Banjarmasin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Surabaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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