Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Binjai and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Binjai: $638 a month against $685 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Binjai
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Binjai Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index

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Binjai

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$638

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $638 in Binjai versus $685 in Surabaya.

Binjai $638
Surabaya $685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,029 in Binjai versus $1,189 in Surabaya.

Binjai $1,029
Surabaya $1,189

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,421 in Binjai versus $1,693 in Surabaya.

Binjai $1,421
Surabaya $1,693

Living in Binjai costs roughly 7% less than in Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 Rp 32.7K

$1.68 Rp 30.5K

7.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.06 Rp 273.1K

$11.51 Rp 208.8K

30.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

$3.11 Rp 56.4K

-9.65%

Cappuccino

$1.33 Rp 24.1K

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

-13.64%

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

$0.48 Rp 8,707

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

-18.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 Rp 3,639

$0.28 Rp 5,121

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 Rp 45.1K

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 Rp 56.6K

$4.20 Rp 76.2K

-25.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 Rp 18.8K

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

-16.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$1.25 Rp 22.8K

-24.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.6K

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

-1.23%

Eggs

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

5.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.22 Rp 112.9K

$7.35 Rp 133.2K

-15.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 Rp 57.1K

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

4.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 Rp 135.8K

$7.40 Rp 134.3K

1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

$2.04 Rp 37.1K

19.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.7K

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 Rp 32.2K

$1.86 Rp 33.8K

-4.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

-14.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$1.34 Rp 24.3K

4.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

4.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$0.96 Rp 17.4K

-15.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 6,985

$0.39 Rp 7,107

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

24.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 Rp 391.6K

$24.42 Rp 443.0K

-11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 Rp 36.5K

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

16.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 Rp 58.0K

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

7.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,849

$0.27 Rp 4,844

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.00 Rp 181.4K

$16.60 Rp 301.1K

-39.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,510

$0.47 Rp 8,493

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,512

$0.45 Rp 8,178

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 Rp 57.6K

$2.56 Rp 46.4K

24.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

16.05%

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

$20.3K Rp 369.0M

$24.3K Rp 441.6M

-16.43%

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

$30.1K Rp 546.1M

$31.7K Rp 574.4M

-4.93%

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

$68.7 Rp 1.2M

$86.6 Rp 1.6M

-20.65%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.8K

$4.57 Rp 82.8K

-14.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.11 Rp 328.4K

$19.49 Rp 353.4K

-7.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.19 Rp 366.2K

$15.35 Rp 278.4K

31.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.73 Rp 158.4K

$6.53 Rp 118.4K

33.69%

Cinema Ticket

$2.88 Rp 52.3K

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

9.92%

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

$105 Rp 1.9M

$270 Rp 4.9M

-61.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 Rp 146.2M

$9,294 Rp 168.6M

-13.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.93 Rp 778.7K

$69.1 Rp 1.3M

-37.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.03 Rp 490.3K

$38.24 Rp 693.7K

-29.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 Rp 1.5M

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 Rp 1.1M

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

-15.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 Rp 3.7M

$274 Rp 5.0M

-25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$148 Rp 2.7M

5.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 Rp 9.0M

$1,204 Rp 21.8M

-58.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 Rp 7.5M

$607 Rp 11.0M

-32.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,207 Rp 21.9M

$2,146 Rp 38.9M

-43.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$752 Rp 13.6M

$1,065 Rp 19.3M

-29.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$266 Rp 4.8M

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 Binjai: October 24, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Binjai

$194 30.4%

Surabaya

$205 29.8% 5.5% $11

Accommodation & Living

Binjai

$156 24.5%

Surabaya

$148 21.5% 5.6% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Binjai

$98 15.3%

Surabaya

$117 17.1% 20.2% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Binjai

$91 14.2%

Surabaya

$111 16.1% 22% $20

Eating Out

Binjai

$60 9.4%

Surabaya

$64 9.4% 6.7% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Binjai

$26 4.1%

Surabaya

$21 3% 20.6% $5.4

Getting Around

Binjai

$13 2.1%

Surabaya

$20 3% 55.5% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Binjai and $274 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Binjai vs $12 in Surabaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $205, with Binjai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Binjai

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

Same time as Binjai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,901

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Binjai Surabaya 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Binjai
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

Binjai vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Binjai is about 7% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $956 in Binjai and $1,028 in Surabaya to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $204 in Binjai versus $274 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $638 per month in Binjai versus $685 in Surabaya – Binjai is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Binjai runs roughly 40% less than in Surabaya. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Binjai 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.