Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malang and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $464 a month against $685 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Malang
Learn more

Malang Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
Learn more

Surabaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$464

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $464 per month in Malang vs $685 in Surabaya, rent included.

Malang $464
Surabaya $685

A couple spends around $713 per month in Malang vs $1,189 in Surabaya, rent included.

Malang $713
Surabaya $1,189

A family of three spends $963 per month in Malang vs $1,693 in Surabaya, rent included.

Malang $963
Surabaya $1,693

Malang is about 32% cheaper than Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Malang and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Malang 66% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

$1.68 Rp 30.4K

-32.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.09 Rp 201.0K

$11.51 Rp 208.6K

-3.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.80 Rp 50.8K

$3.11 Rp 56.4K

-9.97%

Cappuccino

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

-18.83%

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

$0.56 Rp 10.1K

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

-5.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,802

$0.28 Rp 5,116

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 Rp 40.6K

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 Rp 75.5K

$4.20 Rp 76.2K

-0.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

-24.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

-14.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

-4.94%

Eggs

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

-0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.60 Rp 101.5K

$7.35 Rp 133.1K

-23.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 Rp 54.4K

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

-0.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.89 Rp 124.8K

$7.40 Rp 134.1K

-6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.9K

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.4K

$1.86 Rp 33.8K

-18.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

$1.47 Rp 26.6K

-5.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.5K

$1.34 Rp 24.3K

-2.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.8K

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 Rp 8,978

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

-47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,648

$0.39 Rp 7,100

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 Rp 46.6K

$1.95 Rp 35.3K

31.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 Rp 224.9K

$24.42 Rp 442.5K

-49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 Rp 29.9K

$1.72 Rp 31.1K

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.9K

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

-3.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

$0.27 Rp 4,839

114.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.39 Rp 97.6K

$16.60 Rp 300.8K

-67.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,908

$0.47 Rp 8,485

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 Rp 6,860

$0.45 Rp 8,170

-15.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 Rp 101.6K

$2.56 Rp 46.4K

119.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-9.88%

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

$25.1K Rp 454.7M

$24.3K Rp 441.1M

3.08%

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

$27.4K Rp 496.8M

$31.7K Rp 573.8M

-13.43%

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

$30.88 Rp 559.6K

$86.6 Rp 1.6M

-64.32%

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

$2.30 Rp 41.7K

$4.57 Rp 82.7K

-49.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.26 Rp 349.0K

$19.49 Rp 353.1K

-1.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.37 Rp 260.4K

$15.35 Rp 278.2K

-6.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.58 Rp 82.9K

$6.53 Rp 118.2K

-29.86%

Cinema Ticket

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

$2.62 Rp 47.5K

-28.24%

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

$30.06 Rp 544.7K

$270 Rp 4.9M

-88.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,230 Rp 167.2M

$9,294 Rp 168.4M

-0.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 Rp 1.0M

$69.1 Rp 1.3M

-19.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.42 Rp 406.2K

$38.24 Rp 693.0K

-41.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.8 Rp 920.8K

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

-35.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.21 Rp 637.9K

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

-52.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.5M

$274 Rp 5.0M

-50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.5 Rp 1.6M

$148 Rp 2.7M

-39.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 Rp 3.5M

$1,204 Rp 21.8M

-83.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 Rp 2.8M

$607 Rp 11.0M

-74.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,146 Rp 38.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,065 Rp 19.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 Rp 3.6M

$266 Rp 4.8M

-24.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

-46.67%

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

Last update for Malang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malang

$165 35.5%

Surabaya

$205 29.8% 24.3% $40

Accommodation & Living

Malang

$89 19.3%

Surabaya

$148 21.5% 64.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Malang

$74 15.9%

Surabaya

$117 17.1% 58.7% $43

Eating Out

Malang

$55 11.9%

Surabaya

$64 9.4% 16.7% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malang

$52 11.3%

Surabaya

$111 16.1% 111% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Malang

$18 3.9%

Surabaya

$21 3% 13.6% $2.5

Getting Around

Malang

$10 2.2%

Surabaya

$20 3% 102% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Malang versus $274 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 32% 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 $11 in Malang versus $12 in Surabaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $165 vs $205 – making Malang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Malang

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

Same time as Malang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

857,891

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malang Surabaya 82 km

From you

Malang
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

Malang vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Surabaya is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $695 per month in Malang and $1,028 in Surabaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $274 in Surabaya.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Malang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $30 per month in Malang and $270 in Surabaya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $464 in Malang and $685 in Surabaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Malang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Malang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Surabaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.