Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manado and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Manado: $562 a month against $685 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

27

Cost of Living Index in Manado
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Manado Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
Learn more

Surabaya Living Index

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Manado

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$562

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $562 per month in Manado vs $685 in Surabaya, rent included.

Manado $562
Surabaya $685

A couple spends around $888 per month in Manado vs $1,189 in Surabaya, rent included.

Manado $888
Surabaya $1,189

A family of three spends $1,214 per month in Manado vs $1,693 in Surabaya, rent included.

Manado $1,214
Surabaya $1,693

Manado is about 18% cheaper than Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Manado and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Manado 59% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.42 Rp 25.8K

$1.68 Rp 30.5K

-15.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.22 Rp 294.5K

$11.51 Rp 209.1K

40.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.80 Rp 50.9K

$3.11 Rp 56.5K

-9.97%

Cappuccino

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

10.39%

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

$0.61 Rp 11.0K

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

3.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,573

$0.28 Rp 5,128

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 Rp 61.0K

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

50.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 Rp 48.7K

$4.20 Rp 76.3K

-36.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 Rp 18.8K

$1.25 Rp 22.8K

-16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 Rp 12.9K

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

-12.35%

Eggs

$1.86 Rp 33.8K

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

57.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.53 Rp 300.2K

$7.35 Rp 133.4K

124.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.68 Rp 48.7K

$3.02 Rp 54.9K

-11.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 Rp 116.0K

$7.40 Rp 134.4K

-13.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

$2.04 Rp 37.1K

10.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 Rp 26.2K

$1.24 Rp 22.6K

16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

$1.86 Rp 33.8K

-32.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 Rp 17.3K

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

-35.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 Rp 15.1K

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

-38.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 Rp 50.3K

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

47.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 Rp 16.4K

$0.96 Rp 17.4K

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,781

$0.39 Rp 7,116

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 Rp 42.9K

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

21.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.63 Rp 374.6K

$24.42 Rp 443.5K

-15.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 Rp 53.2K

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

-1.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 Rp 5,635

$0.27 Rp 4,850

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 Rp 220.6K

$16.60 Rp 301.5K

-26.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,616

$0.47 Rp 8,504

12.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 Rp 5,703

$0.45 Rp 8,189

-31.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 Rp 47.4K

$2.56 Rp 46.5K

1.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 Rp 10.8K

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-27.16%

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

$25.2K Rp 456.8M

$24.3K Rp 442.1M

3.31%

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

$31.3K Rp 569.3M

$31.7K Rp 575.1M

-1.00%

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

$53.0 Rp 962.0K

$86.6 Rp 1.6M

-38.80%

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

$4.44 Rp 80.6K

$4.57 Rp 82.9K

-2.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.98 Rp 254.0K

$19.49 Rp 353.9K

-28.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.65 Rp 229.8K

$15.35 Rp 278.8K

-17.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.42 Rp 152.9K

$6.53 Rp 118.5K

28.94%

Cinema Ticket

$2.44 Rp 44.3K

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

-6.87%

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

$124 Rp 2.3M

$270 Rp 4.9M

-54.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,574 Rp 83.1M

$9,294 Rp 168.8M

-50.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 Rp 996.8K

$69.1 Rp 1.3M

-20.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.80 Rp 359.5K

$38.24 Rp 694.5K

-48.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

-13.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.3 Rp 1.1M

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

-17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 Rp 4.4M

$274 Rp 5.0M

-10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$148 Rp 2.7M

-44.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 Rp 5.4M

$1,204 Rp 21.9M

-75.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 Rp 3.1M

$607 Rp 11.0M

-71.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,138 Rp 20.7M

$2,146 Rp 39.0M

-46.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$787 Rp 14.3M

$1,065 Rp 19.3M

-26.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$212 Rp 3.9M

$266 Rp 4.8M

-20.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

33.33%

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

Last update for Manado: October 27, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manado

$219 39%

Surabaya

$205 29.8% 6.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Manado

$92 16.3%

Surabaya

$117 17.1% 27.9% $26

Accommodation & Living

Manado

$81 14.5%

Surabaya

$148 21.5% 81.4% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manado

$71 12.7%

Surabaya

$111 16.1% 54.9% $39

Eating Out

Manado

$66 11.7%

Surabaya

$64 9.4% 2.2% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Manado

$18 3.1%

Surabaya

$21 3% 17.5% $3.1

Getting Around

Manado

$15 2.8%

Surabaya

$20 3% 31.6% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Manado 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 25% higher in Surabaya. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Manado versus $12 in Surabaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $205 – making Surabaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Manado

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

12:14 12:14 PM

1 h behind Manado

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

423,257

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Manado Surabaya 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Manado
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

Manado vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Surabaya is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $843 per month in Manado 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 Manado, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $274 in Surabaya.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Manado. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $124 per month in Manado 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 $562 in Manado and $685 in Surabaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Manado – 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 Manado. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Surabaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.