Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $677 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index

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Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Medan versus $677 in Surabaya.

Medan $613
Surabaya $677

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Medan versus $1,179 in Surabaya.

Medan $940
Surabaya $1,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,266 in Medan versus $1,680 in Surabaya.

Medan $1,266
Surabaya $1,680

Living in Medan costs roughly 9% less than in Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medan 55% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

1.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$11.35 Rp 204.3K

-26.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$3.15 Rp 56.6K

-6.35%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$1.55 Rp 28.0K

-1.29%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$0.56 Rp 10.2K

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.28 Rp 5,078

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$2.17 Rp 39.0K

-23.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$4.12 Rp 74.2K

-12.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.26 Rp 22.8K

-11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.28 Rp 23.1K

-7.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-7.95%

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.20 Rp 21.7K

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$7.53 Rp 135.5K

7.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$3.05 Rp 54.8K

17.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

$7.42 Rp 133.6K

-14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$2.08 Rp 37.4K

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$1.24 Rp 22.4K

-15.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$1.88 Rp 33.8K

-24.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

-40.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

-38.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

-9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

-57.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$0.40 Rp 7,119

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$1.91 Rp 34.4K

50.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$24.93 Rp 448.7K

-36.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$1.68 Rp 30.3K

8.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$2.96 Rp 53.3K

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.32 Rp 5,704

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.47 Rp 8,459

8.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$0.44 Rp 7,837

-56.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 Rp 48.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

-8.05%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$24.4K Rp 439.3M

1.08%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$32.0K Rp 575.4M

0.78%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$86.9 Rp 1.6M

-2.40%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$4.50 Rp 81.0K

-29.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$19.07 Rp 343.3K

23.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$17.84 Rp 321.2K

-4.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$6.64 Rp 119.5K

26.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$2.67 Rp 48.1K

23.22%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$281 Rp 5.1M

-60.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$9,385 Rp 168.9M

-81.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$71.6 Rp 1.3M

-24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$39.15 Rp 704.7K

-1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$82.4 Rp 1.5M

31.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

47.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$281 Rp 5.1M

-17.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$148 Rp 2.7M

-39.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$1,218 Rp 21.9M

-59.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$608 Rp 10.9M

-65.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$2,195 Rp 39.5M

-47.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$1,063 Rp 19.1M

-47.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$272 Rp 4.9M

-20.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

7.5

23.33%

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

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Surabaya

$208 30.7% 14.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Surabaya

$121 17.8% 14% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Surabaya

$111 16.3% 1% $1.1

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Surabaya

$148 21.8% 64.3% $58

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Surabaya

$64 9.5% 9.1% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Surabaya

$23 3.4% 1.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Surabaya

$3.9 * 0.6% 53.8% $4.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Medan and $281 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surabaya pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $8.00 in Medan vs $11.00 in Surabaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $208 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

Same time as Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Medan Surabaya 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Medan
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

Medan vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Surabaya. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $233 in Medan versus $281 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Surabaya. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $613 per month in Medan versus $677 in Surabaya – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

Expats usually find Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Surabaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.