Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Surabaya: $674 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $674 in Surabaya, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Surabaya $674

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,173 in Surabaya, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Surabaya $1,173

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,672 in Surabaya, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Surabaya $1,672

Medellin costs about 141% more than Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Surabaya is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$1.63 Rp 29.3K

409.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$11.26 Rp 202.7K

316.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$3.14 Rp 56.5K

194.27%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.56 Rp 28.0K

95.51%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.55 Rp 9,867

227.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.26 Rp 4,619

430.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.14 Rp 74.5K

34.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.25 Rp 22.5K

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.27 Rp 22.9K

86.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

104.82%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

150.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$7.75 Rp 139.4K

31.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.08 Rp 55.5K

216.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.75 Rp 139.4K

79.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

104.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.29 Rp 23.2K

18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.89 Rp 34.0K

17.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

52.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.36 Rp 24.4K

46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

-12.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.89 Rp 16.0K

32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.39 Rp 7,029

217.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

95.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$25.14 Rp 452.5K

-45.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.74 Rp 31.3K

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.83 Rp 50.9K

-15.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.35 Rp 6,237

254.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.46 Rp 8,282

178.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.42 Rp 7,542

411.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$2.58 Rp 46.4K

224.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

53.41%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$24.6K Rp 443.1M

41.21%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$32.3K Rp 581.0M

7.46%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$87.3 Rp 1.6M

90.85%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$4.57 Rp 82.2K

198.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$19.05 Rp 342.9K

52.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$17.92 Rp 322.6K

151.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$6.66 Rp 119.9K

157.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$2.64 Rp 47.5K

164.02%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$277 Rp 5.0M

185.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$9,324 Rp 167.8M

-3.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

23.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$38.58 Rp 694.4K

50.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

72.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$75.1 Rp 1.4M

31.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$282 Rp 5.1M

264.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$144 Rp 2.6M

329.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,238 Rp 22.3M

51.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$601 Rp 10.8M

67.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,161 Rp 38.9M

84.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,072 Rp 19.3M

58.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$271 Rp 4.9M

145.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.5

45.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Surabaya

$144 21.4% 76.7% $475

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Surabaya

$209 31% 29.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Surabaya

$111 16.5% 47% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Surabaya

$119 17.7% 30.9% $53

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Surabaya

$63 9.4% 62.9% $107

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Surabaya

$3.9 * 0.6% 95.9% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Surabaya

$23 3.4% 60.7% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $282 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 145% higher in Medellin, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $11.00 in Surabaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $209 – making Surabaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

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

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Surabaya 19,090 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
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

Medellin vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 141%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,011 in Surabaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surabaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $11.00 in Surabaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surabaya, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Surabaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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