Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pontianak and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $477 a month against $682 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index

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Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$477

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $477 in Pontianak versus $682 in Surabaya.

Pontianak $477
Surabaya $682

Estimated couple costs with rent: $594 in Pontianak versus $1,188 in Surabaya.

Pontianak $594
Surabaya $1,188

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $710 in Pontianak versus $1,694 in Surabaya.

Pontianak $710
Surabaya $1,694

Living in Pontianak costs roughly 30% less than in Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pontianak 65% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.72 Rp 31.3K

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

6.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.33 Rp 151.3K

$11.34 Rp 205.9K

-26.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

$2.74 Rp 49.7K

4.74%

Cappuccino

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.51 Rp 27.4K

-21.19%

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

$0.49 Rp 8,919

$0.66 Rp 12.0K

-25.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,810

$0.28 Rp 5,145

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 49.0K

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

23.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 Rp 63.6K

$4.07 Rp 74.0K

-14.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

-15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 Rp 24.8K

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

4.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 Rp 17.8K

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

12.64%

Eggs

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

20.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.45 Rp 135.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 Rp 58.8K

$2.91 Rp 52.8K

11.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 Rp 135.6K

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 Rp 56.6K

$2.00 Rp 36.3K

55.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.6K

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

48.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.7K

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.5K

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.6K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,445

$0.43 Rp 7,735

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 Rp 48.7K

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

41.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.33 Rp 405.3K

$24.59 Rp 446.4K

-9.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$1.68 Rp 30.4K

7.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 Rp 38.3K

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

-25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,291

$0.29 Rp 5,330

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.73 Rp 303.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,049

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,619

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 Rp 46.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 Rp 13.1K

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

-17.24%

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

$25.0K Rp 453.7M

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

$32.1K Rp 582.7M

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

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

$86.4 Rp 1.6M

-18.70%

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

$5.39 Rp 97.8K

$4.56 Rp 82.7K

18.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.93 Rp 398.1K

$19.27 Rp 349.9K

13.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.39 Rp 424.6K

$15.43 Rp 280.2K

51.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.57 Rp 210.0K

$6.74 Rp 122.4K

71.66%

Cinema Ticket

$3.61 Rp 65.5K

$2.61 Rp 47.4K

38.31%

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

$280 Rp 5.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,211 Rp 76.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.74 Rp 612.5K

$69.0 Rp 1.3M

-51.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 Rp 607.2K

$37.98 Rp 689.5K

-11.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 Rp 1.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$273 Rp 5.0M

-40.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 Rp 2.0M

$146 Rp 2.6M

-25.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 Rp 22.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 Rp 11.1M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,179 Rp 39.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 Rp 19.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 Rp 4.8M

$253 Rp 4.6M

3.92%

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 Pontianak: November 2, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pontianak

–

Surabaya

$205 30.1%

Accommodation & Living

Pontianak

–

Surabaya

$146 21.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Pontianak

–

Surabaya

$117 17.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pontianak

–

Surabaya

$110 16.2%

Eating Out

Pontianak

–

Surabaya

$62 9.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Pontianak

–

Surabaya

$21 3%

Getting Around

Pontianak

–

Surabaya

$21 3%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $164 in Pontianak and $273 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pontianak pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $8 in Pontianak vs $11 in Surabaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $150 vs $205 per month, with Pontianak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

Same time as Pontianak

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,440

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.89 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pontianak Surabaya 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pontianak
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

Pontianak vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pontianak is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Pontianak, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $164 in Pontianak versus $273 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Surabaya. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pontianak – a meal for two runs $8 versus $11 in Surabaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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