Cost of Living Comparison Between Samarinda and Surabaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Samarinda and Surabaya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $710 per month in Samarinda vs $702 in Surabaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,071 per month in Samarinda vs $1,117 in Surabaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Samarinda vs $1,532 in Surabaya, rent included.

Samarinda costs about 1% more than Surabaya, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Samarinda and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Samarinda 47% lower, Surabaya 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.08 Rp 216.7K

$12.11 Rp 217.2K

-0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 Rp 101.8K

$3.05 Rp 54.8K

85.90%

Cappuccino

$1.67 Rp 30.0K

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

-7.22%

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

$0.49 Rp 8,862

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

-23.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 Rp 6,821

$0.28 Rp 5,039

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 Rp 43.7K

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 Rp 61.8K

$4.09 Rp 73.3K

-15.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

-12.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 Rp 16.2K

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

-39.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

-18.09%

Eggs

$1.54 Rp 27.7K

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

2.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 Rp 143.0K

$9.24 Rp 165.8K

-13.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.1K

$3.19 Rp 57.2K

24.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.13 Rp 199.6K

$8.13 Rp 145.8K

36.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 Rp 99.3K

$2.41 Rp 43.2K

129.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.6K

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

-19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$2.20 Rp 39.4K

-47.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 29.0K

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 Rp 25.6K

$1.33 Rp 23.8K

7.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 35.0K

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

12.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 Rp 17.1K

$1.19 Rp 21.3K

-20.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

$0.45 Rp 8,076

31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

$2.45 Rp 44.0K

-6.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.79 Rp 355.0K

$25.13 Rp 450.8K

-21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 Rp 36.0K

$1.86 Rp 33.4K

8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 Rp 58.1K

$3.31 Rp 59.4K

-2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,782

$0.44 Rp 7,846

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.63 Rp 172.7K

$9.48 Rp 170.1K

1.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

$0.48 Rp 8,577

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 Rp 6,244

$0.31 Rp 5,605

12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 Rp 53.4K

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

8.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 Rp 11.4K

$0.86 Rp 15.4K

-26.74%

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

$24.8K Rp 445.7M

$20.5K Rp 368.0M

21.13%

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

$27.3K Rp 489.5M

$35.0K Rp 628.6M

-22.12%

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

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-14.51%

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

$4.40 Rp 79.0K

$4.31 Rp 77.4K

2.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.02 Rp 412.9K

$19.61 Rp 351.9K

17.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.01 Rp 412.7K

$21.82 Rp 391.5K

5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.00 Rp 107.6K

$4.59 Rp 82.4K

30.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 Rp 55.6K

$2.87 Rp 51.6K

8.01%

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

$95.1 Rp 1.7M

$186 Rp 3.3M

-48.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,595 Rp 136.2M

$9,556 Rp 171.4M

-20.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.10 Rp 737.3K

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

-34.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.66 Rp 550.0K

$38.85 Rp 696.9K

-21.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 Rp 1.2M

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

-13.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$83.1 Rp 1.5M

-11.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 Rp 4.6M

$244 Rp 4.4M

5.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 Rp 2.8M

$136 Rp 2.4M

15.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 Rp 10.7M

$792 Rp 14.2M

-24.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 Rp 5.9M

$399 Rp 7.2M

-17.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$987 Rp 17.7M

$2,202 Rp 39.5M

-55.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$602 Rp 10.8M

$1,045 Rp 18.8M

-42.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$328 Rp 5.9M

$269 Rp 4.8M

21.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

8.33

9.84%

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

Last update for Samarinda: July 12, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $257 in Samarinda versus $244 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 22% higher in Samarinda, 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 $12.00 in Samarinda versus $12.00 in Surabaya. Groceries tell a different story – $231 in Samarinda vs $228 in Surabaya – so Surabaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Samarinda vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $710 in Samarinda, $702 in Surabaya – roughly 1% apart. Samarinda costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,065 per month in Samarinda and $1,054 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 $12.00 in Samarinda and $12.00 in Surabaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $710 in Samarinda and $702 in Surabaya. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $710 in Samarinda and $702 in Surabaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, Samarinda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.