Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semarang and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $593 a month against $685 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
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Semarang Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index

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Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$593

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $593 per month in Semarang vs $685 in Surabaya, rent included.

Semarang $593
Surabaya $685

A couple spends around $938 per month in Semarang vs $1,189 in Surabaya, rent included.

Semarang $938
Surabaya $1,189

A family of three spends $1,282 per month in Semarang vs $1,693 in Surabaya, rent included.

Semarang $1,282
Surabaya $1,693

Semarang is about 13% cheaper than Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Semarang and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Semarang 56% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

$1.68 Rp 30.5K

-20.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.53 Rp 191.3K

$11.51 Rp 209.2K

-8.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.04 Rp 55.3K

$3.11 Rp 56.5K

-2.25%

Cappuccino

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

-16.88%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,808

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

-27.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 Rp 2,847

$0.28 Rp 5,132

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

-26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 Rp 59.1K

$4.20 Rp 76.4K

-22.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

-16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

$1.25 Rp 22.8K

-26.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

-2.47%

Eggs

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 70.2K

$7.35 Rp 133.5K

-47.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 42.4K

$3.02 Rp 55.0K

-22.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.55 Rp 137.3K

$7.40 Rp 134.5K

2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.7K

$2.04 Rp 37.1K

-3.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

$1.24 Rp 22.6K

3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

$1.86 Rp 33.9K

-3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

-4.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 Rp 17.0K

$0.96 Rp 17.4K

-3.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,359

$0.39 Rp 7,121

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.87 Rp 34.1K

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

-4.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.05 Rp 455.2K

$24.42 Rp 443.9K

2.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

-34.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,816

$0.27 Rp 4,854

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.93 Rp 253.1K

$16.60 Rp 301.7K

-16.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,128

$0.47 Rp 8,511

6.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,331

$0.45 Rp 8,195

-35.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 Rp 48.8K

$2.56 Rp 46.5K

5.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-4.94%

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

$24.5K Rp 446.0M

$24.3K Rp 442.5M

0.80%

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

$32.2K Rp 585.5M

$31.7K Rp 575.5M

1.73%

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

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

$86.6 Rp 1.6M

-0.49%

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

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$4.57 Rp 83.0K

-41.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.96 Rp 344.7K

$19.49 Rp 354.1K

-2.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.30 Rp 368.9K

$15.35 Rp 279.0K

32.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.49 Rp 81.5K

$6.53 Rp 118.6K

-31.24%

Cinema Ticket

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

$2.62 Rp 47.7K

-14.12%

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

$49.33 Rp 896.6K

$270 Rp 4.9M

-81.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,076 Rp 37.7M

$9,294 Rp 168.9M

-77.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.61 Rp 629.1K

$69.1 Rp 1.3M

-49.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.31 Rp 532.7K

$38.24 Rp 695.1K

-23.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

-28.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.07 Rp 691.9K

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

-48.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$226 Rp 4.1M

$274 Rp 5.0M

-17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.5M

$148 Rp 2.7M

-7.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 Rp 8.7M

$1,204 Rp 21.9M

-60.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 Rp 6.9M

$607 Rp 11.0M

-37.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,223 Rp 22.2M

$2,146 Rp 39.0M

-43.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$833 Rp 15.1M

$1,065 Rp 19.3M

-21.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$186 Rp 3.4M

$266 Rp 4.8M

-30.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.82

7.5

17.60%

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

Last update for Semarang: October 24, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Semarang

$184 31%

Surabaya

$205 29.8% 11.2% $21

Accommodation & Living

Semarang

$136 23%

Surabaya

$148 21.5% 8.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Semarang

$108 18.2%

Surabaya

$111 16.1% 2.6% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Semarang

$71 12%

Surabaya

$117 17.1% 64.5% $46

Eating Out

Semarang

$52 8.8%

Surabaya

$64 9.4% 23% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Semarang

$25 4.2%

Surabaya

$21 3% 16.9% $4.2

Getting Around

Semarang

$17 2.8%

Surabaya

$20 3% 21.8% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Semarang 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 43% higher in Surabaya. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Semarang versus $12 in Surabaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $205 – making Semarang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Semarang

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

Same time as Semarang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,555,984

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Semarang Surabaya 260 km

From you

Semarang
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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

Semarang vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Surabaya is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $890 per month in Semarang 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 Semarang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $274 in Surabaya.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Semarang and $12 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 $593 in Semarang and $685 in Surabaya. That makes Semarang about 13% cheaper.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $593 in Semarang and $685 in Surabaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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