Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Surakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $509 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $35,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
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Surakarta Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Singapore and in Surakarta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Singapore and in Surakarta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $509 in Surakarta.

Singapore $3,500
Surakarta $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $817 in Surakarta.

Singapore $5,265
Surakarta $817

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $1,124 in Surakarta.

Singapore $7,030
Surakarta $1,124

Living in Singapore is roughly 588% more expensive than in Surakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Singapore is 159% above, Surakarta is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$1.63 Rp 29.4K

621.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$11.59 Rp 208.7K

509.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$3.20 Rp 57.6K

167.19%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

235.48%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$0.54 Rp 9,772

227.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$0.25 Rp 4,534

392.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

485.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

268.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

249.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

249.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

271.43%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

267.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$7.62 Rp 137.2K

177.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

478.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$5.40 Rp 97.3K

370.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

127.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

146.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

160.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

62.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

87.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

35.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

222.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$0.43 Rp 7,732

234.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$1.97 Rp 35.5K

609.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$8.44 Rp 151.9K

178.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

168.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

53.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$0.40 Rp 7,244

292.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

$21.88 Rp 393.8K

328.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$0.50 Rp 9,071

628.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$0.43 Rp 7,709

76.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$2.69 Rp 48.3K

500.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

222.37%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

533.76%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$32.3K Rp 582.1M

359.25%

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

$172 SGD 220

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

121.27%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

490.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$18.23 Rp 328.2K

43.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$15.74 Rp 283.3K

586.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$8.41 Rp 151.3K

46.37%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

503.11%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$33.42 Rp 601.5K

4330.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$1,845 Rp 33.2M

1436.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

36.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$35.67 Rp 642.0K

40.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

59.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

99.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$168 Rp 3.0M

1698.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

3737.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$338 Rp 6.1M

1630.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$192 Rp 3.5M

2007.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$158 Rp 2.8M

2676.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

7.5

-67.47%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Surakarta

$57 11.1% 97.4% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Surakarta

$148 29.2% 67.6% $309

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Surakarta

$57 11.2% 77.7% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Surakarta

$98 19.2% 53.4% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Surakarta

$103 20.3% 38.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Surakarta

$20 3.9% 85.1% $112

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Surakarta

$26 5.1% 75.7% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $168 in Surakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 2677% 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: $71.0 in Singapore vs $12.00 in Surakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $148 per month, with Surakarta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

1 h behind Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

503,421

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 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 SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Surakarta 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
Surakarta

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

Singapore vs Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surakarta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 588% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2677% higher in Singapore, 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: $3,015 in Singapore versus $168 in Surakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,500 per month in Singapore versus $509 in Surakarta – a 588% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Surakarta runs roughly 329% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $509 in Surakarta versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surakarta but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Surakarta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Singapore and Surakarta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Surakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 588% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.