Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Balikpapan

For one person, living costs are similar in Surabaya and in Balikpapan: $685 and $669 a month, rent and utilities included.

33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index

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Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$685

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Balikpapan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $685 in Surabaya versus $669 in Balikpapan.

Surabaya $685
Balikpapan $669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,189 in Surabaya versus $1,057 in Balikpapan.

Surabaya $1,189
Balikpapan $1,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,693 in Surabaya versus $1,444 in Balikpapan.

Surabaya $1,693
Balikpapan $1,444

Monthly costs are close between Surabaya and Balikpapan; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surabaya 50% lower, Balikpapan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.68 Rp 30.5K

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.51 Rp 209.1K

$10.88 Rp 197.7K

5.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.11 Rp 56.5K

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

2.98%

Cappuccino

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

14.93%

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

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

$0.35 Rp 6,320

68.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,128

$0.39 Rp 7,034

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$2.25 Rp 40.8K

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 Rp 76.3K

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

19.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 Rp 22.8K

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

$1.17 Rp 21.3K

-30.77%

Eggs

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

-51.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 Rp 133.4K

$7.14 Rp 129.7K

2.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 Rp 54.9K

$2.98 Rp 54.1K

1.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 Rp 134.4K

$8.63 Rp 156.8K

-14.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 Rp 37.1K

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

-6.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.6K

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

-5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.8K

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

20.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

11.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 34.2K

$1.95 Rp 35.5K

-3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 Rp 17.4K

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,116

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

-45.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.42 Rp 443.5K

$21.12 Rp 383.5K

15.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

$1.79 Rp 32.6K

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

-0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,850

$0.23 Rp 4,151

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.60 Rp 301.5K

$11.50 Rp 208.8K

44.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,504

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

-57.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,189

$0.29 Rp 5,189

55.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 Rp 46.5K

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

-8.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.75 Rp 13.7K

8.00%

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

$24.3K Rp 442.1M

$23.2K Rp 420.9M

5.05%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.1M

$31.4K Rp 570.2M

0.86%

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

$86.6 Rp 1.6M

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

34.98%

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

$4.57 Rp 82.9K

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

9.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.49 Rp 353.9K

$29.48 Rp 535.4K

-33.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.35 Rp 278.8K

$23.84 Rp 432.9K

-35.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 118.5K

$8.27 Rp 150.3K

-21.04%

Cinema Ticket

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

$2.82 Rp 51.3K

-7.09%

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

$270 Rp 4.9M

$91.6 Rp 1.7M

195.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,294 Rp 168.8M

$9,145 Rp 166.1M

1.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 Rp 1.3M

$37.81 Rp 686.7K

82.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.24 Rp 694.5K

$18.66 Rp 338.9K

104.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$140 Rp 2.5M

-43.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 Rp 5.0M

$197 Rp 3.6M

39.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$143 Rp 2.6M

3.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 Rp 21.9M

$559 Rp 10.2M

115.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 Rp 11.0M

$362 Rp 6.6M

67.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,146 Rp 39.0M

$1,323 Rp 24.0M

62.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,065 Rp 19.3M

$777 Rp 14.1M

36.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$266 Rp 4.8M

$238 Rp 4.3M

11.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

9.46

-20.72%

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

Last update for Surabaya: October 27, 2026

Last update for Balikpapan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surabaya

$205 29.8%

Balikpapan

$206 30.8% 0.7% $1.4

Accommodation & Living

Surabaya

$148 21.5%

Balikpapan

$143 21.4% 2.9% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Surabaya

$117 17.1%

Balikpapan

$120 18% 2.5% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surabaya

$111 16.1%

Balikpapan

$98 14.6% 11.6% $13

Eating Out

Surabaya

$64 9.4%

Balikpapan

$58 8.6% 10.4% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Surabaya

$21 3%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 43.2% $8.9

Getting Around

Surabaya

$20 3%

Balikpapan

$15 2.2% 26.7% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Surabaya and $197 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surabaya pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $12 in Surabaya vs $11 in Balikpapan. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $206, with Surabaya cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

1 h ahead of Surabaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,765,487

701,066

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Surabaya Balikpapan 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Surabaya
Balikpapan

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

Surabaya vs Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 12% higher in Surabaya, 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: $274 in Surabaya versus $197 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $270 in Surabaya versus $92 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Balikpapan runs roughly 31% less than in Surabaya. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Balikpapan 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.

It comes down to priorities – Balikpapan wins on affordability, Surabaya on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.