Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Banda Aceh

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $319 a month against $682 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index

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Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$682

/mo nomad

Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Banda Aceh

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 Banda Aceh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $682 per month in Surabaya vs $319 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Surabaya $682
Banda Aceh $319

A couple spends around $1,188 per month in Surabaya vs $510 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Surabaya $1,188
Banda Aceh $510

A family of three spends $1,694 per month in Surabaya vs $701 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Surabaya $1,694
Banda Aceh $701

Surabaya costs about 114% more than Banda Aceh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Surabaya and Banda Aceh are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 50% lower, Banda Aceh 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-28.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.34 Rp 205.7K

$7.09 Rp 128.6K

59.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.74 Rp 49.7K

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

-18.21%

Cappuccino

$1.51 Rp 27.4K

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

23.77%

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

$0.66 Rp 12.0K

$0.38 Rp 6,876

73.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,141

$0.21 Rp 3,801

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

-9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 Rp 73.9K

$3.79 Rp 68.7K

7.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

-25.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

52.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

7.41%

Eggs

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

-23.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.45 Rp 135.2K

$8.47 Rp 153.7K

-12.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 Rp 52.7K

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

20.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 Rp 135.4K

$6.46 Rp 117.2K

15.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 36.3K

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

-6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

52.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

124.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

96.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

$3.35 Rp 60.7K

-41.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

10.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,728

$0.40 Rp 7,239

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

$2.94 Rp 53.4K

-35.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.59 Rp 446.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 Rp 30.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,325

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.73 Rp 303.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,041

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,613

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 Rp 46.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

-1.14%

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

$25.0K Rp 453.3M

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

$32.1K Rp 582.2M

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

$86.4 Rp 1.6M

$33.04 Rp 599.4K

161.41%

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

$4.56 Rp 82.7K

$2.27 Rp 41.2K

100.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.27 Rp 349.6K

$23.59 Rp 428.0K

-18.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.43 Rp 280.0K

$9.48 Rp 171.9K

62.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.74 Rp 122.3K

$13.23 Rp 239.9K

-49.06%

Cinema Ticket

$2.61 Rp 47.4K

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

$280 Rp 5.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,211 Rp 76.4M

$1,910 Rp 34.6M

120.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 Rp 1.3M

$27.71 Rp 502.6K

149.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 688.9K

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

70.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$43.51 Rp 789.3K

86.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 Rp 1.3M

$27.47 Rp 498.3K

163.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 Rp 5.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 Rp 2.6M

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 39.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 Rp 19.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$253 Rp 4.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

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

Last update for Surabaya: November 3, 2026

Last update for Banda Aceh: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surabaya

$205 30.1%

Banda Aceh

–

Accommodation & Living

Surabaya

$146 21.4%

Banda Aceh

–

Clothing & Footwear

Surabaya

$117 17.2%

Banda Aceh

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surabaya

$110 16.2%

Banda Aceh

–

Eating Out

Surabaya

$62 9.1%

Banda Aceh

–

Sport & Entertainment

Surabaya

$21 3%

Banda Aceh

–

Getting Around

Surabaya

$21 3%

Banda Aceh

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surabaya versus $7 in Banda Aceh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $131 – making Banda Aceh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

Same time as Surabaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,765,487

223,446

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Surabaya Banda Aceh 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Surabaya
Banda Aceh

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 Banda Aceh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Surabaya is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,022 per month in Surabaya and $479 in Banda Aceh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Surabaya, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surabaya and $7 in Banda Aceh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $682 in Surabaya and $319 in Banda Aceh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Surabaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $319 in Banda Aceh to $682 in Surabaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.