Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Surabaya: $688 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$688

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Surabaya versus $934 in Cebu.

Surabaya $688
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in Surabaya versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Surabaya $1,191
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,695 in Surabaya versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Surabaya $1,695
Cebu $1,896

Living in Surabaya costs roughly 26% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surabaya 49% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.69 Rp 30.3K

$3.03 ₱191

-44.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.40 Rp 204.0K

$23.48 ₱1,476

-51.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 Rp 54.6K

$4.09 ₱257

-25.43%

Cappuccino

$1.57 Rp 28.0K

$2.52 ₱158

-37.70%

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

$0.61 Rp 10.8K

$1.54 ₱97.2

-60.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,030

$0.49 ₱31.06

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$1.79 ₱113

26.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 Rp 73.2K

$2.26 ₱142

80.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$1.95 ₱122

-37.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.43 ₱89.9

-11.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.0K

$1.02 ₱64.0

-17.65%

Eggs

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$2.06 ₱129

-41.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.66 Rp 137.1K

$9.81 ₱617

-21.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 Rp 55.1K

$4.61 ₱290

-33.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 Rp 140.4K

$7.70 ₱484

1.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 Rp 37.5K

$3.31 ₱208

-36.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.2K

$1.45 ₱91.2

-10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

$2.36 ₱148

-22.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.54 ₱96.6

1.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$2.36 ₱148

-44.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.99 ₱125

-4.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

$1.15 ₱72.3

-16.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,686

$0.67 ₱42.26

-35.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 Rp 34.6K

$3.00 ₱189

-35.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.67 Rp 441.4K

$6.35 ₱399

288.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

$1.31 ₱82.1

32.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

$1.73 ₱109

73.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,674

$0.25 ₱15.82

28.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,526

$0.74 ₱46.44

-35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,686

$0.21 ₱13.15

104.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 Rp 46.8K

$4.33 ₱272

-39.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.8K

$1.33 ₱83.7

-37.59%

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

$25.0K Rp 446.4M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

14.64%

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

$32.8K Rp 586.0M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

68.87%

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

$86.2 Rp 1.5M

$121 ₱7,583

-28.55%

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

$4.58 Rp 82.0K

$14.45 ₱909

-68.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.24 Rp 344.2K

$28.29 ₱1,779

-31.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.96 Rp 321.3K

$32.68 ₱2,055

-45.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.82 Rp 122.0K

$6.39 ₱402

6.73%

Cinema Ticket

$2.72 Rp 48.7K

$5.46 ₱343

-50.18%

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

$280 Rp 5.0M

$273 ₱17.2K

2.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,557 Rp 171.0M

$8,156 ₱512.9K

17.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

$49.57 ₱3,117

41.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 Rp 703.2K

$24.87 ₱1,564

58.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 Rp 1.5M

$76.6 ₱4,817

6.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 Rp 1.3M

$59.3 ₱3,727

23.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 Rp 5.0M

$506 ₱31.8K

-44.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.6M

$309 ₱19.5K

-52.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 Rp 22.3M

$1,052 ₱66.1K

18.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 Rp 11.1M

$619 ₱38.9K

0.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,155 Rp 38.6M

$2,915 ₱183.4K

-26.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,047 Rp 18.7M

$1,867 ₱117.4K

-43.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$273 Rp 4.9M

$341 ₱21.5K

-19.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

7.2

4.17%

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

Last update for Surabaya: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surabaya

$209 30.9%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 0.6% $1.3

Accommodation & Living

Surabaya

$147 21.7%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 111% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Surabaya

$119 17.6%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 20.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surabaya

$110 16.3%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 48.5% $53

Eating Out

Surabaya

$65 9.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 36.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Surabaya

$23 3.5%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 86.2% $20

Getting Around

Surabaya

$3.9 * 0.6%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 297% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Surabaya and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 25% 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: $11.00 in Surabaya vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $210 per month, with Surabaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

09:04 9:04 AM

1 h ahead of Surabaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,765,487

964,169

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surabaya Cebu 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Surabaya
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surabaya is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Cebu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $279 in Surabaya versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $688 per month in Surabaya versus $934 in Cebu – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Surabaya gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Surabaya is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Surabaya and Cebu 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 Surabaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.