Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Surabaya: $688 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$688

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Surabaya versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Surabaya $688
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in Surabaya versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Surabaya $1,191
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,695 in Surabaya versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Surabaya $1,695
Dubai $5,788

Living in Surabaya costs roughly 76% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surabaya is 49% below, Dubai is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.69 Rp 30.2K

$13.04 AED 47.89

-87.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.40 Rp 203.9K

$81.4 AED 299

-85.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 Rp 54.6K

$9.32 AED 34.25

-67.27%

Cappuccino

$1.57 Rp 28.0K

$5.97 AED 21.93

-73.70%

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

$0.61 Rp 10.8K

$1.63 AED 5.98

-62.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,026

$0.81 AED 2.99

-65.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$13.65 AED 50.1

-83.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 Rp 73.1K

$13.38 AED 49.15

-69.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$1.81 AED 6.64

-32.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.57 AED 5.78

-19.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.0K

$2.49 AED 9.16

-66.27%

Eggs

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$3.28 AED 12.04

-63.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.66 Rp 136.9K

$12.67 AED 46.53

-39.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 Rp 55.0K

$9.75 AED 35.80

-68.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 Rp 140.3K

$13.18 AED 48.40

-40.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 Rp 37.4K

$2.61 AED 9.57

-19.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.2K

$1.93 AED 7.09

-32.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

$1.92 AED 7.05

-5.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.36 AED 5.00

14.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$1.17 AED 4.29

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.01 AED 3.71

89.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

$1.51 AED 5.56

-36.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.62 AED 2.29

-30.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 Rp 34.6K

$5.85 AED 21.50

-66.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.67 Rp 441.1K

$16.14 AED 59.3

52.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

$2.65 AED 9.74

-34.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.5K

$2.95 AED 10.82

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,669

$1.64 AED 6.03

-80.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,519

$3.17 AED 11.66

-84.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.71 AED 2.63

-39.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 Rp 46.7K

$7.96 AED 29.23

-67.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.8K

$0.99 AED 3.64

-16.16%

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

$25.0K Rp 446.0M

$27.4K AED 100.5K

-8.84%

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

$32.8K Rp 585.5M

$22.5K AED 82.8K

45.33%

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

$86.2 Rp 1.5M

$250 AED 920

-65.59%

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

$4.58 Rp 81.9K

$54.2 AED 199

-91.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.24 Rp 343.9K

$91.8 AED 337

-79.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.96 Rp 321.0K

$98.6 AED 362

-81.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.82 Rp 121.9K

$42.61 AED 156

-83.99%

Cinema Ticket

$2.72 Rp 48.7K

$16.03 AED 58.9

-83.03%

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

$280 Rp 5.0M

$843 AED 3,098

-66.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,557 Rp 170.8M

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-47.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

$68.0 AED 250

3.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 Rp 702.6K

$57.9 AED 213

-32.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 Rp 1.5M

$101 AED 370

-19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 Rp 1.3M

$101 AED 371

-27.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 Rp 5.0M

$2,380 AED 8,741

-88.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.6M

$1,506 AED 5,531

-90.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 Rp 22.3M

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-71.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 Rp 11.1M

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-79.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,155 Rp 38.5M

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-69.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,047 Rp 18.7M

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-74.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$273 Rp 4.9M

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-91.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

4.54

65.20%

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

Last update for Surabaya: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surabaya

$209 30.9%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 40% $84

Accommodation & Living

Surabaya

$147 21.7%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 926% $1.4K

Clothing & Footwear

Surabaya

$119 17.6%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 24% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surabaya

$110 16.3%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 260% $286

Eating Out

Surabaya

$65 9.5%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 378% $244

Sport & Entertainment

Surabaya

$23 3.5%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 458% $107

Getting Around

Surabaya

$3.9 * 0.6%

Dubai

$87 3% 2135% $83

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 $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1141% 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 $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $293 per month, with Surabaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

10:25 10:25 AM

3 h behind Surabaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,765,487

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surabaya Dubai 7,190 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Surabaya
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surabaya is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 315% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1141% lower in Dubai. 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 $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Dubai. 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 $2,854 in Dubai – a 315% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $688 in Surabaya versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surabaya but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Surabaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Surabaya and Dubai 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 315% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.