Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Magelang Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Magelang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $702 per month in Surabaya vs $573 in Magelang, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,129 per month in Surabaya vs $882 in Magelang, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,557 per month in Surabaya vs $1,192 in Magelang, rent included.

Surabaya costs about 22% more than Magelang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Surabaya and Magelang are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 47% lower, Magelang 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.56 Rp 28.2K

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

4.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.42 Rp 224.2K

$9.49 Rp 171.3K

30.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

$2.85 Rp 51.5K

6.32%

Cappuccino

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

102.30%

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

$0.66 Rp 11.9K

$0.38 Rp 6,872

73.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,096

$0.20 Rp 3,637

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 Rp 44.1K

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

62.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 Rp 73.8K

$2.98 Rp 53.8K

37.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 Rp 25.9K

$1.14 Rp 20.7K

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

24.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

18.07%

Eggs

$1.51 Rp 27.2K

$1.45 Rp 26.1K

4.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 Rp 167.5K

$7.17 Rp 129.5K

29.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 Rp 58.5K

$2.51 Rp 45.2K

29.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 Rp 146.7K

$7.75 Rp 140.0K

4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 Rp 43.0K

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

8.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.29 Rp 23.3K

16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

$1.39 Rp 25.1K

56.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.6K

$1.02 Rp 18.4K

39.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.07 Rp 19.3K

23.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Rp 31.2K

$1.44 Rp 26.0K

20.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,229

$0.37 Rp 6,630

24.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 Rp 45.6K

$2.48 Rp 44.7K

1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.18 Rp 454.5K

$16.35 Rp 295.2K

54.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 Rp 59.5K

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

44.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 Rp 8,032

$0.30 Rp 5,402

46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.26 Rp 167.2K

$10.04 Rp 181.2K

-7.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,115

$0.44 Rp 7,994

2.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 Rp 5,634

$0.31 Rp 5,661

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 Rp 49.5K

$2.51 Rp 45.3K

9.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

12.99%

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

$20.8K Rp 374.8M

$28.1K Rp 507.0M

-26.09%

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

$34.9K Rp 629.2M

$32.1K Rp 579.3M

8.60%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$50.7 Rp 914.5K

63.80%

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

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.20 Rp 75.8K

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 Rp 350.9K

$19.83 Rp 357.9K

-1.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.63 Rp 390.4K

$15.27 Rp 275.6K

41.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.38 Rp 79.1K

$3.93 Rp 71.0K

11.45%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 Rp 53.9K

$2.73 Rp 49.3K

9.16%

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

$186 Rp 3.4M

$49.98 Rp 902.3K

272.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,266 Rp 167.3M

$4,352 Rp 78.6M

112.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

$21.29 Rp 384.3K

195.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 Rp 694.9K

$21.69 Rp 391.6K

77.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 Rp 1.4M

$63.7 Rp 1.1M

20.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 Rp 1.5M

$57.6 Rp 1.0M

45.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 Rp 4.5M

$262 Rp 4.7M

-4.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 Rp 2.5M

$155 Rp 2.8M

-11.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 Rp 14.0M

$579 Rp 10.4M

33.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 Rp 7.1M

$330 Rp 6.0M

18.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,136 Rp 38.6M

$1,132 Rp 20.4M

88.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,064 Rp 19.2M

$682 Rp 12.3M

56.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 Rp 4.9M

$171 Rp 3.1M

57.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

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

Last update for Surabaya: July 27, 2026

Last update for Magelang: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $249 in Surabaya versus $262 in Magelang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Surabaya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Surabaya versus $9.00 in Magelang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $179 – making Magelang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Magelang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $702 in Surabaya, $573 in Magelang – roughly 22% apart. Surabaya costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,053 per month in Surabaya and $860 in Magelang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Magelang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Surabaya, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Surabaya and $9.00 in Magelang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $702 in Surabaya and $573 in Magelang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Magelang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Magelang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Surabaya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.