Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Malang

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $464 a month against $685 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
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Surabaya Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Malang
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Malang Living Index

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Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$685

/mo nomad

Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Malang

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

A single person spends $685 per month in Surabaya vs $464 in Malang, rent included.

Surabaya $685
Malang $464

A couple spends around $1,189 per month in Surabaya vs $713 in Malang, rent included.

Surabaya $1,189
Malang $713

A family of three spends $1,693 per month in Surabaya vs $963 in Malang, rent included.

Surabaya $1,693
Malang $963

Surabaya costs about 48% more than Malang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Surabaya and Malang are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 50% lower, Malang 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.68 Rp 30.5K

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

48.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.51 Rp 208.8K

$11.09 Rp 201.2K

3.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.11 Rp 56.4K

$2.80 Rp 50.8K

11.07%

Cappuccino

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

23.20%

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

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

$0.56 Rp 10.1K

5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,121

$0.21 Rp 3,806

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$2.24 Rp 40.6K

-0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 Rp 76.2K

$4.17 Rp 75.6K

0.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

32.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 Rp 22.8K

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

16.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

5.19%

Eggs

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 Rp 133.2K

$5.60 Rp 101.6K

31.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

$3.00 Rp 54.5K

0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 Rp 134.3K

$6.89 Rp 124.9K

7.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 Rp 37.1K

$1.98 Rp 35.9K

3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

-3.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.8K

$1.51 Rp 27.5K

23.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

5.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 Rp 24.3K

$1.30 Rp 23.5K

3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

$1.92 Rp 34.9K

-2.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 Rp 17.4K

$0.50 Rp 8,987

92.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,107

$0.42 Rp 7,656

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

$2.57 Rp 46.7K

-24.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.42 Rp 443.0K

$12.41 Rp 225.1K

96.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

$1.65 Rp 29.9K

4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

$2.86 Rp 51.9K

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,844

$0.58 Rp 10.6K

-53.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.60 Rp 301.1K

$5.39 Rp 97.7K

207.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,493

$0.49 Rp 8,917

-4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,178

$0.38 Rp 6,867

18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 Rp 46.4K

$5.61 Rp 101.7K

-54.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

10.96%

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

$24.3K Rp 441.6M

$25.1K Rp 455.2M

-2.99%

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

$31.7K Rp 574.4M

$27.4K Rp 497.2M

15.51%

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

$86.6 Rp 1.6M

$30.88 Rp 560.1K

180.28%

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

$4.57 Rp 82.8K

$2.30 Rp 41.8K

98.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.49 Rp 353.4K

$19.26 Rp 349.4K

1.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.35 Rp 278.4K

$14.37 Rp 260.7K

6.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 118.4K

$4.58 Rp 83.0K

42.58%

Cinema Ticket

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

39.36%

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

$270 Rp 4.9M

$30.06 Rp 545.2K

799.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,294 Rp 168.6M

$9,230 Rp 167.4M

0.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 Rp 1.3M

$55.7 Rp 1.0M

23.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.24 Rp 693.7K

$22.42 Rp 406.6K

70.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$50.8 Rp 921.8K

54.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

$35.21 Rp 638.6K

111.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 Rp 5.0M

$136 Rp 2.5M

101.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$89.5 Rp 1.6M

64.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 Rp 21.8M

$196 Rp 3.5M

515.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 Rp 11.0M

$154 Rp 2.8M

294.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,146 Rp 38.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,065 Rp 19.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$266 Rp 4.8M

$201 Rp 3.6M

32.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

87.50%

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

Last update for Surabaya: October 27, 2026

Last update for Malang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surabaya

$205 29.8%

Malang

$165 35.5% 19.5% $40

Accommodation & Living

Surabaya

$148 21.5%

Malang

$89 19.3% 39.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Surabaya

$117 17.1%

Malang

$74 15.9% 37% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surabaya

$111 16.1%

Malang

$52 11.3% 52.6% $58

Eating Out

Surabaya

$64 9.4%

Malang

$55 11.9% 14.3% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Surabaya

$21 3%

Malang

$18 3.9% 12% $2.5

Getting Around

Surabaya

$20 3%

Malang

$10 2.2% 50.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Surabaya versus $136 in Malang. 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 32% 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 in Surabaya versus $11 in Malang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $165 – making Malang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🇮🇩 Malang

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

Same time as Surabaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,765,487

857,891

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Surabaya Malang 82 km

From you

Surabaya
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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 Malang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Surabaya is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,028 per month in Surabaya and $695 in Malang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $274 in Surabaya.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Malang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $270 per month in Surabaya and $30 in Malang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $685 in Surabaya and $464 in Malang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

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