Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Pontianak

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $477 a month against $682 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most 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

Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Pontianak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $682 in Surabaya versus $477 in Pontianak.

Surabaya $682
Pontianak $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,188 in Surabaya versus $594 in Pontianak.

Surabaya $1,188
Pontianak $594

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,694 in Surabaya versus $710 in Pontianak.

Surabaya $1,694
Pontianak $710

Living in Surabaya is roughly 43% more expensive than in Pontianak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surabaya 50% lower, Pontianak 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

-5.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.34 Rp 205.7K

$8.33 Rp 151.1K

36.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.74 Rp 49.7K

$2.87 Rp 52.1K

-4.53%

Cappuccino

$1.51 Rp 27.4K

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

26.89%

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

$0.66 Rp 12.0K

$0.49 Rp 8,911

34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,141

$0.21 Rp 3,807

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

$2.70 Rp 49.0K

-18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 Rp 73.9K

$3.50 Rp 63.5K

16.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

$1.36 Rp 24.8K

-4.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

$0.98 Rp 17.8K

-11.22%

Eggs

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

-16.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.45 Rp 135.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 Rp 52.7K

$3.24 Rp 58.7K

-10.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 Rp 135.4K

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 36.3K

$3.11 Rp 56.5K

-35.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

-32.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 33.0K

$2.19 Rp 39.7K

-16.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.5K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,728

$0.52 Rp 9,437

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

$2.68 Rp 48.6K

-29.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.59 Rp 446.0K

$22.33 Rp 405.0K

10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 Rp 30.4K

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

-7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

$2.11 Rp 38.3K

33.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,325

$0.29 Rp 5,286

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

$0.72 Rp 13.1K

20.83%

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

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

23.00%

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

$4.56 Rp 82.7K

$5.39 Rp 97.8K

-15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.27 Rp 349.6K

$21.93 Rp 397.8K

-12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.43 Rp 280.0K

$23.39 Rp 424.3K

-34.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.74 Rp 122.3K

$11.57 Rp 209.9K

-41.75%

Cinema Ticket

$2.61 Rp 47.4K

$3.61 Rp 65.5K

-27.70%

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

$280 Rp 5.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,211 Rp 76.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 Rp 1.3M

$33.74 Rp 612.0K

104.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 688.9K

$33.44 Rp 606.7K

13.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 Rp 1.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 Rp 5.0M

$164 Rp 3.0M

66.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 Rp 2.6M

$108 Rp 2.0M

34.57%

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

$263 Rp 4.8M

-3.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

-25.00%

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

Last update for Surabaya: November 3, 2026

Last update for Pontianak: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surabaya

$205 30.1%

Pontianak

–

Accommodation & Living

Surabaya

$146 21.4%

Pontianak

–

Clothing & Footwear

Surabaya

$117 17.2%

Pontianak

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surabaya

$110 16.2%

Pontianak

–

Eating Out

Surabaya

$62 9.1%

Pontianak

–

Sport & Entertainment

Surabaya

$21 3%

Pontianak

–

Getting Around

Surabaya

$21 3%

Pontianak

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $273 in Surabaya and $164 in Pontianak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pontianak pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11 in Surabaya vs $8 in Pontianak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $150 per month, with Pontianak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

Same time as Surabaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,765,487

672,440

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.9 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Surabaya Pontianak 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Surabaya
Pontianak

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 Pontianak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pontianak is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Surabaya. 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: $273 in Surabaya versus $164 in Pontianak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Surabaya. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pontianak – a meal for two runs $8 versus $11 in Surabaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Pontianak gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.