Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Samarinda Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Samarinda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $702 per month in Surabaya vs $710 in Samarinda, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Surabaya vs $1,071 in Samarinda, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,532 per month in Surabaya vs $1,431 in Samarinda, rent included.

Surabaya is about 1% cheaper than Samarinda, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.11 Rp 217.6K

$12.08 Rp 217.0K

0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 Rp 54.9K

$5.67 Rp 101.9K

-46.21%

Cappuccino

$1.80 Rp 32.4K

$1.67 Rp 30.0K

7.78%

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

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

$0.49 Rp 8,877

30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,048

$0.38 Rp 6,834

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 Rp 43.2K

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 Rp 73.5K

$3.44 Rp 61.9K

18.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

14.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

$0.91 Rp 16.3K

64.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

22.08%

Eggs

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

-2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.24 Rp 166.1K

$7.97 Rp 143.2K

15.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 Rp 57.3K

$3.96 Rp 71.2K

-19.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 Rp 146.0K

$11.13 Rp 199.9K

-26.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.3K

$5.53 Rp 99.4K

-56.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.26 Rp 22.6K

23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

89.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

$1.62 Rp 29.0K

-7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 23.8K

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

-6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

$1.95 Rp 35.1K

-11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 Rp 21.4K

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

25.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 Rp 8,091

$0.59 Rp 10.7K

-23.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

6.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.13 Rp 451.6K

$19.79 Rp 355.7K

26.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 Rp 33.5K

$2.01 Rp 36.1K

-7.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 Rp 59.5K

$3.24 Rp 58.2K

2.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 Rp 7,860

$0.32 Rp 5,793

37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.48 Rp 170.4K

$9.63 Rp 173.0K

-1.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,592

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 Rp 5,615

$0.35 Rp 6,255

-11.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

-8.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.4K

$0.63 Rp 11.4K

36.51%

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

$20.5K Rp 368.6M

$24.8K Rp 446.5M

-17.44%

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

$35.0K Rp 629.7M

$27.3K Rp 490.4M

28.41%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

16.98%

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

$4.31 Rp 77.5K

$4.40 Rp 79.1K

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.61 Rp 352.5K

$23.02 Rp 413.7K

-14.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.82 Rp 392.2K

$23.01 Rp 413.4K

-5.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.59 Rp 82.6K

$6.00 Rp 107.8K

-23.50%

Cinema Ticket

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$3.10 Rp 55.7K

-7.42%

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

$186 Rp 3.3M

$95.1 Rp 1.7M

95.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,556 Rp 171.7M

$7,595 Rp 136.5M

25.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

$41.10 Rp 738.6K

53.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.85 Rp 698.2K

$30.66 Rp 551.0K

26.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

$67.4 Rp 1.2M

15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 Rp 1.5M

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

12.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 Rp 4.4M

$257 Rp 4.6M

-4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.4M

$157 Rp 2.8M

-13.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 Rp 14.2M

$597 Rp 10.7M

32.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 Rp 7.2M

$329 Rp 5.9M

21.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,202 Rp 39.6M

$987 Rp 17.7M

123.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,045 Rp 18.8M

$602 Rp 10.8M

73.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 Rp 4.8M

$328 Rp 5.9M

-18.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

9.15

-8.96%

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

Last update for Surabaya: July 11, 2026

Last update for Samarinda: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Surabaya versus $257 in Samarinda. 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 22% higher in Samarinda, 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 $12.00 in Samarinda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $231 – making Surabaya 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 Samarinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $702 in Surabaya, $710 in Samarinda – roughly 1% apart. Samarinda costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,054 per month in Surabaya and $1,065 in Samarinda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $702 in Surabaya and $710 in Samarinda. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $702 in Surabaya and $710 in Samarinda, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Surabaya – 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 Surabaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Samarinda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.