Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Samarinda

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarinda: $642 a month against $682 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $480 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Samarinda
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Samarinda Living Index

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Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$682

/mo nomad

Samarinda

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Samarinda

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

A single person spends $682 per month in Surabaya vs $642 in Samarinda, rent included.

Surabaya $682
Samarinda $642

A couple spends around $1,188 per month in Surabaya vs $1,028 in Samarinda, rent included.

Surabaya $1,188
Samarinda $1,028

A family of three spends $1,694 per month in Surabaya vs $1,414 in Samarinda, rent included.

Surabaya $1,694
Samarinda $1,414

Surabaya costs about 6% more than Samarinda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Surabaya and Samarinda are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 50% lower, Samarinda 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.62 Rp 29.3K

$1.67 Rp 30.2K

-2.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.34 Rp 205.0K

$14.01 Rp 253.3K

-19.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.74 Rp 49.5K

$3.21 Rp 57.9K

-14.64%

Cappuccino

$1.51 Rp 27.3K

$1.53 Rp 27.6K

-1.31%

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

$0.66 Rp 12.0K

$0.46 Rp 8,247

43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,122

$0.22 Rp 3,962

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

-1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 Rp 73.7K

$3.49 Rp 63.1K

16.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 Rp 21.7K

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 Rp 23.5K

$0.88 Rp 16.0K

47.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$0.69 Rp 12.4K

26.09%

Eggs

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

$1.44 Rp 26.0K

-17.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.45 Rp 134.7K

$6.90 Rp 124.7K

7.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 Rp 52.5K

$3.46 Rp 62.6K

-15.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 Rp 135.0K

$9.62 Rp 173.8K

-22.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 36.2K

$4.98 Rp 90.0K

-59.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

13.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.9K

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

68.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.0K

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

11.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

-0.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.4K

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

10.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 Rp 17.1K

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

9.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,700

$0.51 Rp 9,138

-15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.89 Rp 34.2K

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

-4.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.59 Rp 444.4K

$20.99 Rp 379.3K

17.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 Rp 30.3K

$1.87 Rp 33.8K

-10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 Rp 50.9K

$2.99 Rp 54.1K

-5.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,306

$0.25 Rp 4,528

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.73 Rp 302.3K

$11.74 Rp 212.3K

42.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,009

$0.49 Rp 8,868

2.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,585

$0.32 Rp 5,711

31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 Rp 46.5K

$2.89 Rp 52.3K

-10.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.7K

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

1.16%

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

$25.0K Rp 451.7M

$23.3K Rp 420.3M

7.46%

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

$32.1K Rp 580.1M

$31.9K Rp 576.5M

0.62%

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

$86.4 Rp 1.6M

$64.3 Rp 1.2M

34.39%

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

$4.56 Rp 82.4K

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

8.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.27 Rp 348.4K

$18.74 Rp 338.8K

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.43 Rp 279.0K

$18.20 Rp 328.9K

-15.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.74 Rp 121.8K

$8.08 Rp 146.0K

-16.58%

Cinema Ticket

$2.61 Rp 47.2K

$2.73 Rp 49.4K

-4.40%

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

$280 Rp 5.1M

$94.4 Rp 1.7M

196.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,211 Rp 76.1M

$8,162 Rp 147.5M

-48.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 Rp 1.2M

$43.41 Rp 784.6K

58.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 686.5K

$28.34 Rp 512.2K

34.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

$74.3 Rp 1.3M

9.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 Rp 1.3M

$70.4 Rp 1.3M

2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 Rp 4.9M

$224 Rp 4.0M

22.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 Rp 2.6M

$144 Rp 2.6M

0.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 Rp 22.2M

$540 Rp 9.8M

127.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 Rp 11.0M

$362 Rp 6.5M

68.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,179 Rp 39.4M

$1,163 Rp 21.0M

87.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 Rp 19.4M

$798 Rp 14.4M

34.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$253 Rp 4.6M

$332 Rp 6.0M

-23.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

9.46

-20.72%

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

Last update for Surabaya: November 3, 2026

Last update for Samarinda: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surabaya

$205 30.1%

Samarinda

$212 33% 3.3% $6.8

Accommodation & Living

Surabaya

$146 21.4%

Samarinda

$144 22.5% 0.8% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Surabaya

$117 17.2%

Samarinda

$97 15.2% 17% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surabaya

$110 16.2%

Samarinda

$87 13.6% 20.9% $23

Eating Out

Surabaya

$62 9.1%

Samarinda

$62 9.7% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Surabaya

$21 3%

Samarinda

$24 3.7% 14.5% $3

Getting Around

Surabaya

$21 3%

Samarinda

$15 2.3% 27.7% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $273 in Surabaya versus $224 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 31% higher in Samarinda, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surabaya versus $14 in Samarinda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $205 vs $212 – making Surabaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🇮🇩 Samarinda

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

05:06 5:06 AM

1 h ahead of Surabaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,765,487

726,223

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.53 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.53 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Surabaya Samarinda 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Surabaya
Samarinda

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 Samarinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $682 in Surabaya, $642 in Samarinda – Samarinda comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,022 per month in Surabaya and $962 in Samarinda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samarinda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $224 there versus $273 in Surabaya.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surabaya and $14 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 $682 in Surabaya and $642 in Samarinda. That makes Samarinda about 6% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $682 in Surabaya and $642 in Samarinda, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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