Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Surabaya: $688 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $33,200 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
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$688

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Singapore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Surabaya versus $3,454 in Singapore.

Surabaya $688
Singapore $3,454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,191 in Surabaya versus $5,224 in Singapore.

Surabaya $1,191
Singapore $5,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,695 in Surabaya versus $6,994 in Singapore.

Surabaya $1,695
Singapore $6,994

Living in Surabaya costs roughly 80% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surabaya is 49% below, Singapore is 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.69 Rp 30.3K

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-85.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.40 Rp 204.0K

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-83.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 Rp 54.6K

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-65.18%

Cappuccino

$1.57 Rp 28.0K

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-70.10%

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

$0.61 Rp 10.8K

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,030

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-77.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$8.42 SGD 10.79

-73.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 Rp 73.2K

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-59.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-58.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-48.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.0K

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-69.00%

Eggs

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-67.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.66 Rp 137.1K

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-64.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.08 Rp 55.1K

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-67.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 Rp 140.4K

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-69.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 Rp 37.5K

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-53.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.2K

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-58.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-60.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$2.23 SGD 2.86

-30.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-19.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-46.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,686

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-71.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.94 Rp 34.6K

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-86.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.67 Rp 441.4K

$23.79 SGD 30.47

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-34.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,674

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-79.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 SGD 123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,526

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-86.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,686

$0.80 SGD 1.02

-46.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 Rp 46.8K

$16.18 SGD 20.72

-83.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.8K

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-66.93%

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

$25.0K Rp 446.4M

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-83.99%

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

$32.8K Rp 586.0M

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-77.53%

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

$86.2 Rp 1.5M

$175 SGD 224

-50.77%

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

$4.58 Rp 82.0K

$12.45 SGD 15.94

-63.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.24 Rp 344.2K

$26.64 SGD 34.11

-27.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.96 Rp 321.3K

$112 SGD 143

-83.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.82 Rp 122.0K

$12.07 SGD 15.46

-43.50%

Cinema Ticket

$2.72 Rp 48.7K

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-76.55%

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

$280 Rp 5.0M

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-80.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,557 Rp 171.0M

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-66.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

$81.5 SGD 104

-14.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 Rp 703.2K

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 Rp 1.5M

$112 SGD 143

-27.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 Rp 1.3M

$130 SGD 166

-43.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 Rp 5.0M

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-90.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.6M

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-93.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 Rp 22.3M

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-77.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 Rp 11.1M

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-84.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,155 Rp 38.6M

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-90.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,047 Rp 18.7M

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-93.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$273 Rp 4.9M

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-93.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

2.44

207.38%

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

Last update for Surabaya: October 5, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surabaya

$209 30.9%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 119% $248

Accommodation & Living

Surabaya

$147 21.7%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 1350% $2K

Clothing & Footwear

Surabaya

$119 17.6%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 41.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surabaya

$110 16.3%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 94.7% $104

Eating Out

Surabaya

$65 9.5%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 297% $191

Sport & Entertainment

Surabaya

$23 3.5%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 476% $111

Getting Around

Surabaya

$3.9 * 0.6%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 2736% $106

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Surabaya and $2,916 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 1499% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $11.00 in Surabaya vs $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $457 per month, with Surabaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

12:44 12:44 PM

1 h ahead of Surabaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,765,487

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surabaya Singapore 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Surabaya
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surabaya is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 402% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1499% lower in Singapore. 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: $279 in Surabaya versus $2,916 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $280 in Surabaya versus $1,463 in Singapore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surabaya – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Surabaya versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surabaya but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Surabaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Surabaya and Singapore are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Surabaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 402% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.