Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Tanjung Balai Karimun Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Tanjung Balai Karimun

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $702 per month in Surabaya vs $666 in Tanjung Balai Karimun, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,129 per month in Surabaya vs $1,024 in Tanjung Balai Karimun, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,557 per month in Surabaya vs $1,382 in Tanjung Balai Karimun, rent included.

Surabaya costs about 5% more than Tanjung Balai Karimun, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Surabaya and Tanjung Balai Karimun are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 47% lower, Tanjung Balai Karimun 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.56 Rp 28.2K

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.42 Rp 224.2K

$12.18 Rp 219.9K

1.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

$3.45 Rp 62.3K

-12.17%

Cappuccino

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

2.33%

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

$0.66 Rp 11.9K

$0.52 Rp 9,326

26.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,096

$0.26 Rp 4,646

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 Rp 44.1K

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

-3.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 Rp 73.8K

$3.56 Rp 64.2K

14.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 Rp 25.9K

$1.23 Rp 22.2K

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

29.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

4.26%

Eggs

$1.51 Rp 27.2K

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

-0.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 Rp 167.5K

$8.26 Rp 149.2K

12.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 Rp 58.5K

$3.25 Rp 58.7K

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 Rp 146.7K

$7.75 Rp 140.0K

4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 Rp 43.0K

$2.38 Rp 42.9K

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

$1.85 Rp 33.4K

17.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.6K

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

-4.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.36 Rp 24.6K

-2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 Rp 31.2K

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

-12.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

18.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,229

$0.41 Rp 7,407

12.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 Rp 45.6K

$2.48 Rp 44.7K

1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.18 Rp 454.5K

$22.96 Rp 414.6K

9.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$2.09 Rp 37.7K

-14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 Rp 59.5K

$3.08 Rp 55.6K

7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 Rp 8,032

$0.30 Rp 5,401

46.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.26 Rp 167.2K

$9.77 Rp 176.4K

-5.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,115

$0.52 Rp 9,443

-13.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 Rp 5,634

$0.38 Rp 6,805

-18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 Rp 49.5K

$2.95 Rp 53.2K

-7.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

6.10%

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

$20.8K Rp 374.8M

$24.5K Rp 443.1M

-15.42%

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

$34.9K Rp 629.2M

$27.4K Rp 495.2M

27.05%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$70.7 Rp 1.3M

17.34%

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

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.18 Rp 75.5K

0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 Rp 350.9K

$22.71 Rp 410.0K

-14.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.63 Rp 390.4K

$23.36 Rp 421.8K

-7.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.38 Rp 79.1K

$6.02 Rp 108.7K

-27.24%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 Rp 53.9K

$3.04 Rp 54.9K

-1.97%

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

$186 Rp 3.4M

$92.4 Rp 1.7M

101.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,266 Rp 167.3M

$7,730 Rp 139.6M

19.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

$41.76 Rp 753.9K

50.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 Rp 694.9K

$30.97 Rp 559.1K

24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 Rp 1.4M

$65.8 Rp 1.2M

16.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 Rp 1.5M

$74.0 Rp 1.3M

13.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 Rp 4.5M

$258 Rp 4.7M

-3.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 Rp 2.5M

$158 Rp 2.9M

-12.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 Rp 14.0M

$576 Rp 10.4M

34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 Rp 7.1M

$334 Rp 6.0M

17.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,136 Rp 38.6M

$1,137 Rp 20.5M

87.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,064 Rp 19.2M

$626 Rp 11.3M

70.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 Rp 4.9M

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 27, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Balai Karimun: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $249 in Surabaya versus $258 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Surabaya versus $12.00 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Groceries tell a different story – $228 in Surabaya vs $213 in Tanjung Balai Karimun – so Tanjung Balai Karimun wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Tanjung Balai Karimun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $702 in Surabaya, $666 in Tanjung Balai Karimun – roughly 5% apart. Surabaya costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,053 per month in Surabaya and $1,000 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 7% more in Surabaya, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

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

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $702 in Surabaya and $666 in Tanjung Balai Karimun, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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