Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Tanjung Balai Karimun

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Balai Karimun: $610 a month against $685 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Surabaya, Indonesia
Tanjung Balai Karimun, Indonesia
Surabaya
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$685
/mo nomad
Tanjung Balai Karimun
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$610
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Tanjung Balai Karimun

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 Tanjung Balai Karimun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $685 per month in Surabaya vs $610 in Tanjung Balai Karimun, rent included.

  • Surabaya $685
  • Tanjung Balai Karimun $610

A couple spends around $1,189 per month in Surabaya vs $1,014 in Tanjung Balai Karimun, rent included.

  • Surabaya $1,189
  • Tanjung Balai Karimun $1,014

A family of three spends $1,693 per month in Surabaya vs $1,417 in Tanjung Balai Karimun, rent included.

  • Surabaya $1,693
  • Tanjung Balai Karimun $1,417

Surabaya costs about 12% more than Tanjung Balai Karimun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Surabaya and Tanjung Balai Karimun are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 50% lower, Tanjung Balai Karimun 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surabaya
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.68 Rp 30.5K
$1.60 Rp 29.0K
5.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.51 Rp 208.8K
$13.72 Rp 248.8K
-16.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.11 Rp 56.4K
$3.27 Rp 59.4K
-4.89%
Cappuccino
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
5.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 Rp 10.6K
$0.46 Rp 8,275
28.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 Rp 5,121
$0.24 Rp 4,374
16.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$2.16 Rp 39.2K
3.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.20 Rp 76.2K
$3.63 Rp 65.8K
15.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surabaya
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 Rp 22.6K
$1.03 Rp 18.6K
21.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 Rp 22.8K
$1.09 Rp 19.8K
14.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.81 Rp 14.8K
$0.73 Rp 13.3K
10.96%
Eggs
$1.18 Rp 21.4K
$1.62 Rp 29.4K
-27.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.35 Rp 133.2K
$7.40 Rp 134.3K
-0.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.02 Rp 54.8K
$2.90 Rp 52.6K
4.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.40 Rp 134.3K
$8.49 Rp 153.9K
-12.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.04 Rp 37.1K
$2.36 Rp 42.7K
-13.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 Rp 22.5K
$1.20 Rp 21.8K
3.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.8K
$1.47 Rp 26.7K
26.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 Rp 26.7K
$1.29 Rp 23.4K
13.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.34 Rp 24.3K
$1.08 Rp 19.6K
24.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
$2.03 Rp 36.8K
-7.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 Rp 17.4K
$0.78 Rp 14.1K
23.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 Rp 7,107
$0.42 Rp 7,677
-7.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.95 Rp 35.4K
$2.58 Rp 46.8K
-24.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.42 Rp 443.0K
$20.80 Rp 377.3K
17.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.2K
$1.77 Rp 32.0K
-2.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
$3.32 Rp 60.1K
-10.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Surabaya
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,844
$0.22 Rp 3,997
22.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.60 Rp 301.1K
$9.92 Rp 180.0K
67.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,493
$0.49 Rp 8,939
-4.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.45 Rp 8,178
$0.35 Rp 6,363
28.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.56 Rp 46.4K
$2.91 Rp 52.8K
-12.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.72 Rp 13.0K
12.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 441.6M
$25.6K Rp 464.0M
-4.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 574.4M
$34.6K Rp 627.3M
-8.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surabaya
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.6 Rp 1.6M
$68.4 Rp 1.2M
26.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.57 Rp 82.8K
$4.25 Rp 77.1K
7.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.49 Rp 353.4K
$20.80 Rp 377.2K
-6.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surabaya
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.35 Rp 278.4K
$18.27 Rp 331.4K
-15.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.53 Rp 118.4K
$8.18 Rp 148.4K
-20.17%
Cinema Ticket
$2.62 Rp 47.6K
$2.96 Rp 53.7K
-11.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surabaya
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$270 Rp 4.9M
$90.4 Rp 1.6M
199.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,294 Rp 168.6M
$7,256 Rp 131.6M
28.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surabaya
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.1 Rp 1.3M
$46.89 Rp 850.5K
47.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.24 Rp 693.7K
$31.72 Rp 575.3K
20.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.8 Rp 1.4M
$70.4 Rp 1.3M
11.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.5 Rp 1.4M
$60.6 Rp 1.1M
23.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surabaya
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$274 Rp 5.0M
$196 Rp 3.5M
40.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$148 Rp 2.7M
$128 Rp 2.3M
15.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,204 Rp 21.8M
$529 Rp 9.6M
127.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$607 Rp 11.0M
$411 Rp 7.5M
47.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,146 Rp 38.9M
$1,280 Rp 23.2M
67.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,065 Rp 19.3M
$742 Rp 13.5M
43.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surabaya
Tanjung Balai Karimun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$266 Rp 4.8M
-
-
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: October 27, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Balai Karimun: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Surabaya
$205
Tanjung Balai Karimun
$197 3.9% $7.9
Accommodation & Living
Surabaya
$148
Tanjung Balai Karimun
$128 13.5% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Surabaya
$117
Tanjung Balai Karimun
$94 19.6% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surabaya
$111
Tanjung Balai Karimun
$93 15.5% $17
Eating Out
Surabaya
$64
Tanjung Balai Karimun
$61 5.1% $3.3
Sport & Entertainment
Surabaya
$21
Tanjung Balai Karimun
$24 17.5% $3.6
Getting Around
Surabaya
$20
Tanjung Balai Karimun
$13 36% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Surabaya versus $196 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 in Surabaya versus $14 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. Groceries tell a different story – $205 in Surabaya vs $197 in Tanjung Balai Karimun – so Tanjung Balai Karimun wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Surabaya
🇮🇩 Tanjung Balai Karimun
🕒 Local time
16:24 4:24 PM
16:24 4:24 PM
Same time as Surabaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,765,487
48,953
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surabaya Tanjung Balai Karimun 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Surabaya
  • Tanjung Balai Karimun

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 Tanjung Balai Karimun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Surabaya and in Tanjung Balai Karimun compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $685 in Surabaya, $610 in Tanjung Balai Karimun – Tanjung Balai Karimun comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Surabaya compared to Tanjung Balai Karimun?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,028 per month in Surabaya and $915 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Surabaya and Tanjung Balai Karimun?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tanjung Balai Karimun, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $196 there versus $274 in Surabaya.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Surabaya, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $12 in Surabaya and $14 in Tanjung Balai Karimun. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $1,000 go in Surabaya compared to Tanjung Balai Karimun?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $685 in Surabaya and $610 in Tanjung Balai Karimun, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Surabaya or Tanjung Balai Karimun?
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.

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