Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Tanjung Pandan Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Tanjung Pandan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $700 per month in Surabaya vs $655 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Surabaya vs $1,022 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,535 per month in Surabaya vs $1,388 in Tanjung Pandan, rent included.

Surabaya costs about 7% more than Tanjung Pandan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Surabaya and Tanjung Pandan are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 48% lower, Tanjung Pandan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.52 Rp 27.7K

$1.50 Rp 27.2K

1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.46 Rp 226.0K

$12.48 Rp 226.3K

-0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.13 Rp 56.8K

$3.33 Rp 60.5K

-6.01%

Cappuccino

$1.74 Rp 31.5K

$1.65 Rp 29.8K

5.45%

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

$0.66 Rp 11.9K

$0.54 Rp 9,842

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,079

$0.26 Rp 4,707

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 Rp 45.3K

$2.48 Rp 44.9K

0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 Rp 71.1K

$3.49 Rp 63.2K

12.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 Rp 25.8K

$1.21 Rp 22.0K

17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 Rp 27.2K

$1.12 Rp 20.3K

33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.9K

Eggs

$1.50 Rp 27.2K

$1.59 Rp 28.9K

-5.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 Rp 168.8K

$8.35 Rp 151.5K

11.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 Rp 57.6K

$3.14 Rp 56.9K

0.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.19 Rp 148.6K

$7.75 Rp 140.6K

5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.5K

$2.38 Rp 43.1K

0.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.43 Rp 26.0K

4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 Rp 39.3K

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.7K

$1.50 Rp 27.2K

-5.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 Rp 25.0K

$1.37 Rp 24.9K

0.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.3K

$1.87 Rp 34.0K

-4.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 Rp 21.0K

$0.90 Rp 16.4K

28.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 Rp 8,198

$0.44 Rp 8,015

2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 Rp 44.2K

$2.53 Rp 45.8K

-3.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.54 Rp 445.1K

$20.05 Rp 363.6K

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 33.2K

$2.09 Rp 38.0K

-12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 Rp 59.3K

$3.10 Rp 56.3K

5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 Rp 8,599

$0.32 Rp 5,880

46.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.14 Rp 165.8K

$9.56 Rp 173.5K

-4.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,534

$0.54 Rp 9,760

-12.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 Rp 5,637

$0.35 Rp 6,315

-11.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 Rp 49.9K

$3.00 Rp 54.4K

-8.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

11.54%

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

$20.8K Rp 378.0M

$24.3K Rp 440.1M

-14.10%

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

$34.9K Rp 632.4M

$27.7K Rp 503.2M

25.68%

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

$83.9 Rp 1.5M

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

18.84%

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

$4.10 Rp 74.4K

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

-3.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.83 Rp 359.7K

$22.73 Rp 412.2K

-12.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.93 Rp 397.8K

$23.21 Rp 420.9K

-5.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.44 Rp 80.5K

$6.11 Rp 110.8K

-27.33%

Cinema Ticket

$2.96 Rp 53.7K

$3.15 Rp 57.2K

-6.03%

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

$192 Rp 3.5M

$93.5 Rp 1.7M

104.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,350 Rp 169.6M

$7,607 Rp 138.0M

22.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

$42.50 Rp 770.8K

47.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 Rp 715.5K

$31.15 Rp 565.0K

26.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

$75.3 Rp 1.4M

8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 Rp 4.4M

$258 Rp 4.7M

-5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 Rp 2.4M

$155 Rp 2.8M

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 Rp 13.8M

$596 Rp 10.8M

27.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 Rp 7.1M

$338 Rp 6.1M

15.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,223 Rp 40.3M

$1,049 Rp 19.0M

111.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,057 Rp 19.2M

$645 Rp 11.7M

63.90%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Pandan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Surabaya versus $258 in Tanjung Pandan. 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 Pandan. Groceries tell a different story – $227 in Surabaya vs $206 in Tanjung Pandan – so Tanjung Pandan 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 Pandan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $700 in Surabaya, $655 in Tanjung Pandan – roughly 7% apart. Surabaya costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,050 per month in Surabaya and $982 in Tanjung Pandan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 10% 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 Pandan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $700 in Surabaya and $655 in Tanjung Pandan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tanjung Pandan – 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 Pandan. 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.