Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Tanjung Pinang

For one person, living is cheaper in Tanjung Pinang: $639 a month against $674 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Surabaya
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$674
/mo nomad
Tanjung Pinang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Tanjung Pinang

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

A single person spends $674 per month in Surabaya vs $639 in Tanjung Pinang, rent included.

  • Surabaya $674
  • Tanjung Pinang $639

A couple spends around $1,173 per month in Surabaya vs $987 in Tanjung Pinang, rent included.

  • Surabaya $1,173
  • Tanjung Pinang $987

A family of three spends $1,672 per month in Surabaya vs $1,335 in Tanjung Pinang, rent included.

  • Surabaya $1,672
  • Tanjung Pinang $1,335

Surabaya costs about 5% more than Tanjung Pinang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surabaya
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.63 Rp 29.3K
$3.42 Rp 61.5K
-52.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.26 Rp 202.7K
$13.81 Rp 248.6K
-18.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.14 Rp 56.5K
$3.52 Rp 63.3K
-10.80%
Cappuccino
$1.56 Rp 28.0K
$1.65 Rp 29.7K
-5.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 Rp 9,867
$0.40 Rp 7,163
37.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 Rp 4,619
$0.25 Rp 4,530
4.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 Rp 38.9K
$2.42 Rp 43.6K
-10.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.14 Rp 74.5K
$3.39 Rp 61.1K
22.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surabaya
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 Rp 22.5K
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
6.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.27 Rp 22.9K
$1.09 Rp 19.6K
16.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
-
Eggs
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$1.42 Rp 25.5K
-16.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.75 Rp 139.4K
$7.56 Rp 136.0K
2.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.08 Rp 55.5K
$2.83 Rp 51.0K
8.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.75 Rp 139.4K
$7.40 Rp 133.1K
4.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 Rp 36.3K
$2.05 Rp 36.8K
-1.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 Rp 23.2K
$1.24 Rp 22.3K
4.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 Rp 34.0K
$1.86 Rp 33.5K
1.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 Rp 26.9K
$1.28 Rp 23.1K
16.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 Rp 24.4K
$1.16 Rp 20.9K
17.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.2K
$1.78 Rp 32.0K
6.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
$0.76 Rp 13.6K
17.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 Rp 7,029
$0.40 Rp 7,277
-2.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.98 Rp 35.7K
$2.68 Rp 48.3K
-26.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$25.14 Rp 452.5K
$20.87 Rp 375.7K
20.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 Rp 31.3K
$1.76 Rp 31.7K
-1.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 Rp 50.9K
$3.36 Rp 60.6K
-15.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Surabaya
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 Rp 6,237
$0.28 Rp 5,028
25.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.46 Rp 8,282
$0.54 Rp 9,797
-14.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,542
$0.37 Rp 6,649
13.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.58 Rp 46.4K
$2.74 Rp 49.2K
-5.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.8K
$0.63 Rp 11.4K
39.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 443.1M
$25.1K Rp 451.9M
-1.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.3K Rp 581.0M
$35.7K Rp 642.7M
-9.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surabaya
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.3 Rp 1.6M
$65.9 Rp 1.2M
32.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.57 Rp 82.2K
$4.46 Rp 80.3K
2.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.05 Rp 342.9K
$19.46 Rp 350.3K
-2.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surabaya
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.92 Rp 322.6K
$19.32 Rp 347.8K
-7.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.66 Rp 119.9K
$7.96 Rp 143.3K
-16.33%
Cinema Ticket
$2.64 Rp 47.5K
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
-2.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surabaya
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$277 Rp 5.0M
$91.3 Rp 1.6M
203.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,324 Rp 167.8M
$7,140 Rp 128.5M
30.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surabaya
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.9 Rp 1.3M
$45.61 Rp 821.0K
55.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.58 Rp 694.4K
$26.21 Rp 471.7K
47.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.8 Rp 1.5M
$77.2 Rp 1.4M
4.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.1 Rp 1.4M
$64.2 Rp 1.2M
17.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surabaya
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$282 Rp 5.1M
$252 Rp 4.5M
11.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$144 Rp 2.6M
$152 Rp 2.7M
-4.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,238 Rp 22.3M
$576 Rp 10.4M
115.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$601 Rp 10.8M
$314 Rp 5.6M
91.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,161 Rp 38.9M
$1,270 Rp 22.9M
70.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,072 Rp 19.3M
$901 Rp 16.2M
18.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surabaya
Tanjung Pinang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$271 Rp 4.9M
$198 Rp 3.6M
36.48%
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 20, 2026

Last update for Tanjung Pinang: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Surabaya
$209
Tanjung Pinang
$194 6.9% $14
Accommodation & Living
Surabaya
$144
Tanjung Pinang
$152 5.2% $7.5
Clothing & Footwear
Surabaya
$119
Tanjung Pinang
$96 19.7% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surabaya
$111
Tanjung Pinang
$90 19% $21
Eating Out
Surabaya
$63
Tanjung Pinang
$79 25% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Surabaya
$23
Tanjung Pinang
$25 6.6% $1.5
Getting Around
Surabaya
$3.9 *
Tanjung Pinang
$3.5 * 10.9% $0.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $282 in Surabaya versus $252 in Tanjung Pinang. 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 36% higher in Surabaya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Surabaya versus $14.00 in Tanjung Pinang. Groceries tell a different story – $209 in Surabaya vs $194 in Tanjung Pinang – so Tanjung Pinang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Surabaya
🇮🇩 Tanjung Pinang
🕒 Local time
04:19 4:19 AM
04:19 4:19 AM
Same time as Surabaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,765,487
239,854
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surabaya Tanjung Pinang 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Surabaya
  • Tanjung Pinang

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 Pinang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Surabaya and in Tanjung Pinang compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $674 in Surabaya, $639 in Tanjung Pinang – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Surabaya compared to Tanjung Pinang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,011 per month in Surabaya and $959 in Tanjung Pinang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Surabaya and Tanjung Pinang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tanjung Pinang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Surabaya or Tanjung Pinang?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $674 in Surabaya and $639 in Tanjung Pinang. That's a gap of about 5%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Surabaya and Tanjung Pinang?
Kindergarten costs $277 per month in Surabaya and $91.3 in Tanjung Pinang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $800 go in Surabaya compared to Tanjung Pinang?
$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $674 in Surabaya and $639 in Tanjung Pinang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Surabaya or Tanjung Pinang?
Families tend to lean toward Tanjung Pinang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Surabaya and Tanjung Pinang?
If budget matters most, go with Tanjung Pinang. 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.

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