Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Timika

For one person, living is cheaper in Timika: $623 a month against $685 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Surabaya, Indonesia
Timika, Indonesia
Surabaya
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$685
/mo nomad
Timika
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$623
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Timika

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

A single person spends $685 per month in Surabaya vs $623 in Timika, rent included.

  • Surabaya $685
  • Timika $623

A couple spends around $1,189 per month in Surabaya vs $1,011 in Timika, rent included.

  • Surabaya $1,189
  • Timika $1,011

A family of three spends $1,693 per month in Surabaya vs $1,398 in Timika, rent included.

  • Surabaya $1,693
  • Timika $1,398

Surabaya costs about 10% more than Timika, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Surabaya and Timika are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 50% lower, Timika 54% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surabaya
Timika
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.68 Rp 30.5K
$1.60 Rp 29.1K
5.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.51 Rp 209.2K
$13.94 Rp 253.3K
-17.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.11 Rp 56.5K
$3.00 Rp 54.5K
3.67%
Cappuccino
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
3.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 Rp 10.6K
$0.43 Rp 7,890
37.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 Rp 5,132
$0.26 Rp 4,689
7.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$2.18 Rp 39.7K
2.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.20 Rp 76.4K
$3.14 Rp 57.1K
33.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surabaya
Timika
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 Rp 22.7K
$1.29 Rp 23.5K
-3.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.25 Rp 22.8K
$1.16 Rp 21.0K
7.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.81 Rp 14.8K
$0.88 Rp 16.0K
-7.95%
Eggs
$1.18 Rp 21.4K
$1.42 Rp 25.9K
-16.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.35 Rp 133.5K
$7.02 Rp 127.6K
4.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.02 Rp 55.0K
$2.61 Rp 47.5K
15.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.40 Rp 134.5K
$7.41 Rp 134.6K
-0.13%
Apples (1kg)
$2.04 Rp 37.1K
$2.49 Rp 45.3K
-18.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 Rp 22.6K
$1.10 Rp 20.0K
12.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.9K
$1.54 Rp 28.0K
20.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 Rp 26.7K
$1.35 Rp 24.6K
8.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.34 Rp 24.4K
$1.32 Rp 24.0K
1.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 34.2K
$2.06 Rp 37.5K
-8.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 Rp 17.4K
$0.86 Rp 15.6K
11.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 Rp 7,121
$0.40 Rp 7,272
-2.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.95 Rp 35.4K
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
-28.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.42 Rp 443.9K
$18.19 Rp 330.6K
34.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.2K
$1.66 Rp 30.1K
3.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$2.94 Rp 53.4K
1.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Surabaya
Timika
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,854
$0.24 Rp 4,446
12.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.60 Rp 301.7K
$10.84 Rp 197.1K
53.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,511
$0.47 Rp 8,629
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.45 Rp 8,195
$0.30 Rp 5,366
50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.56 Rp 46.5K
$2.55 Rp 46.4K
0.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.80 Rp 14.6K
1.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 442.5M
$25.5K Rp 462.6M
-4.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.5M
$35.6K Rp 646.4M
-10.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surabaya
Timika
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.6 Rp 1.6M
$60.6 Rp 1.1M
42.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.57 Rp 83.0K
$3.93 Rp 71.4K
16.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.49 Rp 354.1K
$16.61 Rp 301.9K
17.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surabaya
Timika
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.35 Rp 279.0K
$18.97 Rp 344.8K
-19.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.53 Rp 118.6K
$8.64 Rp 157.0K
-24.42%
Cinema Ticket
$2.62 Rp 47.7K
$2.68 Rp 48.8K
-2.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surabaya
Timika
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$270 Rp 4.9M
$91.9 Rp 1.7M
194.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,294 Rp 168.9M
$8,848 Rp 160.8M
5.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surabaya
Timika
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.1 Rp 1.3M
$44.34 Rp 805.8K
55.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.24 Rp 695.1K
$25.46 Rp 462.7K
50.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.8 Rp 1.4M
$76.4 Rp 1.4M
3.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.5 Rp 1.4M
$78.1 Rp 1.4M
-4.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surabaya
Timika
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$274 Rp 5.0M
$237 Rp 4.3M
15.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$148 Rp 2.7M
$155 Rp 2.8M
-4.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,204 Rp 21.9M
$609 Rp 11.1M
97.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$607 Rp 11.0M
$403 Rp 7.3M
50.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,146 Rp 39.0M
$1,199 Rp 21.8M
78.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,065 Rp 19.3M
$784 Rp 14.2M
35.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surabaya
Timika
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 Timika: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Surabaya
$205
Timika
$189 7.6% $16
Accommodation & Living
Surabaya
$148
Timika
$155 4.8% $7
Clothing & Footwear
Surabaya
$117
Timika
$101 13.9% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surabaya
$111
Timika
$81 26.6% $29
Eating Out
Surabaya
$64
Timika
$60 7.1% $4.5
Sport & Entertainment
Surabaya
$21
Timika
$24 18.2% $3.7
Getting Around
Surabaya
$20
Timika
$14 32.5% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Surabaya versus $237 in Timika. 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 Timika. Groceries tell a different story – $205 in Surabaya vs $189 in Timika – so Timika wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Surabaya
🇮🇩 Timika
🕒 Local time
04:14 4:14 AM
06:14 6:14 AM
2 h ahead of Surabaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,765,487
142,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surabaya Timika 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Surabaya
  • Timika

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 Timika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Surabaya and in Timika compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $685 in Surabaya, $623 in Timika – Timika comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Surabaya compared to Timika?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,028 per month in Surabaya and $935 in Timika. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Surabaya and Timika?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Timika, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $237 there versus $274 in Surabaya.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 8% 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 Timika. 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 Timika?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $685 in Surabaya and $623 in Timika, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Surabaya or Timika?
Families tend to lean toward Timika – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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