Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Surabaya: $674 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Surabaya
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$674
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surabaya and in Ubud, Bali

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

A single person spends $674 per month in Surabaya vs $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Surabaya $674
  • Ubud, Bali $1,353

A couple spends around $1,173 per month in Surabaya vs $2,297 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Surabaya $1,173
  • Ubud, Bali $2,297

A family of three spends $1,672 per month in Surabaya vs $3,241 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Surabaya $1,672
  • Ubud, Bali $3,241

Surabaya is about 50% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Surabaya sits 50% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surabaya
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.63 Rp 29.3K
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
-49.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.26 Rp 202.7K
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
-67.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.14 Rp 56.5K
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
-44.91%
Cappuccino
$1.56 Rp 28.0K
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
-40.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 Rp 9,867
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
-68.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 Rp 4,619
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
-67.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 Rp 38.9K
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
-18.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.14 Rp 74.5K
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
-5.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surabaya
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 Rp 22.5K
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
-20.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.27 Rp 22.9K
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
-42.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
-29.66%
Eggs
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
-45.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.75 Rp 139.4K
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
-56.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.08 Rp 55.5K
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
-18.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.75 Rp 139.4K
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
-35.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 Rp 36.3K
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
-43.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 Rp 23.2K
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
-18.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 Rp 34.0K
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
-18.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 Rp 26.9K
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
-21.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 Rp 24.4K
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
-23.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 Rp 34.2K
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
-18.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 Rp 16.0K
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
-11.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 Rp 7,029
$0.53 Rp 9,509
-26.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.98 Rp 35.7K
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
-13.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$25.14 Rp 452.5K
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
13.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 Rp 31.3K
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
-25.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 Rp 50.9K
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
-5.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Surabaya
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 Rp 6,237
$0.23 Rp 4,112
52.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.46 Rp 8,282
$0.47 Rp 8,466
-2.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,542
$0.43 Rp 7,737
-2.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.58 Rp 46.4K
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
-52.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.8K
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
6.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 443.1M
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
3.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.3K Rp 581.0M
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
-1.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surabaya
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.3 Rp 1.6M
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
9.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.57 Rp 82.2K
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
-30.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.05 Rp 342.9K
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
2.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surabaya
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.92 Rp 322.6K
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
-66.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.66 Rp 119.9K
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
-63.57%
Cinema Ticket
$2.64 Rp 47.5K
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
-37.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surabaya
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$277 Rp 5.0M
$493 Rp 8.9M
-43.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,324 Rp 167.8M
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
66.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surabaya
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.9 Rp 1.3M
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
55.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.58 Rp 694.4K
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
10.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.8 Rp 1.5M
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
3.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.1 Rp 1.4M
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
-4.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surabaya
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$282 Rp 5.1M
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
-75.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$144 Rp 2.6M
$673 Rp 12.1M
-78.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,238 Rp 22.3M
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
-65.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$601 Rp 10.8M
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
-64.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,161 Rp 38.9M
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
-20.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,072 Rp 19.3M
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-52.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surabaya
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$271 Rp 4.9M
$166 Rp 3.0M
62.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.5
13.78
-45.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Surabaya: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Surabaya
$209
Ubud, Bali
$287 37.6% $78
Accommodation & Living
Surabaya
$144
Ubud, Bali
$673 366% $529
Clothing & Footwear
Surabaya
$119
Ubud, Bali
$107 10.8% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surabaya
$111
Ubud, Bali
$105 5.2% $5.8
Eating Out
Surabaya
$63
Ubud, Bali
$106 67.9% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Surabaya
$23
Ubud, Bali
$63 170% $39
Getting Around
Surabaya
$3.9 *
Ubud, Bali
$12 216% $8.5

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 $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. 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 63% higher in Surabaya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11.00 in Surabaya versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $287 – making Surabaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Surabaya
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
20:24 8:24 PM
21:24 9:24 PM
1 h ahead of Surabaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,765,487
74,800
💱 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 Ubud, Bali 310 km
From you
  • Surabaya
  • Ubud, Bali

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 Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Surabaya and in Ubud, Bali compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $674 in Surabaya, $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – roughly 101% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Surabaya compared to Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,011 per month in Surabaya and $2,030 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Surabaya and Ubud, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Surabaya, 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 Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $674 in Surabaya and $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. That's a gap of about 101%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Surabaya and Ubud, Bali?
Kindergarten costs $277 per month in Surabaya and $493 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surabaya, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Surabaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Surabaya and Ubud, Bali?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $674 in Surabaya to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Surabaya or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Surabaya and Ubud, Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Surabaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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