Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Yogyakarta Cost of Living Comparison Between Surabaya and Yogyakarta

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $708 per month in Surabaya vs $652 in Yogyakarta, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,133 per month in Surabaya vs $1,012 in Yogyakarta, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,557 per month in Surabaya vs $1,371 in Yogyakarta, rent included.

Surabaya costs about 9% more than Yogyakarta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Surabaya and Yogyakarta are more affordable than the global median – Surabaya 47% lower, Yogyakarta 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surabaya
Yogyakarta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.52 Rp 27.3K
$1.41 Rp 25.2K
7.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.12 Rp 217.3K
$9.01 Rp 161.6K
34.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.13 Rp 56.1K
$3.12 Rp 55.9K
0.32%
Cappuccino
$1.82 Rp 32.6K
$1.46 Rp 26.1K
24.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60 Rp 10.8K
$0.53 Rp 9,555
13.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 Rp 4,620
$0.28 Rp 5,073
-7.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.41 Rp 43.2K
$2.43 Rp 43.6K
-0.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 Rp 72.0K
$3.30 Rp 59.2K
21.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surabaya
Yogyakarta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 Rp 24.8K
$1.22 Rp 22.0K
13.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 Rp 26.2K
$1.37 Rp 24.5K
6.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.93 Rp 16.7K
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
13.41%
Eggs
$1.44 Rp 25.9K
$1.33 Rp 23.8K
8.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.04 Rp 162.1K
$7.10 Rp 127.3K
27.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.29 Rp 59.0K
$3.28 Rp 58.9K
0.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.45 Rp 151.5K
$8.13 Rp 145.8K
3.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.3K
$2.37 Rp 42.4K
2.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.6K
$1.46 Rp 26.1K
5.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 39.3K
$1.36 Rp 24.4K
61.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.42 Rp 25.5K
$1.03 Rp 18.5K
37.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.32 Rp 23.7K
$1.08 Rp 19.3K
22.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 Rp 32.2K
$1.74 Rp 31.2K
3.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$0.46 Rp 8,187
156.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 Rp 7,557
$0.39 Rp 6,934
7.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.54 Rp 45.6K
$2.53 Rp 45.4K
0.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.78 Rp 444.3K
$16.85 Rp 302.0K
47.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 Rp 31.6K
$1.77 Rp 31.8K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 Rp 56.4K
$3.30 Rp 59.1K
-4.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Surabaya
Yogyakarta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.48 Rp 8,521
$0.21 Rp 3,755
128.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.40 Rp 168.6K
$9.79 Rp 175.5K
-3.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,949
$0.47 Rp 8,428
-6.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 Rp 5,185
$0.31 Rp 5,574
-6.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.77 Rp 49.7K
$4.19 Rp 75.0K
-33.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
$0.82 Rp 14.6K
2.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.6K Rp 369.9M
$19.2K Rp 344.5M
7.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.8K Rp 641.8M
$27.1K Rp 486.6M
31.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surabaya
Yogyakarta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.9 Rp 1.5M
$73.7 Rp 1.3M
15.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 Rp 73.3K
$4.31 Rp 77.3K
-5.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.75 Rp 354.1K
$19.59 Rp 351.1K
0.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surabaya
Yogyakarta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.59 Rp 387.0K
$15.17 Rp 272.0K
42.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.57 Rp 81.9K
$3.05 Rp 54.7K
49.84%
Cinema Ticket
$2.85 Rp 51.1K
$2.82 Rp 50.5K
1.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surabaya
Yogyakarta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$188 Rp 3.4M
$72.5 Rp 1.3M
158.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,556 Rp 171.3M
$4,468 Rp 80.1M
113.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surabaya
Yogyakarta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.6 Rp 1.1M
$34.45 Rp 617.5K
78.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.56 Rp 691.1K
$30.38 Rp 544.6K
26.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.8 Rp 1.4M
$77.2 Rp 1.4M
0.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.6 Rp 1.5M
$82.6 Rp 1.5M
1.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surabaya
Yogyakarta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$242 Rp 4.3M
$194 Rp 3.5M
24.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$135 Rp 2.4M
$171 Rp 3.1M
-20.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$762 Rp 13.7M
$782 Rp 14.0M
-2.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$393 Rp 7.0M
$386 Rp 6.9M
1.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,209 Rp 39.6M
$1,652 Rp 29.6M
33.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,067 Rp 19.1M
$223 Rp 4.0M
378.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surabaya
Yogyakarta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$276 Rp 4.9M
$213 Rp 3.8M
29.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.33
8.33
-

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

Last update for Surabaya: May 31, 2026

Last update for Yogyakarta: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $242 in Surabaya versus $194 in Yogyakarta. 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 29% 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 $12.00 in Surabaya versus $9.00 in Yogyakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 vs $190 – making Yogyakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Yogyakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Surabaya and Yogyakarta compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $708 in Surabaya, $652 in Yogyakarta – roughly 9% apart. Surabaya costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Surabaya compared to Yogyakarta?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,062 per month in Surabaya and $978 in Yogyakarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Surabaya and Yogyakarta?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Yogyakarta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Surabaya, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Surabaya and $9.00 in Yogyakarta. 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 vs Yogyakarta?
$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $708 in Surabaya and $652 in Yogyakarta, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Surabaya and Yogyakarta?
It depends on your priorities. Surabaya has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $652 in Yogyakarta to $708 in Surabaya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Surabaya or Yogyakarta 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 Yogyakarta?
If budget matters most, go with Yogyakarta. 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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