Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surakarta and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $509 a month against $605 in Ambato, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
Learn more

Surakarta Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
Learn more

Ambato Living Index

Jump to prices

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$509

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surakarta and in Ambato

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Surakarta and in Ambato actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $509 per month in Surakarta vs $605 in Ambato, rent included.

Surakarta $509
Ambato $605

A couple spends around $817 per month in Surakarta vs $985 in Ambato, rent included.

Surakarta $817
Ambato $985

A family of three spends $1,124 per month in Surakarta vs $1,364 in Ambato, rent included.

Surakarta $1,124
Ambato $1,364

Surakarta is about 16% cheaper than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Surakarta and Ambato are more affordable than the global median – Surakarta 62% lower, Ambato 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.63 Rp 29.4K

$3.46 $3.46

-52.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.59 Rp 208.7K

$29.93 $29.93

-61.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 Rp 57.6K

$5.32 $5.32

-39.85%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

$2.76 $2.76

-43.84%

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

$0.54 Rp 9,772

$0.82 $0.82

-34.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.75 $0.75

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$1.96 $1.96

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

$3.22 $3.22

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$0.98 $0.98

-11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.98 $0.98

-25.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$1.57 $1.57

-50.96%

Eggs

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

$1.73 $1.73

-44.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 Rp 137.2K

$5.42 $5.42

40.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

$3.05 $3.05

-43.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.40 Rp 97.3K

$3.93 $3.93

37.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

$1.27 $1.27

58.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$0.88 $0.88

44.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

$1.03 $1.03

75.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$1.03 $1.03

33.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$0.77 $0.77

77.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

$0.99 $0.99

70.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

$0.73 $0.73

-20.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,732

$1.03 $1.03

-58.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 Rp 35.5K

$5.15 $5.15

-61.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 Rp 151.9K

$8.78 $8.78

-3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

$1.45 $1.45

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$2.81 $2.81

3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 Rp 7,244

$0.29 $0.29

37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.88 Rp 393.8K

$14.21 $14.21

53.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,071

$1.39 $1.39

-64.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,709

$1.12 $1.12

-61.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 Rp 48.3K

$9.43 $9.43

-71.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.86 $0.86

-11.63%

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

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

$23.3K $23.3K

4.92%

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

$32.3K Rp 582.1M

$28.1K $28.1K

14.89%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$39.20 $39.20

97.78%

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

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

$13.58 $13.58

-84.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.23 Rp 328.2K

$26.39 $26.39

-30.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.74 Rp 283.3K

$29.76 $29.76

-47.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.3K

Cinema Ticket

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$4.39 $4.39

-56.04%

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

$33.42 Rp 601.5K

$224 $224

-85.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,845 Rp 33.2M

$2,408 $2,408

-23.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

$48.25 $48.25

22.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 Rp 642.0K

$35.22 $35.22

1.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

$71.2 $71.2

-1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

$55.5 $55.5

16.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$178 $178

-6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

$124 $124

-54.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 Rp 6.1M

$380 $380

-11.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 Rp 3.5M

$273 $273

-29.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 $1,130

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$884 $884

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$158 Rp 2.8M

$679 $679

-76.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

-16.67%

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

Last update for Surakarta: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Surakarta

$148 29.2%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 0.9% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Surakarta

$103 20.3%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 8.5% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surakarta

$98 19.2%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 19.1% $19

Eating Out

Surakarta

$57 11.2%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 74% $42

Accommodation & Living

Surakarta

$57 11.1%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 120% $68

Getting Around

Surakarta

$26 5.1%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 14.5% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Surakarta

$20 3.9%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 96.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $168 in Surakarta versus $178 in Ambato. 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 330% higher in Ambato, 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 Surakarta versus $30.00 in Ambato. Groceries tell a different story – $148 in Surakarta vs $147 in Ambato – so Ambato wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

11:26 11:26 AM

23:26 11:26 PM

12 h behind Surakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,421

165,185

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Surakarta Ambato 18,580 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Surakarta
Ambato

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

Surakarta vs Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambato costs about 19% more than Surakarta, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $763 per month in Surakarta and $908 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Surakarta and $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $509 in Surakarta and $605 in Ambato. That's a gap of about 19%.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $509 in Surakarta and $605 in Ambato, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Surakarta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Surakarta. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ambato makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.