Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surakarta and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $509 a month against $1,236 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
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Surakarta Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Bali
Learn more

Bali Living Index

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Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$509

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surakarta and in Bali

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

A single person spends $509 per month in Surakarta vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

Surakarta $509
Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $817 per month in Surakarta vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

Surakarta $817
Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $1,124 per month in Surakarta vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

Surakarta $1,124
Bali $2,937

Surakarta is about 59% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Surakarta and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Surakarta 62% lower, Bali 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.63 Rp 29.4K

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

-40.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.59 Rp 208.7K

$29.80 Rp 536.4K

-61.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 Rp 57.6K

$4.63 Rp 83.3K

-30.89%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

$2.32 Rp 41.7K

-33.19%

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

$0.54 Rp 9,772

$1.40 Rp 25.1K

-61.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

-60.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

-35.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

$3.58 Rp 64.5K

-22.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

-41.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

-66.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

-34.19%

Eggs

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

$2.02 Rp 36.4K

-52.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 Rp 137.2K

$16.52 Rp 297.4K

-53.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

$3.68 Rp 66.2K

-53.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.40 Rp 97.3K

$11.67 Rp 210.0K

-53.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

$3.44 Rp 62.0K

-41.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.46 Rp 26.2K

-13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-19.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$1.82 Rp 32.8K

-24.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

-23.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

-25.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

-41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,732

$0.51 Rp 9,186

-15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 Rp 35.5K

$2.15 Rp 38.7K

-8.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 Rp 151.9K

$21.44 Rp 386.0K

-60.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$2.86 Rp 51.5K

1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 Rp 7,244

$0.26 Rp 4,713

53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.88 Rp 393.8K

$7.97 Rp 143.5K

174.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,071

$0.48 Rp 8,646

4.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,709

$0.43 Rp 7,705

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 Rp 48.3K

$5.64 Rp 101.6K

-52.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

-7.32%

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

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

$23.7K Rp 426.6M

3.31%

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

$32.3K Rp 582.1M

$31.7K Rp 571.3M

1.88%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$81.3 Rp 1.5M

-4.66%

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

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

$6.53 Rp 117.6K

-67.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.23 Rp 328.2K

$18.31 Rp 329.7K

-0.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.74 Rp 283.3K

$46.85 Rp 843.4K

-66.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.3K

$15.05 Rp 270.8K

-44.12%

Cinema Ticket

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$3.69 Rp 66.5K

-47.70%

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

$33.42 Rp 601.5K

$445 Rp 8.0M

-92.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,845 Rp 33.2M

$5,218 Rp 93.9M

-64.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

$42.66 Rp 767.8K

38.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 Rp 642.0K

$33.40 Rp 601.2K

6.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

-6.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

-12.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$996 Rp 17.9M

-83.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

$596 Rp 10.7M

-90.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 Rp 6.1M

$3,054 Rp 55.0M

-88.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 Rp 3.5M

$1,511 Rp 27.2M

-87.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 Rp 43.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 Rp 35.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$158 Rp 2.8M

$220 Rp 4.0M

-28.33%

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 Surakarta: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surakarta

$148 29.2%

Bali

$277 22.4% 86.6% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Surakarta

$103 20.3%

Bali

$101 8.2% 2.1% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surakarta

$98 19.2%

Bali

$106 8.6% 8.5% $8.3

Eating Out

Surakarta

$57 11.2%

Bali

$90 7.3% 57.9% $33

Accommodation & Living

Surakarta

$57 11.1%

Bali

$596 48.2% 954% $540

Getting Around

Surakarta

$26 5.1%

Bali

$12 0.9% 55.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Surakarta

$20 3.9%

Bali

$54 4.4% 177% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $168 in Surakarta versus $996 in 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 40% higher in Bali, 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 Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $148 vs $277 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

10:12 10:12 AM

11:12 11:12 AM

1 h ahead of Surakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,421

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Surakarta Bali 500 km

From you

Surakarta
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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 Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 143% more than Surakarta, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,854 in Bali. 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 Bali. 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 $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 143%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surakarta, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Bali at $1,236. In Surakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Surakarta costs $509 versus $1,236 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.