Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surakarta and Bandung

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $589 a month against $623 in Bandung, rent and utilities included – about $410 less a year. The total is higher in Bandung despite lower rent and utilities.

28

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
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Surakarta Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
Learn more

Bandung Living Index

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Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$589

/mo nomad

Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surakarta and in Bandung

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $589 in Surakarta versus $623 in Bandung.

Surakarta $589
Bandung $623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $933 in Surakarta versus $925 in Bandung.

Surakarta $933
Bandung $925

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,278 in Surakarta versus $1,226 in Bandung.

Surakarta $1,278
Bandung $1,226

Living in Surakarta costs roughly 5% less than in Bandung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surakarta 57% lower, Bandung 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

21.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.39 Rp 206.4K

$13.70 Rp 248.3K

-16.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.06 Rp 55.4K

$3.22 Rp 58.3K

-4.97%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

$1.48 Rp 26.8K

4.73%

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

$0.53 Rp 9,655

$0.43 Rp 7,756

23.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,143

$0.22 Rp 3,982

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$3.10 Rp 56.2K

-54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

$3.10 Rp 56.2K

-10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

-22.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

$0.97 Rp 17.5K

-23.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.86 Rp 15.5K

-12.79%

Eggs

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

-29.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 Rp 141.0K

$6.94 Rp 125.7K

12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

-44.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.32 Rp 96.4K

$7.93 Rp 143.6K

-32.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

$2.22 Rp 40.2K

-11.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.6K

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.5K

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

23.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

58.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

24.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 29.7K

$1.94 Rp 35.1K

-15.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 Rp 9,559

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

-17.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,776

$0.43 Rp 7,792

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 Rp 34.9K

$2.56 Rp 46.4K

-24.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 Rp 149.2K

$22.37 Rp 405.4K

-63.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 Rp 29.2K

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.7K

$3.15 Rp 57.2K

-5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 Rp 7,394

$0.27 Rp 4,849

51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 Rp 205.6K

$12.56 Rp 227.7K

-9.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,480

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

-44.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,739

$0.54 Rp 9,707

-20.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 Rp 46.8K

$2.32 Rp 42.1K

11.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

-7.14%

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

$25.0K Rp 453.6M

$20.8K Rp 376.1M

20.60%

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

$32.9K Rp 596.2M

$32.2K Rp 584.0M

2.09%

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

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$33.56 Rp 608.0K

131.53%

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

$2.06 Rp 37.2K

$4.22 Rp 76.5K

-51.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 Rp 339.3K

$19.17 Rp 347.4K

-2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.13 Rp 292.3K

$16.35 Rp 296.3K

-1.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 Rp 150.6K

$5.92 Rp 107.3K

40.37%

Cinema Ticket

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

$2.83 Rp 51.2K

-33.57%

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

$33.22 Rp 601.9K

$92.1 Rp 1.7M

-63.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,841 Rp 33.4M

$8,239 Rp 149.3M

-77.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 Rp 1.1M

$38.89 Rp 704.6K

51.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.70 Rp 665.0K

$31.30 Rp 567.1K

17.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 Rp 1.2M

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

-8.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

$69.3 Rp 1.3M

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$208 Rp 3.8M

6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.7M

$176 Rp 3.2M

-16.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 Rp 10.1M

$372 Rp 6.7M

50.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 Rp 6.7M

$264 Rp 4.8M

39.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 Rp 20.0M

$706 Rp 12.8M

56.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 Rp 12.9M

$298 Rp 5.4M

138.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$155 Rp 2.8M

$277 Rp 5.0M

-44.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

11.38

-34.09%

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

Last update for Surakarta: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bandung: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surakarta

$147 25%

Bandung

$192 30.8% 30.3% $45

Accommodation & Living

Surakarta

$147 25%

Bandung

$176 28.2% 19.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Surakarta

$103 17.5%

Bandung

$96 15.5% 6.6% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surakarta

$98 16.7%

Bandung

$57 9.1% 42.2% $42

Eating Out

Surakarta

$57 9.7%

Bandung

$63 10.1% 10.2% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Surakarta

$20 3.4%

Bandung

$22 3.5% 10.6% $2.1

Getting Around

Surakarta

$16 2.7%

Bandung

$17 2.8% 10.1% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $223 in Surakarta and $208 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 79% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $11 in Surakarta vs $14 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $147 vs $192 per month, with Surakarta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🇮🇩 Bandung

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

Same time as Surakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,421

2,390,120

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Surakarta Bandung 360 km

From you

Surakarta
Bandung

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 Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surakarta wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Bandung. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Surakarta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Surakarta. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $223 in Surakarta versus $208 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Bandung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Surakarta – a meal for two runs $11 versus $14 in Bandung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Surakarta gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Surakarta wins on affordability, Bandung on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.