Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surakarta and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $509 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
Learn more

Surakarta Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$509

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surakarta and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $509 in Surakarta versus $918 in Cebu.

Surakarta $509
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $817 in Surakarta versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Surakarta $817
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,124 in Surakarta versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Surakarta $1,124
Cebu $1,900

Living in Surakarta costs roughly 45% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surakarta 62% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.63 Rp 29.4K

$3.09 ₱194

-47.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.59 Rp 208.7K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-52.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 Rp 57.6K

$3.92 ₱247

-18.37%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

$2.51 ₱158

-38.25%

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

$0.54 Rp 9,772

$1.59 ₱100

-66.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.53 ₱33.43

-52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$1.78 ₱112

-20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

$2.17 ₱137

27.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$1.92 ₱121

-54.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$1.36 ₱85.4

-46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$1.01 ₱63.5

-23.76%

Eggs

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

$2.03 ₱128

-52.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 Rp 137.2K

$9.86 ₱621

-22.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

$4.39 ₱277

-61.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.40 Rp 97.3K

$7.60 ₱479

-28.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

$3.30 ₱208

-39.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.39 ₱87.8

-8.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

$2.33 ₱147

-22.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$1.50 ₱94.3

-8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$2.36 ₱149

-41.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

$1.90 ₱119

-11.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

$1.19 ₱74.9

-51.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,732

$0.63 ₱39.71

-31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 Rp 35.5K

$3.00 ₱189

-34.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 Rp 151.9K

$6.03 ₱379

39.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

$1.23 ₱77.7

37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.75 ₱110

65.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 Rp 7,244

$0.25 ₱15.86

60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.88 Rp 393.8K

$12.64 ₱796

73.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,071

$0.77 ₱48.62

-35.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,709

$0.23 ₱14.53

86.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 Rp 48.3K

$4.46 ₱281

-39.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.31 ₱82.8

-41.98%

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

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

15.24%

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

$32.3K Rp 582.1M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

68.89%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$120 ₱7,569

-35.52%

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

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

$14.00 ₱882

-85.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.23 Rp 328.2K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-33.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.74 Rp 283.3K

$32.33 ₱2,035

-51.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.3K

$6.65 ₱419

26.47%

Cinema Ticket

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$5.65 ₱356

-65.84%

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

$33.42 Rp 601.5K

$275 ₱17.3K

-87.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,845 Rp 33.2M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-76.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

$49.33 ₱3,106

19.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.67 Rp 642.0K

$25.24 ₱1,589

41.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

$77.0 ₱4,846

-8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

$57.2 ₱3,601

12.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$500 ₱31.5K

-66.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

$309 ₱19.4K

-81.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 Rp 6.1M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-68.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 Rp 3.5M

$615 ₱38.7K

-68.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$158 Rp 2.8M

$346 ₱21.8K

-54.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

7.2

4.17%

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

Last update for Surakarta: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surakarta

$148 29.2%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 38.8% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Surakarta

$103 20.3%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 9.1% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surakarta

$98 19.2%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 65.3% $64

Eating Out

Surakarta

$57 11.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 54.8% $31

Accommodation & Living

Surakarta

$57 11.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 446% $252

Getting Around

Surakarta

$26 5.1%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 40.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Surakarta

$20 3.9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 123% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $168 in Surakarta and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 119% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $12.00 in Surakarta vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $148 vs $206 per month, with Surakarta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

10:00 10:00 AM

1 h ahead of Surakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,421

964,169

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surakarta Cebu 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Surakarta
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surakarta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 119% lower in Cebu. 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: $168 in Surakarta versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $509 per month in Surakarta versus $918 in Cebu – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Surakarta runs roughly 73% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

For families, Surakarta is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Surakarta and Cebu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Surakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.