Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surakarta and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $589 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
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Surakarta Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$589

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surakarta and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $589 per month in Surakarta vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Surakarta $589
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $933 per month in Surakarta vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Surakarta $933
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,278 per month in Surakarta vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Surakarta $1,278
Medellin $3,186

Surakarta is about 64% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Surakarta sits 57% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-78.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.39 Rp 206.6K

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-75.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.06 Rp 55.4K

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-67.79%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

$3.01 COP 9,735

-48.50%

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

$0.53 Rp 9,664

$1.80 COP 5,809

-70.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,147

$1.41 COP 4,561

-83.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-55.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-51.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.51 COP 4,876

-43.05%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

$2.38 COP 7,678

-68.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.77 COP 5,720

-57.63%

Eggs

$1.00 Rp 18.1K

$2.89 COP 9,333

-65.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 Rp 141.1K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-23.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-83.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.32 Rp 96.5K

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-61.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-50.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.7K

$1.55 COP 5,012

-16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$2.18 COP 7,048

-17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

$2.18 COP 7,051

-35.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

$1.96 COP 6,337

-30.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

$1.59 COP 5,132

3.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 Rp 9,568

$1.15 COP 3,699

-53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,783

$1.24 COP 4,014

-65.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 Rp 34.9K

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-51.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 Rp 149.3K

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-39.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 Rp 29.3K

$1.66 COP 5,359

-3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

$2.26 COP 7,291

31.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 Rp 7,401

$1.17 COP 3,771

-64.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 Rp 205.8K

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-85.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,488

$1.27 COP 4,094

-62.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,747

$2.05 COP 6,612

-79.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 Rp 46.8K

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-69.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

$1.35 COP 4,349

-42.22%

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

$25.0K Rp 454.0M

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-26.52%

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

$32.9K Rp 596.8M

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-5.10%

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

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$170 COP 547.8K

-54.20%

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

$2.06 Rp 37.3K

$13.55 COP 43.8K

-84.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 Rp 339.7K

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-33.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.13 Rp 292.6K

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-63.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 Rp 150.7K

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-51.66%

Cinema Ticket

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-72.79%

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

$33.22 Rp 602.5K

$797 COP 2.6M

-95.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,841 Rp 33.4M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-79.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 Rp 1.1M

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-30.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.70 Rp 665.7K

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-36.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 Rp 1.2M

$135 COP 435.8K

-49.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-32.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-81.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.7M

$642 COP 2.1M

-77.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 Rp 10.1M

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-72.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 Rp 6.7M

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-63.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 Rp 20.0M

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-73.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 Rp 12.9M

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-62.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$155 Rp 2.8M

$657 COP 2.1M

-76.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

10.94

-31.44%

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

Last update for Surakarta: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surakarta

$147 25%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 102% $150

Accommodation & Living

Surakarta

$147 25%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 336% $494

Clothing & Footwear

Surakarta

$103 17.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 63.7% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surakarta

$98 16.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 115% $113

Eating Out

Surakarta

$57 9.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 197% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Surakarta

$20 3.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 189% $38

Getting Around

Surakarta

$16 2.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 500% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Surakarta versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surakarta versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $297 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

22:39 10:39 PM

12 h behind Surakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,421

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surakarta Medellin 19,290 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Surakarta
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 178%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $883 per month in Surakarta and $2,459 in Medellin. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surakarta and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $589 in Surakarta and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Surakarta about 64% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Surakarta, where all-in costs run around $589, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Surakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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