Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surakarta and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $589 a month against $685 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
Learn more

Surakarta Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
Learn more

Surabaya Living Index

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Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$589

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surakarta and in Surabaya

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

A single person spends $589 per month in Surakarta vs $685 in Surabaya, rent included.

Surakarta $589
Surabaya $685

A couple spends around $933 per month in Surakarta vs $1,189 in Surabaya, rent included.

Surakarta $933
Surabaya $1,189

A family of three spends $1,278 per month in Surakarta vs $1,693 in Surabaya, rent included.

Surakarta $1,278
Surabaya $1,693

Surakarta is about 14% cheaper than Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Surakarta and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Surakarta 57% lower, Surabaya 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$1.68 Rp 30.5K

1.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.39 Rp 206.6K

$11.51 Rp 208.8K

-1.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.06 Rp 55.4K

$3.11 Rp 56.4K

-1.61%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

0.65%

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

$0.53 Rp 9,664

$0.59 Rp 10.6K

-10.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,147

$0.28 Rp 5,121

-17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

-37.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

$4.20 Rp 76.2K

-33.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.25 Rp 22.6K

-31.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

$1.25 Rp 22.8K

-40.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.81 Rp 14.8K

-7.41%

Eggs

$1.00 Rp 18.1K

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

-15.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 Rp 141.1K

$7.35 Rp 133.2K

5.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

-46.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.32 Rp 96.5K

$7.40 Rp 134.3K

-28.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$2.04 Rp 37.1K

-3.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.7K

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$1.86 Rp 33.8K

-3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

-4.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

$1.34 Rp 24.3K

1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

-12.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 Rp 9,568

$0.96 Rp 17.4K

-44.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,783

$0.39 Rp 7,107

10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 Rp 34.9K

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

-1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 Rp 149.3K

$24.42 Rp 443.0K

-66.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 Rp 29.3K

$1.72 Rp 31.2K

-6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 Rp 7,401

$0.27 Rp 4,844

51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 Rp 205.8K

$16.60 Rp 301.1K

-31.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,488

$0.47 Rp 8,493

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,747

$0.45 Rp 8,178

-4.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 Rp 46.8K

$2.56 Rp 46.4K

0.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-3.70%

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

$25.0K Rp 454.0M

$24.3K Rp 441.6M

2.82%

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

$32.9K Rp 596.8M

$31.7K Rp 574.4M

3.90%

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

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$86.6 Rp 1.6M

-10.23%

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

$2.06 Rp 37.3K

$4.57 Rp 82.8K

-54.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 Rp 339.7K

$19.49 Rp 353.4K

-3.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.13 Rp 292.6K

$15.35 Rp 278.4K

5.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 Rp 150.7K

$6.53 Rp 118.4K

27.26%

Cinema Ticket

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

-28.24%

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

$33.22 Rp 602.5K

$270 Rp 4.9M

-87.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,841 Rp 33.4M

$9,294 Rp 168.6M

-80.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 Rp 1.1M

$69.1 Rp 1.3M

-14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.70 Rp 665.7K

$38.24 Rp 693.7K

-4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 Rp 1.2M

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

-13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

$74.5 Rp 1.4M

-11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$274 Rp 5.0M

-18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.7M

$148 Rp 2.7M

-0.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 Rp 10.1M

$1,204 Rp 21.8M

-53.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 Rp 6.7M

$607 Rp 11.0M

-39.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 Rp 20.0M

$2,146 Rp 38.9M

-48.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 Rp 12.9M

$1,065 Rp 19.3M

-33.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$155 Rp 2.8M

$266 Rp 4.8M

-41.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

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

Last update for Surakarta: October 26, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surakarta

$147 25%

Surabaya

$205 29.8% 38.8% $57

Accommodation & Living

Surakarta

$147 25%

Surabaya

$148 21.5% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Surakarta

$103 17.5%

Surabaya

$117 17.1% 13.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surakarta

$98 16.7%

Surabaya

$111 16.1% 12.3% $12

Eating Out

Surakarta

$57 9.7%

Surabaya

$64 9.4% 12.6% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Surakarta

$20 3.4%

Surabaya

$21 3% 3.5% $0.7

Getting Around

Surakarta

$16 2.7%

Surabaya

$20 3% 30.9% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Surakarta versus $274 in Surabaya. 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 71% higher in Surabaya. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surakarta versus $12 in Surabaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $205 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

Same time as Surakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,421

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Surakarta Surabaya 210 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 Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $589 in Surakarta, $685 in Surabaya – Surakarta comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $883 per month in Surakarta and $1,028 in Surabaya. 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 $274 in Surabaya.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Surabaya, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surakarta and $12 in Surabaya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $589 in Surakarta and $685 in Surabaya, 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.

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