Cost of Living Comparison Between Tangerang and Surabaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Tangerang and Surabaya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $788 per month in Tangerang vs $708 in Surabaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,285 per month in Tangerang vs $1,133 in Surabaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,783 per month in Tangerang vs $1,557 in Surabaya, rent included.

Tangerang costs about 11% more than Surabaya, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Tangerang and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Tangerang 41% lower, Surabaya 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.53 Rp 27.3K

$1.52 Rp 27.1K

0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.64 Rp 332.9K

$12.12 Rp 216.4K

53.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.44 Rp 61.4K

$3.13 Rp 55.9K

9.90%

Cappuccino

$1.71 Rp 30.5K

$1.82 Rp 32.4K

-6.04%

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

$0.56 Rp 9,957

$0.60 Rp 10.7K

-6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,047

$0.26 Rp 4,602

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$2.41 Rp 43.0K

12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 Rp 64.7K

$4.02 Rp 71.7K

-9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 Rp 21.9K

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

$1.46 Rp 26.1K

-24.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

-6.45%

Eggs

$1.52 Rp 27.1K

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 Rp 167.1K

$9.04 Rp 161.5K

3.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 Rp 57.9K

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

-1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 Rp 141.1K

$8.45 Rp 151.0K

-6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 Rp 49.2K

$2.42 Rp 43.2K

14.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 26.5K

$1.54 Rp 27.5K

-3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$2.19 Rp 39.2K

0.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 26.7K

$1.42 Rp 25.4K

4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

$1.32 Rp 23.6K

11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 Rp 46.6K

$1.80 Rp 32.1K

45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

-14.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,203

$0.42 Rp 7,529

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 Rp 48.5K

$2.54 Rp 45.4K

7.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.08 Rp 376.4K

$24.78 Rp 442.6K

-14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 Rp 39.7K

$1.77 Rp 31.5K

25.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 Rp 57.5K

$3.14 Rp 56.2K

2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,298

$0.48 Rp 8,489

-37.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.13 Rp 145.2K

$9.40 Rp 168.0K

-13.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 Rp 10.1K

$0.44 Rp 7,919

29.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,234

$0.29 Rp 5,165

58.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 Rp 46.2K

$2.77 Rp 49.5K

-6.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

-4.76%

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

$30.7K Rp 548.5M

$20.6K Rp 368.5M

48.84%

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

$27.6K Rp 492.0M

$35.8K Rp 639.4M

-23.04%

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

$91.9 Rp 1.6M

$84.9 Rp 1.5M

8.32%

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

$4.70 Rp 84.0K

$4.09 Rp 73.0K

14.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 Rp 403.3K

$19.75 Rp 352.7K

14.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.73 Rp 352.3K

$21.59 Rp 385.6K

-8.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 Rp 207.2K

$4.57 Rp 81.6K

153.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.09 Rp 55.2K

$2.85 Rp 50.9K

8.42%

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

$104 Rp 1.9M

$188 Rp 3.3M

-44.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,016 Rp 143.2M

$9,556 Rp 170.7M

-16.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.36 Rp 738.7K

$61.6 Rp 1.1M

-32.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 Rp 547.8K

$38.56 Rp 688.5K

-20.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 Rp 1.3M

$77.8 Rp 1.4M

-9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

-6.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 Rp 8.9M

$242 Rp 4.3M

105.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 Rp 4.5M

$135 Rp 2.4M

84.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 Rp 18.9M

$762 Rp 13.6M

39.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 Rp 11.5M

$393 Rp 7.0M

63.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,320 Rp 23.6M

$2,209 Rp 39.5M

-40.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$514 Rp 9.2M

$1,067 Rp 19.0M

-51.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$280 Rp 5.0M

$276 Rp 4.9M

1.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.59

8.33

15.13%

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

Last update for Tangerang: June 1, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $497 in Tangerang versus $242 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 2% higher in Tangerang, 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 $19.00 in Tangerang versus $12.00 in Surabaya. Groceries tell a different story – $219 in Tangerang vs $226 in Surabaya – so Tangerang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Tangerang vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $788 in Tangerang, $708 in Surabaya – roughly 11% apart. Tangerang costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,182 per month in Tangerang and $1,062 in Surabaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surabaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Tangerang – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Tangerang and $12.00 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 $788 in Tangerang and $708 in Surabaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Surabaya – 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 Surabaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tangerang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.