Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Balai Karimun and Surabaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Tanjung Balai Karimun and Surabaya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $666 per month in Tanjung Balai Karimun vs $700 in Surabaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,032 per month in Tanjung Balai Karimun vs $1,117 in Surabaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,397 per month in Tanjung Balai Karimun vs $1,535 in Surabaya, rent included.

Tanjung Balai Karimun is about 5% cheaper than Surabaya, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Tanjung Balai Karimun and Surabaya are more affordable than the global median – Tanjung Balai Karimun 50% lower, Surabaya 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

$1.52 Rp 27.3K

-0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.42 Rp 222.5K

$12.46 Rp 223.3K

-0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.48 Rp 62.3K

$3.13 Rp 56.1K

11.18%

Cappuccino

$1.65 Rp 29.5K

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

-5.17%

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

$0.51 Rp 9,139

$0.66 Rp 11.8K

-22.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,075

$0.28 Rp 5,017

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 Rp 43.7K

$2.50 Rp 44.7K

-2.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 Rp 63.6K

$3.92 Rp 70.2K

-9.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

-14.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 Rp 20.2K

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

-24.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.6K

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

Eggs

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

2.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 Rp 143.7K

$9.31 Rp 166.7K

-13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.13 Rp 56.0K

$3.17 Rp 56.9K

-1.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 Rp 139.3K

$8.19 Rp 146.8K

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 Rp 42.6K

$2.40 Rp 43.0K

-0.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.6K

$2.17 Rp 38.8K

-13.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.0K

$1.42 Rp 25.4K

6.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

-0.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 35.2K

$1.78 Rp 31.9K

10.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 Rp 15.9K

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

-23.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 Rp 7,386

$0.45 Rp 8,099

-8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 Rp 45.9K

$2.44 Rp 43.7K

4.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.88 Rp 374.2K

$24.54 Rp 439.7K

-14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 Rp 36.8K

$1.83 Rp 32.8K

12.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 Rp 57.6K

$3.27 Rp 58.6K

-1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,773

$0.47 Rp 8,495

-31.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.80 Rp 175.5K

$9.14 Rp 163.8K

7.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,514

$0.47 Rp 8,431

12.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 Rp 6,239

$0.31 Rp 5,569

12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 Rp 52.0K

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

5.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

-5.75%

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

$25.0K Rp 448.1M

$20.8K Rp 373.4M

20.00%

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

$28.0K Rp 501.6M

$34.9K Rp 624.7M

-19.70%

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

$68.6 Rp 1.2M

$83.9 Rp 1.5M

-18.20%

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

$4.25 Rp 76.1K

$4.10 Rp 73.5K

3.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$19.83 Rp 355.3K

14.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.17 Rp 415.0K

$21.93 Rp 393.0K

5.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$4.44 Rp 79.5K

37.39%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 Rp 53.4K

$2.96 Rp 53.0K

0.68%

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

$94.0 Rp 1.7M

$192 Rp 3.4M

-50.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,511 Rp 134.6M

$9,350 Rp 167.5M

-19.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.25 Rp 757.0K

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

-32.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.28 Rp 560.4K

$39.45 Rp 706.8K

-20.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 Rp 1.2M

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

-14.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 Rp 1.3M

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

-10.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 Rp 4.6M

$244 Rp 4.4M

5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 Rp 2.8M

$135 Rp 2.4M

17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 Rp 10.4M

$762 Rp 13.7M

-23.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 Rp 6.0M

$389 Rp 7.0M

-14.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,219 Rp 21.8M

$2,223 Rp 39.8M

-45.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$787 Rp 14.1M

$1,057 Rp 18.9M

-25.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 Rp 4.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

8.33

9.84%

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

Last update for Tanjung Balai Karimun: June 8, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $257 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $244 in Surabaya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $12.00 in Surabaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $227 – making Tanjung Balai Karimun the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Tanjung Balai Karimun vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $666 in Tanjung Balai Karimun, $700 in Surabaya – roughly 5% apart. Surabaya costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $999 per month in Tanjung Balai Karimun and $1,050 in Surabaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 10% more in Surabaya, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Tanjung Balai Karimun and $12.00 in Surabaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $666 in Tanjung Balai Karimun and $700 in Surabaya, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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