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 $702 in Surabaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,024 per month in Tanjung Balai Karimun vs $1,129 in Surabaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,382 per month in Tanjung Balai Karimun vs $1,557 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 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.56 Rp 28.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.18 Rp 219.9K

$12.42 Rp 224.2K

-1.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.45 Rp 62.3K

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

13.86%

Cappuccino

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

-2.27%

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

$0.52 Rp 9,326

$0.66 Rp 11.9K

-21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,646

$0.28 Rp 5,096

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$2.44 Rp 44.1K

3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 Rp 64.2K

$4.09 Rp 73.8K

-12.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 Rp 22.2K

$1.44 Rp 25.9K

-14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

-23.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

-4.08%

Eggs

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

$1.51 Rp 27.2K

0.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 Rp 149.2K

$9.28 Rp 167.5K

-10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.25 Rp 58.7K

$3.24 Rp 58.5K

0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.75 Rp 140.0K

$8.13 Rp 146.7K

-4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 Rp 42.9K

$2.38 Rp 43.0K

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 Rp 25.9K

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.4K

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

-15.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

$1.42 Rp 25.6K

4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 Rp 24.6K

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

$1.73 Rp 31.2K

13.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

-15.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 Rp 7,407

$0.46 Rp 8,229

-10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 Rp 44.7K

$2.52 Rp 45.6K

-1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.96 Rp 414.6K

$25.18 Rp 454.5K

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 Rp 37.7K

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 Rp 55.6K

$3.30 Rp 59.5K

-6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,401

$0.44 Rp 8,032

-31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.77 Rp 176.4K

$9.26 Rp 167.2K

5.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 Rp 9,443

$0.45 Rp 8,115

15.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 Rp 6,805

$0.31 Rp 5,634

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 Rp 53.2K

$2.74 Rp 49.5K

7.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

-5.75%

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

$24.5K Rp 443.1M

$20.8K Rp 374.8M

18.23%

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

$27.4K Rp 495.2M

$34.9K Rp 629.2M

-21.29%

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

$70.7 Rp 1.3M

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-14.77%

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

$4.18 Rp 75.5K

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.71 Rp 410.0K

$19.44 Rp 350.9K

16.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.36 Rp 421.8K

$21.63 Rp 390.4K

8.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.02 Rp 108.7K

$4.38 Rp 79.1K

37.44%

Cinema Ticket

$3.04 Rp 54.9K

$2.98 Rp 53.9K

2.01%

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

$92.4 Rp 1.7M

$186 Rp 3.4M

-50.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,730 Rp 139.6M

$9,266 Rp 167.3M

-16.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.76 Rp 753.9K

$62.9 Rp 1.1M

-33.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.97 Rp 559.1K

$38.49 Rp 694.9K

-19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 Rp 1.2M

$76.9 Rp 1.4M

-14.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 Rp 1.3M

$83.8 Rp 1.5M

-11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 Rp 4.7M

$249 Rp 4.5M

3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 Rp 2.9M

$138 Rp 2.5M

14.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 Rp 10.4M

$775 Rp 14.0M

-25.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 Rp 6.0M

$392 Rp 7.1M

-14.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,137 Rp 20.5M

$2,136 Rp 38.6M

-46.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$626 Rp 11.3M

$1,064 Rp 19.2M

-41.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 Rp 4.9M

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $258 in Tanjung Balai Karimun versus $249 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: $213 vs $228 – 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, $702 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 $1,000 per month in Tanjung Balai Karimun and $1,053 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 7% 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 $702 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.