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Surabaya Prices & Cost of Living 2026
Indonesia · Big city — Surabaya is about 88% cheaper than New York. Not just exchange rates: what a fair price is, where it turns into a rip-off, and what that means in your money.
Surabaya prices at a glance
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Surabaya travel difficulty
Few tourist scams; just skip unofficial taxi touts at Juanda
English in malls & hotels; Indonesian or a translator elsewhere
Gojek, Grab and Bluebird cover it; Suroboyo Bus as backup
Cards at malls & chains; cash for warungs and becak
Generally safe; avoid walking outside the CBD at night
Good to knowFrom Juanda use DAMRI or apps; refuse any taxi that won't run the meter
Handy apps: Gojek · Grab · Maxim · MyBluebird
Visas depend on your passport, so they are not scored. Felt different on the ground? Tell other travelers below. Travel difficulty in Southeast Asia › Difficulty ranking for 502 cities ›
In your money
Surabaya is about 88% cheaper than New York
Based on 8 things travelers buy most, compared with New York. Each pair of bars is the same purchase in both cities, converted to your currency. Set your own city and currency in “My basis” above.
Surabaya in numbers
- 🍜81 local meals
- ☕46 coffees
- 🍺36 beers
- 🚕58 5-km taxi rides
- 💆13 h of massage
- 🏨3.6 hotel nights
- Local meal42 min · New York 52 min
- Coffee1 h 13 min · New York 15 min
- Beer1 h 33 min · New York 23 min
- Taxi58 min · New York 59 min
- Local meal#1 cheapest
- Entry ticket#5 cheapest
- Massage#9 cheapest
- Cocktail & wine#173 cheapest
- Beer#144 cheapest
Surabaya price guide & rip-off thresholds
Surabaya travel budget
Per person per day, estimated. Flights and shopping not included.
See 4-day, 1-week and 1-month budget tables › · Plan a multi-city trip budget ›
How to spend money in Surabaya
Cash for warungs, street stalls and markets; cafés, minimarts and sights take cards and QR (QRIS).
Not expected. Where no service charge is added, rounding up or 5–10% is plenty.
A "++" on the menu means 10% tax plus a 5–10% service charge on top, so the bill runs 15–21% above menu prices.
Grab and Gojek fix the fare upfront for cars and bikes. With street taxis, confirm the meter is on before you go.
Expect to haggle at markets, souvenir stalls, with ojek drivers and surf schools. Open at 60–70% of the first price.
Don't drink tap water. Use bottled or refill stations; tube-shaped factory ice is generally fine.
Small "no commission" money changers often short-change with counting tricks. Use Authorized Money Changers or bank ATMs.
Live prices reported in Surabaya
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FAQ
Is Surabaya cheaper than New York?
Across 8 things travelers buy most (meals, coffee, beer, taxis, hotels…), Surabaya is about 88% cheaper than New York. A local meal is about Rp 20,000 (≈ $1.23) and a coffee about Rp 35,000 (≈ $2.15).
How hard is Surabaya to travel?
Averaging rip-offs, language, getting around, payments and safety, Surabaya scores 2.4/5 — 'moderate'. The main thing to watch is language (3/5): English in malls & hotels; Indonesian or a translator elsewhere. Tip: From Juanda use DAMRI or apps; refuse any taxi that won't run the meter
Is Surabaya good for first-time travelers?
With a little preparation, yes (2.4/5). Language: English in malls & hotels; Indonesian or a translator elsewhere. Tip: From Juanda use DAMRI or apps; refuse any taxi that won't run the meter
What is a realistic daily budget for Surabaya?
Mid-range (3-star hotel, local meals plus a dinner out, two taxi rides) is about $46.7 a day. Guesthouses and street food bring it to about $15.2; 4-star and restaurants push it to about $110.
How much does it cost to live in Surabaya for a month?
A short-term studio (about $417) plus food, transport and a SIM (about $321) comes to roughly $738 a month. A local long-term lease (studio about Rp 3,000,000) brings it down a lot.
How much should a taxi cost in Surabaya?
For 5 km in town, expect Rp 22,400 – Rp 44,800; anything above Rp 53,800 is suspicious. Grab and Gojek fix the fare upfront for cars and bikes. With street taxis, confirm the meter is on before you go.
Do you tip in Surabaya?
Not expected. Where no service charge is added, rounding up or 5–10% is plenty. A "++" on the menu means 10% tax plus a 5–10% service charge on top, so the bill runs 15–21% above menu prices.
Can you use cards in Surabaya?
Cash for warungs, street stalls and markets; cafés, minimarts and sights take cards and QR (QRIS).
Where do these numbers come from?
Base prices start from public cost-of-living data; once 3+ traveler reports come in, the app blends in the median of what people actually paid.
Fair range & rip-off line — each item gets its own spread (tight for transit, wide for street food). Above 1.2× the top of the fair range is flagged as a likely rip-off.
Budgets add up item prices for the lifestyle described above. Peak season and prime tourist spots run higher.
Exchange rate as of October 2026: 1 USD = Rp 16,300. Last updated 2026-10-05.