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Bali vs Surabaya cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ฉ Bali
๐ฎ๐ฉ Surabaya
At a glance
- Where Surabaya is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (80%โ), Studio rent (month) (70%โ), SIM card (50%โ)
- Where Bali is clearly cheaper: Transit (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Surabaya is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bali 4 vs Surabaya 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bali | Surabaya | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Surabaya โ43% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Surabaya โ25% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 175,000$10.7 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Surabaya โ43% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Surabaya โ12% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Rp 45,000$2.76 | Bali โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 120,000$7.36 | Rp 110,000$6.75 | Surabaya โ8% |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | Rp 4,000$0.25 | Surabaya โ20% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 10,000$0.61 | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Surabaya โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Rp 28,000$1.72 | Surabaya โ20% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Rp 12,000$0.74 | Surabaya โ20% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 4,000$0.25 | Rp 5,000$0.31 | Bali โ20% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 75,000$4.6 | Rp 80,000$4.91 | Bali โ6% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 800,000$49.1 | Rp 450,000$27.6 | Surabaya โ44% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 10,000,000$613 | Rp 3,000,000$184 | Surabaya โ70% |
| Laundry | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Surabaya โ47% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Rp 75,000$4.6 | Surabaya โ50% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 60,000$3.68 | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Surabaya โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 120,000$7.36 | Rp 120,000$7.36 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 500,000$30.7 | Rp 250,000$15.3 | Surabaya โ50% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 75,000$4.6 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Surabaya โ80% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bali or Surabaya?
Surabaya is 53% cheaper than Bali. Daily budget $78.6 vs $46.7; a month $2,107 vs $738.
Which is easier to travel, Bali or Surabaya?
Surabaya is easier: Surabaya 2.4/5 vs Bali 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bali and Surabaya?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bali is about $2,107 and Surabaya about $738 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.