Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Surabaya is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Da Nang 3 vs Surabaya 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Da Nang | Surabaya | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Surabaya โ35% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Surabaya โ31% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 250,000$9.51 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Surabaya โ35% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Da Nang โ20% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Rp 45,000$2.76 | Da Nang โ59% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Rp 110,000$6.75 | Da Nang โ32% |
| Bottled water | โซ 7,000$0.27 | Rp 4,000$0.25 | Surabaya โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Surabaya โ14% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Rp 28,000$1.72 | Surabaya โ25% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Rp 12,000$0.74 | Surabaya โ23% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Rp 5,000$0.31 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Rp 80,000$4.91 | Surabaya โ14% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Rp 450,000$27.6 | Surabaya โ9% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,000,000$342 | Rp 3,000,000$184 | Surabaya โ46% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Surabaya โ57% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | Rp 75,000$4.6 | Surabaya โ39% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Surabaya โ19% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Rp 120,000$7.36 | Surabaya โ35% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 550,000$20.9 | Rp 250,000$15.3 | Surabaya โ27% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 60,000$2.28 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Surabaya โ60% |
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%+.
Surabaya is 30% cheaper than Da Nang. Daily budget $56.5 vs $46.7; a month $1,303 vs $738.
Surabaya is easier: Surabaya 2.4/5 vs Da Nang 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Da Nang is about $1,303 and Surabaya about $738 per month.
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.