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Jakarta 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 Jakarta
๐ฎ๐ฉ Surabaya
At a glance
- Where Surabaya is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (85%โ), Restaurant dinner (44%โ), Half-day tour (44%โ)
- Where Jakarta is clearly cheaper: Transit (30%โ), Convenience store (25%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Surabaya is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Jakarta 3 vs Surabaya 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Jakarta | Surabaya | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Surabaya โ33% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 14,000$0.86 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Jakarta โ7% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 180,000$11 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Surabaya โ44% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 38,000$2.33 | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Surabaya โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 45,000$2.76 | Rp 45,000$2.76 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 130,000$7.98 | Rp 110,000$6.75 | Surabaya โ15% |
| Bottled water | Rp 4,500$0.28 | Rp 4,000$0.25 | Surabaya โ11% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 6,000$0.37 | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Jakarta โ25% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 42,000$2.58 | Rp 28,000$1.72 | Surabaya โ33% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Rp 12,000$0.74 | Surabaya โ20% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 3,500$0.21 | Rp 5,000$0.31 | Jakarta โ30% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Rp 80,000$4.91 | Surabaya โ20% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 650,000$39.9 | Rp 450,000$27.6 | Surabaya โ31% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 5,000,000$307 | Rp 3,000,000$184 | Surabaya โ40% |
| Laundry | Rp 12,000$0.74 | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Surabaya โ33% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 97,000$5.95 | Rp 75,000$4.6 | Surabaya โ23% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Surabaya โ20% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 170,000$10.4 | Rp 120,000$7.36 | Surabaya โ29% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 450,000$27.6 | Rp 250,000$15.3 | Surabaya โ44% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 97,000$5.95 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Surabaya โ85% |
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, Jakarta or Surabaya?
Surabaya is 34% cheaper than Jakarta. Daily budget $69.7 vs $46.7; a month $1,138 vs $738.
Which is easier to travel, Jakarta or Surabaya?
Surabaya is easier: Surabaya 2.4/5 vs Jakarta 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Jakarta and Surabaya?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Jakarta is about $1,138 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.