Surakarta at a glance
- Surakarta ranks 13th of 14 priced cities in Indonesia on cost: $390 a month in essentials, 34% above Manado, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $343 covers that 0.9×.
- 100.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at regency/city level.
- PM2.5 averages 29.6 µg/m³ a year, 6× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 14 Indonesia cities we track, so every row says whether Surakarta is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $390 | $379 | $11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $143 | $143 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $264 | $264 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $75 | $75 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $51 | $48 | $2 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $110 | $107 | $3 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $11 | $11 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $343 | $313 | $30 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $421 | $421 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $852 | $838 | $14 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Surakarta, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $1.96 | $1.89 | $0.07 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $14.71 | $14.71 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $2.94 | $2.94 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.77 | $1.77 | $0.00 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.46 | $2.46 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.43 | $3.43 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.40 | $0.40 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.22 | $0.23 | $0.01 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.21 | $1.21 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $0.93 | $1.03 | $0.10 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $0.76 | $0.78 | $0.02 |
| Eggs, 12 | $1.54 | $1.50 | $0.04 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $8.00 | $8.00 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $2.63 | $2.69 | $0.06 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.55 | $2.50 | $0.04 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.18 | $1.21 | $0.03 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.20 | $1.20 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.21 | $1.21 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.88 | $1.92 | $0.04 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.43 | $0.43 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.21 | $0.22 | $0.01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $11.00 | $11.00 | same |
| Taxi start | $0.47 | $0.49 | $0.03 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.31 | $0.31 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $0.73 | $0.73 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $92.54 | $85.48 | $7.06 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $17.83 | $18.20 | $0.38 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $5.46 | $4.95 | $0.51 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $21.45 | $21.45 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $2.94 | $2.94 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Surakarta has 100.8 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (regency/city level). That is the 8th-highest of 14 Indonesia cities we track. Indonesia's national figure is 104.8, so Surakarta runs 4 below the country as a whole.
Every Indonesia region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Surakarta ranks against every city we track
Surakarta sits ahead of 89% of the 998 cities we track on cost of living. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 87% of 1010. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 7% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Surakarta sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Surakarta on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Surakarta beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Surakarta in the research deskOr unlock the Indonesia deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Umar Khatab Eko Putrawan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated