Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Lucknow vs Surabaya

Lucknow vs Surabaya

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lucknow 9% cheaper Lucknow +29 Mbps N/A / Moderate

Lucknow

Rhythmic Creations/Unsplash

Surabaya

Rasyid Maulana/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$830

Lucknow

$909

Surabaya

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Lucknow

Moderate

Surabaya

Air Quality

5/5

Lucknow

5/5

Surabaya

Healthcare

N/A

Lucknow

Moderate

Surabaya

Population

2.9m

Lucknow

2.8m

Surabaya

Lucknow (India) and Surabaya (Indonesia) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Lucknow edges ahead on affordability at $830/mo compared to Surabaya's $909/mo — a 9% gap that matters over time.

For families, Lucknow costs $668.408773077319/mo compared to Surabaya's $1469.547803865928/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Lucknow has a clear edge at 61 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Surabaya's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Lucknow and Surabaya share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Lucknow and Surabaya.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Lucknow is February (around 23 degrees, 0mm rain, score 375), while Surabaya peaks in May (38 degrees, 0mm rain, score 413). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

LucknowSurabaya

Nomad$830/mo$909/mo

Expat$484/mo$614/mo

Local$191/mo$420/mo

Family$668/mo$1,470/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LucknowSurabaya

City Speed

61 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed61 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

LucknowSurabaya

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AModerate

ClimateN/AModerate

Humidity1883

Quality of Life

LucknowSurabaya

SafetyN/AModerate

HealthcareN/AModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Lucknow

Surabaya

Jan

19°

0mm335

39°

11mm218

Feb

23°

0mm375

40°

13mm253

Mar

30°

0mm375

38°

4mm330

Apr

38°

0mm325

39°

4mm261

May

42°

0mm315

38°

0mm413

Jun

44°

0mm315

37°

1mm408

Jul

40°

6mm191

35°

0mm413

Aug

38°

7mm196

36°

0mm413

Sep

37°

2mm303

38°

0mm393

Oct

36°

0mm375

39°

0mm393

Nov

29°

0mm375

40°

8mm249

Dec

22°

0mm355

38°

15mm253

Who Should Choose Lucknow?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $830
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $668.408773077319/mo for families
Major city energy with 2.9m residents
Peak season in February — 23 degrees, score 375

Who Should Choose Surabaya?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $909
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1469.547803865928/mo for families
Major city energy with 2.8m residents
Peak season in May — 38 degrees, score 413

Overall Verdict

The data favors Surabaya as the more well-rounded choice. At $909/mo versus Lucknow's $830/mo, that is a 9% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Lucknow Surabaya

ItemLucknowSurabayaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$3.07$1.3

58%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$12.28$12.96

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.07$3.24

Cappuccino (regular)$1.57$1.43

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.84$2.48

26%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.68$2.59

30%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.35$0.49

29%

Water (0.33L)$0.18$0.27

33%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.68$1.19

43%

White bread (500g)$0.45$0.97

54%

White rice (1kg)$0.71$0.81

12%

Eggs (12)$1.03$1.52

32%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.48$3.44

Beef round (1kg)$6.52$7.24

10%

Local cheese (1kg)$3.96$6.15

36%

Apples (1kg)$1.49$2.3

35%

Bananas (1kg)$0.58$1.38

58%

Oranges (1kg)$0.82$1.83

55%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.43$0.88

51%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.25$1.15

78%

Onions (1kg)$0.35$1.38

75%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.43$0.6

28%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.35$0.36

Wine, mid-range bottle$6.14$19.45

68%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.81$2.49

27%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.39$3.07

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$4.05$1.94

52%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.43$0.32

26%

Monthly transport pass$12.28$9.72

21%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.61$0.58

Taxi per 1km$0.15$0.32

53%

Taxi 1hr waiting$1.23$2.75

55%

Gasoline (1L)$1.25$0.79

37%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$14,738.11$23,334.86

37%

Toyota Corolla (new)$24,393.62$27,914.38

13%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$47.83$73.31

35%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$8.66$28.38

69%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.02$0.1

80%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$19.96$33.88

41%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$10.23$4.79

53%

Cinema, 1 ticket$3.68$3.24

12%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$51.34$124.08

59%

International primary school/yr$1,271.16$6,009.65

79%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$27.55$48.38

43%

Summer dress (chain store)$34.39$32.41

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$40.91$75

45%

Men's leather business shoes$38.92$58.34

33%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$122.82$228.35

46%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$77.99$149.09

48%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$305.51$504.54

39%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$180.13$353.47

49%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,067.19$1,901.77

44%

Price per m², outside centre$599.7$900.98

33%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$569.74$331.5

42%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$8.47$8.69

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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