---
title: "Medan vs Surabaya for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/medan-vs-surabaya
description: "Under balanced weights Surabaya edges it, 50 to 47, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Medan is stronger on nothing outright; Surabaya on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Medan vs Surabaya for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Surabaya edges it, 50 to 47, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Medan is stronger on nothing outright; Surabaya on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Medan | Surabaya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 60 | 63 | Surabaya |
| Safety | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Healthcare | 56 | 56 | tie |
| Internet | 52 | 52 | Medan |
| Visa ease | 54 | 54 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 42 | 47 | Surabaya |
| Climate | 25 | 25 | tie |
| Air quality | 22 | 37 | Surabaya |
| Quality of life | 45 | 45 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Medan | Surabaya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,000 | $922 | Surabaya |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Medan | Surabaya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.41 | 0.41 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 52.7 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 68.3 yrs | 68.3 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Medan | Surabaya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 14.4 Mbps | 14.5 Mbps | Surabaya |
| Upload | 6.5 Mbps | 5.7 Mbps | Medan |

## Visa

| Metric | Medan | Surabaya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Remote worker visa (E33G) | Remote worker visa (E33G) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,000/mo | $5,000/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Medan | Surabaya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 26 | 41 | Surabaya |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Medan | Surabaya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 39.9 µg/m³ | 33.3 µg/m³ | Surabaya |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Medan or Surabaya?

Surabaya is cheaper: about $922 per month versus $1,000 for one person.

### Is Medan or Surabaya safer?

Medan scores higher on safety (67 vs 67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Medan or Surabaya?

Surabaya: a measured median of 14.5 Mbps versus 14.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Medan](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/medan) · [Surabaya](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/surabaya). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/medan-vs-surabaya