Located on the eastern coast of the island of Java, Surabaya was officially founded in 1293. The聽etymological origin of the city's name is believed to be Javanese, where the word suro means聽shark and buaya, crocodile. According to local legend, a shark and a crocodile once fought to聽see which of them was the strongest creature in the region. Both animals are now emblems of聽the city and are represented on the official flag of Surabaya as well as on the city's monument,聽the Tugu Pahlawan.
Surabaya was originally discovered in the 16th century by the first Western explorers from聽Portugal and identified as a Muslim state attached to the kingdom of Demak. The city was later聽taken in 1743 by the Dutch East India Company. One of its historical highlights also points out聽that it was occupied by the Japanese in 1942, during the Pacific War.
Surabaya also witnessed the first battle of the Indonesian National Revolution in 1945, hence聽 the nickname "City of Heroes". The Battle of Surabaya was triggered by the assassination of a聽British general inside the city walls, and the revolt quickly spread to the rest of the country,聽which was then under Dutch rule. It was taken over shortly afterward by the Dutch armed聽forces, but the revolutionary movement did not weaken. It was not until 1949, after bitter聽fighting, that the Netherlands agreed to grant Indonesia its independence under pressure from聽the international community.
In recent years, the city has earned the nickname "Sparkling Surabaya" because of the lights聽that decorate its parks and streets at night. However, even if Surabaya is perceived as a聽relatively safe city, many expats tend to be overly cautious and prefer living in controlled-access聽residential areas that are often located on the outskirts of the city or in guarded apartment聽buildings.
The population within the official city limits of 326 square kilometers has been declining over聽the past few years. But the wider urban metropolis, including the outlying areas of Surabaya,聽has a population of just under 10 million.
The traffic, being in tune with the city's population, is often problematic. As is the case in major Indonesian cities, traffic jams are not unusual, especially during rush hour. To escape the hustle聽and bustle of heavily congested traffic, you may want to consider moving in close to your workplace.
And if you are more of a nightbird, the G-Walk or Loop streets of Surabaya will delight you with聽their many food stands and bars. That said, it's also worth noting that most expats in Surabaya聽prefer settling on the city's west side.
In Surabaya, expatriates prefer renting to buying property, even if rentals are not considered聽cheap when compared to other parts of the country. As a matter of fact, it is very difficult to聽become a landlord as an expat in Indonesia, even if it can happen in some rare cases. But in聽comparison to other tax havens, like Singapore and Hong Kong, it is still possible to find聽comfortable accommodation in Surabaya at a reasonable price. And as in most major cities, the聽cost of your rent will depend on the location and type of accommodation you choose.
Remarkable landmarks of Surabaya
The city of Surabaya has preciously preserved many relics of its colonial past, including the聽typical Dutch architecture of some administrative buildings and churches. One of the most聽famous remnants of this era is the Gedung Negara Grahadi.
The city also boasts the Cheng Hoo Mosque, inaugurated in 2007 in honor of the Chinese聽Muslim admiral Zheng He. The latter made several stops in Java during his travels in the 15th聽century.
Surabaya is equally known as the home of the only synagogue in all of Indonesia. It is estimated聽that there are about 20 people of the Semitic faith in Surabaya, but the synagogue is not active聽due to a lack of congregants.
The Dolly district is notoriously famous for its prostitutes. It is considered the biggest district of聽this kind in all of Southeast Asia and is regarded as the Asian equivalent of the Red Light District聽of Amsterdam. The district is said to have been named after a madam who once worked there.聽In fact, there used to be a large number of brothels there, but the authorities shut them all聽down while attempting to bring order and morality back to the area in 2014. But prostitution聽has never stopped there.
Surabaya harbors the port of Tanjung Perak, which was originally established during the Dutch聽East Indies as the first port of Indonesia. In 2020, Tanjung Perak was ranked the 45th container聽port in the world in Lloyd's One Hundred Ports. Before the Covid-19 crisis began in Indonesia, it聽was loading and unloading an average of over 6 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent聽containers) annually.
Surabaya International Airport is the second busiest airport in Indonesia. It serves major cities聽in Indonesia and is also connected to Hong Kong,聽Brunei,聽Johor and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia,聽Singapore and Taipei in Taiwan. Before the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia, there were聽approximately聽780聽flights聽connecting Surabaya to Jakarta, making it one of the ten busiest聽airports in the world.
Surabaya has four railway stations: Gubeng, Surabaya Kota, Pasar Turi and Wonokromo, while聽the main public transportation in the city is the bus and聽cab.
Where to live in Surabaya?
If you are looking for reasonable rent in Surabaya, a studio or a homestay accommodation will聽come in handy. Most of the local population lives in a聽metropolitan area called聽Gerbangkertosusila. Also, note that there are many slums around Surabaya.聽Most foreign professionals choose to live in West聽Surabaya, as this area has a large expatriate聽community and is particularly well served by international schools, supermarkets, and other聽facilities. There聽are also many golf courses that are popular with wealthy expatriates.聽In terms of housing types, you'll find high-rise condominiums, serviced apartments in聽mid-rise聽buildings, and single-family homes in exclusive communities. Some of the most popular areas in聽West Surabaya include:
- Graha Famili, a prestigious real estate area offering family homes and high-rise apartments,
- Darmo Satellite Town, which has many spacious homes,
- Citraland, an area known as the Singapore of Surabaya because of its wealthy residential聽properties,
- Puri Matahari and Graha Residen areas are also worth a look if you are looking for serviced聽apartments. These include rather spacious and comfortable studios and duplexes.
In most cases, expect to pay a minimum of two years' rent in advance before moving into a聽house, and one year's rent in advance, for an apartment. This practice is widespread in聽Indonesia. However, due to the increasing number of houses available for rent throughout聽Indonesia and lower demand, it may be possible to negotiate the payment of the rent in several聽installments. And if you are a skillful enough bargainer and know how to negotiate, it might聽even be possible to reach an agreement for monthly payments. But do not bet all your marbles聽on that, as this kind of practice is quite uncommon in Indonesia.
If you are renting a house in Surabaya, you will not be asked for a security deposit. However, in聽the case of an apartment, you will most likely have to pay the equivalent of one month's rent,聽which you will normally be required to pay along with the full long-term rental payment. Also,聽bear in mind that utilities such as water and electricity are considered additional expenses in聽Indonesia. There are not usually included in the rent.
There are dozens of gated communities all around Surabaya. These safe-access neighborhoods聽are home to the largest number of expatriates. Some of the trendiest ones include Agus Lianto,聽Karangpoh Tandes Surabaya, SURABAYA Property, MoCA Residence, The Gayungsari, Laguna聽Regency and Astoria Park. Most of these residential areas have been developed by real estate聽consortia composed of Chinese business people associated with Indonesians.聽As a coastal city, Surabaya boasts a number of beaches, the most famous of which is聽undoubtedly Kenjeran Beach, located on the eastern side of the city. Nearby is the Kenjeran聽Park, prized for its walks and ocean views. The area also harbors a nature reserve made up of聽mangrove forests in the eastern area, called Ekowisata Mangrove Wonorejo.聽Shopping is one of the favorite activities of Surabaya residents. The city has several well-known聽shopping malls and districts, such as Pakuwon Mall, Tunjungan Plaza, Ciputra World, City of聽Tomorrow Mall and Royal Plaza, to name a few.
How to find accommodation in Surabaya?
If you are already in Surabaya, make sure to visit the different neighborhoods to have a feel of聽where you want to live. To achieve such, look for signs indicating properties on rent (disewakan聽rumah). Alternatively, you can do your research online, or directly contact a real estate agent in聽the city, or even ask your local contacts if you have any.
Be aware that once you have secured and accepted a rental offer in Surabaya, you must聽register your new address with the local police. This is extremely important, as defaulters may聽face a large penalty. If you choose to stay in a hotel long-term, however, you will automatically聽be registered with the police.
Cost of living in Surabaya
The cost of living in Surabaya is significantly more affordable than in Indonesia's capital and聽largest city, Jakarta, but still higher than in other major cities in the country. According to聽estimates, you will need to earn just over 27 million Indonesian rupiahs (IDR) per month in聽Surabaya to have the same lifestyle as a professional earning 33 million IDR per month in聽Jakarta.
A single meal in the cheapest restaurants and kiosks in the city will cost you between IDR聽15,000 and IDR 40,000. If you opt for a fancier place, the cost of a meal for two people聽consisting of a starter, a main course and a dessert should be between 120 000 and 500 000聽IDR. The price of a liter of milk in a supermarket is about IDR 20,000, whereas a local beer costs聽IDR 40,000, while imported beer costs IDR 50,000. Be aware that the price of meat is relatively聽high, like everywhere else in Indonesia. For instance, a kilo of beef costs around IDR 110,000.聽The same goes for wine, where a bottle bought in a supermarket will cost you more than IDR聽400,000, which is almost as much as a meal for two in an upmarket restaurant.
When it comes to renting, you should expect a one-bedroom apartment in the city center to聽cost around IDR 3,440,000 per month and just over IDR 2 million in the suburbs. If you are in聽Indonesia with your family, a three-bedroom apartment will cost, on average, more than IDR 8聽million per month and more than IDR 5 million in the suburbs. In addition to the rent, you will聽need to budget for utilities such as water, electricity, heating, air conditioning and garbage聽collection services. The additional total monthly fee may just come over IDR 1 million.
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