Gresik vs Madiun: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
The two cities are closely matched — lifestyle preference and visa options are likely the deciding factors. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Gresik is approximately 103% less expensive than Madiun based on cost of living including rent. This makes Gresik a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Gresik has a FIRE Score of N/A/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 55, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Gresik is best suited for digital nomads who prioritize experience over savings.
About Gresik
Gresik is a cheap industrial port town, not a lifestyle destination, and the numbers say it plainly: a city-center one-bedroom runs $168/mo and an inexpensive restaurant meal costs $1, while the average local net salary sits at just $112/mo. That gap is the whole story. If you earn a foreign income, the math is absurdly easy, with utilities at $87/mo, internet at $19/mo, and a public transport pass at $8/mo, but limited English, fair healthcare, an air quality index of 68, and a $2,000/mo income floor for both the retirement and remote worker visas mean this is a base for the frugal and self-sufficient, not the ambitious. Come for the low costs and the 16 km hop to SUB, stay only if you can tolerate the heat, the humidity, and a city that offers little beyond them.
About Indonesia
Skip this if you need English-speaking doctors or a fast path to citizenship, both weak here. But budget retirees can live well on $429.70/mo excl. rent plus sub-$320 rent, and the $2,000/mo Retirement KITAS is achievable. Best suited for low-cost-focused retirees, not remote workers facing the $387/mo nomad visa threshold.
$2,637/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Madiun
Madiun is cheap enough to be almost absurd: a one-bedroom outside the center runs $234/mo, an inexpensive restaurant meal costs $1, and a monthly transport pass is $13. The catch is that local net salaries average $135/mo, so anyone relying on local wages will find even these prices punishing, while remote workers earning abroad can live comfortably on a mid-range budget of $491/mo. Internet averages 19 Mbps and English proficiency is limited, which keeps the digital nomad score at 46/100 and makes daily life harder without Bahasa Indonesia. It suits frugal long-stayers who want a quiet, safe (safety index 61/100) inland base with decent air quality (52) and a short 9 km hop to SOC, not anyone chasing big-city amenities or a strong expat scene.
About Indonesia
Skip this if you need English-speaking doctors or a fast path to citizenship, both weak here. But budget retirees can live well on $429.70/mo excl. rent plus sub-$320 rent, and the $2,000/mo Retirement KITAS is achievable. Best suited for low-cost-focused retirees, not remote workers facing the $387/mo nomad visa threshold.
$2,509/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Which visa fits your move?
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| Metric | Gresik | Madiun |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $167.52 | $340.02 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $117.26 | $233.76 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $307.12 | N/A |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $245.69 | N/A |
| Safety Index | 55 | 61 |
| Internet Speed | 60Mbps | 19.4Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Gresik | Madiun |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $382/mo | $418/mo |
| Excluding rent | $265/mo | $184/mo |
| Rent | $117/mo | $234/mo |
| Groceries | $87.00/mo | $77.00/mo |
| Dining out | $11.00/mo | $11.00/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $48.00/mo | $36.00/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $111/mo | $47.00/mo |
| Transport | $8.00/mo | $13.00/mo |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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Gresik vs Madiun -- Frequently Asked Questions
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