Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambon and Bandung

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $588 a month against $624 in Bandung, rent and utilities included – about $430 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
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Bandung Living Index

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Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$588

/mo nomad

Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$624

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambon and in Bandung

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambon and in Bandung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $588 in Ambon versus $624 in Bandung.

Ambon $588
Bandung $624

Estimated couple costs with rent: $995 in Ambon versus $926 in Bandung.

Ambon $995
Bandung $926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,401 in Ambon versus $1,228 in Bandung.

Ambon $1,401
Bandung $1,228

Living in Ambon costs roughly 6% less than in Bandung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ambon 56% lower, Bandung 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

$1.36 Rp 24.6K

-18.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.28 Rp 259.0K

$14.59 Rp 264.6K

-2.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.83 Rp 69.5K

$3.29 Rp 59.7K

16.41%

Cappuccino

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.53 Rp 27.8K

-2.61%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,372

$0.43 Rp 7,718

6.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 4,998

$0.24 Rp 4,366

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$3.02 Rp 54.7K

-26.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 Rp 62.8K

$3.07 Rp 55.7K

12.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

-3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

-4.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-2.47%

Eggs

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

$1.45 Rp 26.4K

-5.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 Rp 130.2K

$7.20 Rp 130.5K

-0.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 Rp 51.7K

$2.93 Rp 53.1K

-2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 Rp 135.5K

$7.83 Rp 142.1K

-4.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.5K

$2.22 Rp 40.2K

-1.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 Rp 28.9K

$1.51 Rp 27.4K

5.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

30.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

24.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

1.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$0.68 Rp 12.4K

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,202

$0.39 Rp 7,138

2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

$2.57 Rp 46.7K

-14.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.54 Rp 372.6K

$21.68 Rp 393.3K

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$1.81 Rp 32.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

$3.24 Rp 58.7K

-9.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,555

$0.27 Rp 4,885

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.45 Rp 207.6K

$12.75 Rp 231.3K

-10.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,152

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

-42.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,350

$0.54 Rp 9,748

-46.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 Rp 49.1K

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

22.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

$0.90 Rp 16.4K

-11.11%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.7K Rp 429.9M

$20.6K Rp 374.3M

14.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.6K Rp 645.1M

$32.1K Rp 583.1M

10.65%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$55.9 Rp 1.0M

$33.82 Rp 613.5K

65.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$5.62 Rp 102.0K

$4.21 Rp 76.4K

33.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.16 Rp 347.5K

$18.89 Rp 342.7K

1.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.90 Rp 342.8K

$16.42 Rp 297.8K

15.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.07 Rp 128.2K

$5.87 Rp 106.5K

20.44%

Cinema Ticket

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

$2.82 Rp 51.2K

-50.00%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$94.9 Rp 1.7M

$92.2 Rp 1.7M

2.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,975 Rp 162.8M

$10.4K Rp 189.2M

-13.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.58 Rp 790.5K

$39.00 Rp 707.4K

11.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.84 Rp 505.0K

$31.17 Rp 565.5K

-10.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 Rp 1.4M

$75.4 Rp 1.4M

0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

$69.3 Rp 1.3M

1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 Rp 3.8M

$216 Rp 3.9M

-2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 Rp 2.3M

$176 Rp 3.2M

-29.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 Rp 11.1M

$380 Rp 6.9M

61.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 Rp 7.6M

$260 Rp 4.7M

61.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,295 Rp 23.5M

$720 Rp 13.1M

80.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$756 Rp 13.7M

$304 Rp 5.5M

148.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$121 Rp 2.2M

$282 Rp 5.1M

-56.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

12.12

-22.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ambon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bandung: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ambon

$190 32.3%

Bandung

$191 30.7% 0.8% $1.5

Accommodation & Living

Ambon

$124 21.2%

Bandung

$176 28.3% 41.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Ambon

$98 16.7%

Bandung

$97 15.5% 1.3% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambon

$81 13.7%

Bandung

$57 9.1% 29.4% $24

Eating Out

Ambon

$59 10.1%

Bandung

$63 10.1% 6.2% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Ambon

$22 3.7%

Bandung

$22 3.5% 1.6% $0.3

Getting Around

Ambon

$14 2.5%

Bandung

$17 2.8% 20.4% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Ambon and $216 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $14 in Ambon vs $15 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $191 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ambon

🇮🇩 Bandung

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

11:41 11:41 AM

2 h behind Ambon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

275,888

2,390,120

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.9 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ambon Bandung 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ambon
Bandung

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ambon vs Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Bandung. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Ambon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $211 in Ambon versus $216 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 10% less than in Bandung. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $588 per month in Ambon versus $624 in Bandung – Ambon is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Ambon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ambon and Bandung are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ambon wins on affordability, Bandung on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.