Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambon and Jakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $588 a month against $797 in Jakarta, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
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Jakarta Living Index

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Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$588

/mo nomad

Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$797

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambon and in Jakarta

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 Jakarta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $588 in Ambon versus $797 in Jakarta.

Ambon $588
Jakarta $797

Estimated couple costs with rent: $995 in Ambon versus $1,286 in Jakarta.

Ambon $995
Jakarta $1,286

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,401 in Ambon versus $1,776 in Jakarta.

Ambon $1,401
Jakarta $1,776

Living in Ambon costs roughly 26% less than in Jakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ambon 56% lower, Jakarta 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

$2.68 Rp 48.7K

-58.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.28 Rp 259.0K

$16.76 Rp 304.0K

-14.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.83 Rp 69.5K

$3.36 Rp 61.0K

13.99%

Cappuccino

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

-24.75%

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

$0.46 Rp 8,372

$0.43 Rp 7,817

6.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 4,998

$0.26 Rp 4,731

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$2.56 Rp 46.5K

-12.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 Rp 62.8K

$3.73 Rp 67.6K

-7.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 Rp 18.7K

$1.36 Rp 24.6K

-24.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 Rp 17.7K

$1.12 Rp 20.4K

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$0.89 Rp 16.2K

-11.24%

Eggs

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

$1.83 Rp 33.2K

-25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.18 Rp 130.2K

$9.87 Rp 179.1K

-27.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 Rp 51.7K

$3.11 Rp 56.5K

-8.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 Rp 135.5K

$7.41 Rp 134.5K

0.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.5K

$2.69 Rp 48.8K

-18.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

-4.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 Rp 28.9K

$2.57 Rp 46.6K

-37.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.5K

$1.39 Rp 25.3K

-10.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 34.5K

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-15.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,202

$0.48 Rp 8,762

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 Rp 39.8K

$2.83 Rp 51.3K

-22.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.54 Rp 372.6K

$20.66 Rp 374.8K

-0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$2.18 Rp 39.5K

-16.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

$3.25 Rp 58.9K

-10.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,555

$0.21 Rp 3,852

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.45 Rp 207.6K

$11.55 Rp 209.5K

-0.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 9,152

$0.52 Rp 9,505

-3.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,350

$0.34 Rp 6,245

-14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 Rp 49.1K

$3.04 Rp 55.2K

-10.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-9.09%

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

$23.7K Rp 429.9M

$27.4K Rp 497.8M

-13.63%

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

$35.6K Rp 645.1M

$32.1K Rp 583.1M

10.63%

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

$55.9 Rp 1.0M

$121 Rp 2.2M

-53.62%

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

$5.62 Rp 102.0K

$5.93 Rp 107.6K

-5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.16 Rp 347.5K

$18.46 Rp 334.8K

3.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.90 Rp 342.8K

$19.01 Rp 344.8K

-0.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.07 Rp 128.2K

$13.90 Rp 252.2K

-49.14%

Cinema Ticket

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

$3.05 Rp 55.3K

-53.77%

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

$94.9 Rp 1.7M

$233 Rp 4.2M

-59.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,975 Rp 162.8M

$20.2K Rp 367.2M

-55.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.58 Rp 790.5K

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

-29.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.84 Rp 505.0K

$27.67 Rp 502.0K

0.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 Rp 1.4M

$72.1 Rp 1.3M

5.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

$104 Rp 1.9M

-31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$211 Rp 3.8M

$366 Rp 6.6M

-42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 Rp 2.3M

$196 Rp 3.6M

-36.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$612 Rp 11.1M

$1,117 Rp 20.3M

-45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 Rp 7.6M

$548 Rp 9.9M

-23.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,295 Rp 23.5M

$2,853 Rp 51.8M

-54.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$756 Rp 13.7M

$1,525 Rp 27.7M

-50.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$121 Rp 2.2M

$418 Rp 7.6M

-70.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

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

Last update for Ambon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Jakarta: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ambon

$190 32.3%

Jakarta

$218 27.4% 15.1% $29

Accommodation & Living

Ambon

$124 21.2%

Jakarta

$196 24.6% 57.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Ambon

$98 16.7%

Jakarta

$119 15% 21.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambon

$81 13.7%

Jakarta

$145 18.2% 79.6% $64

Eating Out

Ambon

$59 10.1%

Jakarta

$78 9.8% 32% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ambon

$22 3.7%

Jakarta

$25 3.2% 15.6% $3.4

Getting Around

Ambon

$14 2.5%

Jakarta

$15 1.8% 1.5% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $211 in Ambon and $366 in Jakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jakarta pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $14 in Ambon vs $17 in Jakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $218 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ambon

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

17:43 5:43 PM

2 h behind Ambon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

275,888

11,337,563 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ambon Jakarta 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ambon
Jakarta

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 Jakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Jakarta. 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 71% 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 $366 in Jakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Jakarta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $588 per month in Ambon versus $797 in Jakarta – Ambon is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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