Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balikpapan and Bandung

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandung: $623 a month against $669 in Balikpapan, rent and utilities included – about $550 less a year. The total is higher in Balikpapan despite lower rent and utilities.

32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
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Bandung Living Index

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Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$669

/mo nomad

Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balikpapan 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 Balikpapan and in Bandung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $669 in Balikpapan versus $623 in Bandung.

Balikpapan $669
Bandung $623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,057 in Balikpapan versus $925 in Bandung.

Balikpapan $1,057
Bandung $925

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,444 in Balikpapan versus $1,226 in Bandung.

Balikpapan $1,444
Bandung $1,226

Living in Balikpapan is roughly 7% more expensive than in Bandung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Balikpapan 51% lower, Bandung 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.88 Rp 197.7K

$13.70 Rp 248.9K

-20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

$3.22 Rp 58.4K

-6.21%

Cappuccino

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

$1.48 Rp 26.8K

-9.46%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,320

$0.43 Rp 7,774

-18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 Rp 7,034

$0.22 Rp 3,991

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 Rp 40.8K

$3.10 Rp 56.4K

-27.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

$3.10 Rp 56.3K

13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

8.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.3K

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

36.05%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

72.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 Rp 129.7K

$6.94 Rp 126.0K

2.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 Rp 54.1K

$2.92 Rp 53.1K

2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 Rp 156.8K

$7.93 Rp 144.0K

8.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

-1.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

24.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

5.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$0.89 Rp 16.2K

33.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

10.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 35.5K

$1.94 Rp 35.2K

0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

$0.43 Rp 7,809

67.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$2.56 Rp 46.5K

-30.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.12 Rp 383.5K

$22.37 Rp 406.3K

-5.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Rp 32.6K

$1.89 Rp 34.4K

-5.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

$3.15 Rp 57.3K

-5.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,151

$0.27 Rp 4,860

-14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.50 Rp 208.8K

$12.56 Rp 228.2K

-8.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

32.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,189

$0.54 Rp 9,729

-46.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

$2.32 Rp 42.2K

21.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 Rp 13.7K

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

-10.71%

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

$23.2K Rp 420.9M

$20.8K Rp 376.9M

11.65%

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

$31.4K Rp 570.2M

$32.2K Rp 585.3M

-2.58%

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

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

$33.56 Rp 609.4K

91.06%

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

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

$4.22 Rp 76.7K

-0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.48 Rp 535.4K

$19.17 Rp 348.2K

53.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.84 Rp 432.9K

$16.35 Rp 297.0K

45.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.27 Rp 150.3K

$5.92 Rp 107.6K

39.70%

Cinema Ticket

$2.82 Rp 51.3K

$2.83 Rp 51.3K

-0.35%

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

$91.6 Rp 1.7M

$92.1 Rp 1.7M

-0.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,145 Rp 166.1M

$8,239 Rp 149.6M

10.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.81 Rp 686.7K

$38.89 Rp 706.2K

-2.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.66 Rp 338.9K

$31.30 Rp 568.4K

-40.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 Rp 2.5M

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

87.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

$69.3 Rp 1.3M

1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$197 Rp 3.6M

$208 Rp 3.8M

-5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$143 Rp 2.6M

$176 Rp 3.2M

-18.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 Rp 10.2M

$372 Rp 6.8M

50.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 Rp 6.6M

$264 Rp 4.8M

37.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,323 Rp 24.0M

$706 Rp 12.8M

87.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$777 Rp 14.1M

$298 Rp 5.4M

160.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$238 Rp 4.3M

$277 Rp 5.0M

-14.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

11.38

-16.87%

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

Last update for Balikpapan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bandung: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Balikpapan

$206 30.8%

Bandung

$192 30.8% 6.7% $14

Accommodation & Living

Balikpapan

$143 21.4%

Bandung

$176 28.2% 22.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Balikpapan

$120 18%

Bandung

$96 15.5% 19.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balikpapan

$98 14.6%

Bandung

$57 9.1% 41.8% $41

Eating Out

Balikpapan

$58 8.6%

Bandung

$63 10.1% 9.3% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Balikpapan

$29 4.4%

Bandung

$22 3.5% 25.4% $7.5

Getting Around

Balikpapan

$15 2.2%

Bandung

$17 2.8% 14.8% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $197 in Balikpapan and $208 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11 in Balikpapan vs $14 in Bandung. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $192, with Bandung cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Bandung

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

1 h behind Balikpapan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,066

2,390,120

💱 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

Balikpapan Bandung 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Balikpapan
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

Balikpapan vs Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $669 in Balikpapan and $623 in Bandung, so Bandung is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Balikpapan. 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: $197 in Balikpapan versus $208 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Balikpapan runs roughly 8% less than in Bandung. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $92 in Balikpapan versus $92 in Bandung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bandung 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, Balikpapan and Bandung are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.