Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Balikpapan

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.

30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
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Bandung Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index

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Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$623

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandung and in Balikpapan

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

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

Bandung $623
Balikpapan $669

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

Bandung $925
Balikpapan $1,057

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

Bandung $1,226
Balikpapan $1,444

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$1.40 Rp 25.3K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.70 Rp 248.7K

$10.88 Rp 197.5K

25.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.22 Rp 58.4K

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

6.62%

Cappuccino

$1.48 Rp 26.8K

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

10.45%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,767

$0.35 Rp 6,314

22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 Rp 3,987

$0.39 Rp 7,028

-43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 Rp 56.3K

$2.25 Rp 40.7K

37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 Rp 56.3K

$3.51 Rp 63.6K

-11.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

-7.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

-26.50%

Eggs

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

$2.43 Rp 44.0K

-41.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 Rp 125.9K

$7.14 Rp 129.6K

-2.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

$2.98 Rp 54.1K

-2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 Rp 143.8K

$8.63 Rp 156.7K

-8.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

1.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

-19.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

-5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

-25.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

-9.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 Rp 35.1K

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

-0.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

-23.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,803

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

-40.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 Rp 46.5K

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

43.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.37 Rp 405.9K

$21.12 Rp 383.1K

5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

$1.79 Rp 32.5K

5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 Rp 57.2K

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,855

$0.23 Rp 4,147

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 Rp 228.0K

$11.50 Rp 208.6K

9.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

-24.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 Rp 9,721

$0.29 Rp 5,184

86.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 Rp 42.1K

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

-17.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$0.75 Rp 13.7K

12.00%

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

$20.8K Rp 376.6M

$23.2K Rp 420.5M

-10.44%

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

$32.2K Rp 584.8M

$31.4K Rp 569.7M

2.65%

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

$33.56 Rp 608.9K

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

-47.66%

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

$4.22 Rp 76.6K

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

0.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.17 Rp 347.9K

$29.48 Rp 535.0K

-34.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.35 Rp 296.7K

$23.84 Rp 432.6K

-31.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.92 Rp 107.5K

$8.27 Rp 150.1K

-28.42%

Cinema Ticket

$2.83 Rp 51.3K

$2.82 Rp 51.3K

0.35%

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

$92.1 Rp 1.7M

$91.6 Rp 1.7M

0.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,239 Rp 149.5M

$9,145 Rp 165.9M

-9.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.89 Rp 705.6K

$37.81 Rp 686.1K

2.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.30 Rp 567.9K

$18.66 Rp 338.6K

67.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

$140 Rp 2.5M

-46.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 Rp 1.3M

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

-1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 Rp 3.8M

$197 Rp 3.6M

5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 Rp 3.2M

$143 Rp 2.6M

22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 Rp 6.8M

$559 Rp 10.1M

-33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 Rp 4.8M

$362 Rp 6.6M

-27.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$706 Rp 12.8M

$1,323 Rp 24.0M

-46.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$298 Rp 5.4M

$777 Rp 14.1M

-61.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$277 Rp 5.0M

$238 Rp 4.3M

16.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

9.46

20.30%

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

Last update for Bandung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Balikpapan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bandung

$192 30.8%

Balikpapan

$206 30.8% 7.2% $14

Accommodation & Living

Bandung

$176 28.2%

Balikpapan

$143 21.4% 18.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Bandung

$96 15.5%

Balikpapan

$120 18% 24.7% $24

Eating Out

Bandung

$63 10.1%

Balikpapan

$58 8.6% 8.5% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandung

$57 9.1%

Balikpapan

$98 14.6% 71.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Bandung

$22 3.5%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 34% $7.5

Getting Around

Bandung

$17 2.8%

Balikpapan

$15 2.2% 12.9% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Bandung and $197 in Balikpapan. 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: $14 in Bandung vs $11 in Balikpapan. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $206, with Bandung cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bandung

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

13:49 1:49 PM

1 h ahead of Bandung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,390,120

701,066

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bandung Balikpapan 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bandung
Balikpapan

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

Bandung vs Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 17% higher in Bandung, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $208 in Bandung versus $197 in Balikpapan. 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 Bandung versus $92 in Balikpapan. 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, Bandung and Balikpapan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.