Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Pekanbaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Pekanbaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $645 in Bandung versus $634 in Pekanbaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $942 in Bandung versus $989 in Pekanbaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,239 in Bandung versus $1,343 in Pekanbaru.

Living in Bandung is roughly 2% more expensive than in Pekanbaru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bandung 53% lower, Pekanbaru 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 Rp 24.9K

$1.45 Rp 25.7K

-3.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.00 Rp 247.9K

$8.36 Rp 148.0K

67.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.35 Rp 59.3K

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

48.23%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

$1.31 Rp 23.1K

18.32%

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

$0.45 Rp 8,040

$0.42 Rp 7,464

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,043

$0.22 Rp 3,887

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 Rp 56.8K

$1.92 Rp 34.0K

67.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 Rp 55.8K

$3.09 Rp 54.8K

1.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 Rp 19.5K

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

-20.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 Rp 18.4K

$1.14 Rp 20.3K

-8.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 Rp 15.6K

$0.89 Rp 15.7K

-1.12%

Eggs

$1.44 Rp 25.5K

$1.68 Rp 29.8K

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 Rp 129.6K

$7.37 Rp 130.5K

-0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 Rp 50.5K

$2.54 Rp 45.1K

12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 Rp 145.9K

$6.72 Rp 119.1K

22.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 40.6K

$2.75 Rp 48.7K

-16.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 Rp 19.7K

$1.66 Rp 29.5K

-32.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 26.4K

$2.44 Rp 43.2K

-38.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 Rp 16.8K

$1.25 Rp 22.1K

-24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.33 Rp 23.5K

-16.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

$2.01 Rp 35.7K

-5.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 Rp 11.6K

$0.73 Rp 12.9K

-9.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 Rp 7,252

$0.39 Rp 6,991

5.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 Rp 49.4K

$2.11 Rp 37.3K

32.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.80 Rp 403.8K

$20.66 Rp 365.8K

10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 Rp 34.1K

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 Rp 59.3K

$2.92 Rp 51.7K

14.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,725

$0.27 Rp 4,778

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.57 Rp 169.5K

$8.44 Rp 149.4K

13.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 Rp 14.4K

$0.93 Rp 16.5K

-12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 Rp 9,759

$0.37 Rp 6,527

48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 Rp 41.5K

$2.97 Rp 52.5K

-21.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.72 Rp 12.7K

8.33%

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

$21.2K Rp 375.9M

$22.8K Rp 403.0M

-6.72%

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

$29.5K Rp 522.2M

$27.4K Rp 485.0M

7.66%

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

$33.79 Rp 598.3K

$65.2 Rp 1.2M

-48.16%

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

$4.39 Rp 77.7K

$6.29 Rp 111.4K

-30.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.60 Rp 347.0K

$23.94 Rp 423.9K

-18.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.96 Rp 335.7K

$28.75 Rp 509.1K

-34.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.92 Rp 104.9K

$8.36 Rp 148.1K

-29.19%

Cinema Ticket

$2.88 Rp 51.1K

$3.05 Rp 54.0K

-5.57%

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

$93.8 Rp 1.7M

$96.6 Rp 1.7M

-2.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,255 Rp 146.2M

$7,970 Rp 141.1M

3.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.76 Rp 704.0K

$27.32 Rp 483.8K

45.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 Rp 587.1K

$29.79 Rp 527.4K

11.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$56.5 Rp 999.9K

37.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 Rp 1.2M

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

-14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 Rp 3.9M

$208 Rp 3.7M

6.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 Rp 3.2M

$157 Rp 2.8M

15.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 Rp 6.9M

$556 Rp 9.8M

-29.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 Rp 4.8M

$374 Rp 6.6M

-28.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$738 Rp 13.1M

$1,357 Rp 24.0M

-45.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$311 Rp 5.5M

$659 Rp 11.7M

-52.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 Rp 5.1M

$179 Rp 3.2M

59.82%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Pekanbaru: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $222 in Bandung and $208 in Pekanbaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 60% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $14.00 in Bandung vs $8.00 in Pekanbaru. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $203, with Bandung cheaper for home cooking.

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 Pekanbaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pekanbaru wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Bandung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pekanbaru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $222 in Bandung versus $208 in Pekanbaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bandung pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Pekanbaru – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $14.00 in Bandung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Pekanbaru gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pekanbaru delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $634 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pekanbaru hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bandung and Pekanbaru are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pekanbaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Bandung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.