Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Pekanbaru

For one person, living costs are similar in Bandung and in Pekanbaru: $623 and $627 a month, rent and utilities included.

Bandung, Indonesia
Pekanbaru, Indonesia
Bandung
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$623
/mo nomad
Pekanbaru
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$627
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandung and in Pekanbaru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $623 in Bandung versus $627 in Pekanbaru.

  • Bandung $623
  • Pekanbaru $627

Estimated couple costs with rent: $925 in Bandung versus $986 in Pekanbaru.

  • Bandung $925
  • Pekanbaru $986

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,226 in Bandung versus $1,344 in Pekanbaru.

  • Bandung $1,226
  • Pekanbaru $1,344

Monthly costs are close between Bandung and Pekanbaru; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bandung
Pekanbaru
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.40 Rp 25.4K
$1.42 Rp 25.7K
-1.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.70 Rp 248.3K
$8.09 Rp 146.5K
69.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.22 Rp 58.3K
$2.37 Rp 43.0K
35.86%
Cappuccino
$1.48 Rp 26.8K
$1.27 Rp 23.1K
16.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,756
$0.60 Rp 10.9K
-28.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 Rp 3,982
$0.33 Rp 6,007
-33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 Rp 56.2K
$2.02 Rp 36.7K
53.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 Rp 56.2K
$3.50 Rp 63.5K
-11.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bandung
Pekanbaru
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 Rp 20.0K
$1.27 Rp 23.0K
-12.60%
White Bread (500g)
$0.97 Rp 17.5K
$1.08 Rp 19.5K
-10.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.86 Rp 15.5K
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
6.17%
Eggs
$1.41 Rp 25.5K
$1.61 Rp 29.1K
-12.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.94 Rp 125.7K
$7.06 Rp 127.9K
-1.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.92 Rp 53.0K
$2.35 Rp 42.6K
24.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.93 Rp 143.6K
$6.38 Rp 115.6K
24.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 Rp 40.2K
$2.56 Rp 46.4K
-13.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.05 Rp 19.0K
$1.66 Rp 30.2K
-36.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$2.31 Rp 41.9K
-36.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
$1.19 Rp 21.5K
-25.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 Rp 19.7K
$1.26 Rp 22.9K
-13.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 Rp 35.1K
$1.95 Rp 35.3K
-0.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$0.85 Rp 15.5K
-24.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,792
$0.36 Rp 6,437
19.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.56 Rp 46.4K
$2.15 Rp 39.0K
19.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.37 Rp 405.4K
$21.11 Rp 382.4K
5.97%
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
$2.99 Rp 54.2K
5.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Bandung
Pekanbaru
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,849
$0.27 Rp 4,866
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.56 Rp 227.7K
$11.26 Rp 204.1K
11.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.84 Rp 15.3K
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
-15.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.54 Rp 9,707
$0.36 Rp 6,435
50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.32 Rp 42.1K
$2.90 Rp 52.6K
-20.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
$0.70 Rp 12.7K
20.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K Rp 376.1M
$23.2K Rp 419.6M
-10.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K Rp 584.0M
$25.8K Rp 467.1M
25.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandung
Pekanbaru
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.56 Rp 608.0K
$62.5 Rp 1.1M
-46.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.22 Rp 76.5K
$6.02 Rp 109.0K
-29.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.17 Rp 347.4K
$22.68 Rp 411.0K
-15.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bandung
Pekanbaru
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$16.35 Rp 296.3K
$27.69 Rp 501.8K
-40.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.92 Rp 107.3K
$8.22 Rp 149.0K
-27.98%
Cinema Ticket
$2.83 Rp 51.2K
$3.07 Rp 55.6K
-7.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bandung
Pekanbaru
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$92.1 Rp 1.7M
$94.5 Rp 1.7M
-2.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,239 Rp 149.3M
$8,127 Rp 147.3M
1.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bandung
Pekanbaru
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.89 Rp 704.6K
$32.20 Rp 583.4K
20.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.30 Rp 567.1K
$28.67 Rp 519.5K
9.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.7 Rp 1.4M
$55.6 Rp 1.0M
34.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.3 Rp 1.3M
$80.8 Rp 1.5M
-14.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bandung
Pekanbaru
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$208 Rp 3.8M
$243 Rp 4.4M
-14.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$176 Rp 3.2M
$148 Rp 2.7M
18.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$372 Rp 6.7M
$541 Rp 9.8M
-31.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$264 Rp 4.8M
$370 Rp 6.7M
-28.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$706 Rp 12.8M
$1,302 Rp 23.6M
-45.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$298 Rp 5.4M
$804 Rp 14.6M
-62.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bandung
Pekanbaru
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$277 Rp 5.0M
$175 Rp 3.2M
58.71%
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 Pekanbaru: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bandung
$192
Pekanbaru
$196 1.9% $3.7
Accommodation & Living
Bandung
$176
Pekanbaru
$148 15.8% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Bandung
$96
Pekanbaru
$89 7.9% $7.7
Eating Out
Bandung
$63
Pekanbaru
$55 13.1% $8.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandung
$57
Pekanbaru
$91 60.1% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Bandung
$22
Pekanbaru
$34 53.7% $12
Getting Around
Bandung
$17
Pekanbaru
$15 12% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Bandung and $243 in Pekanbaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 59% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $14 in Bandung vs $8 in Pekanbaru. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $196, with Bandung cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bandung
🇮🇩 Pekanbaru
🕒 Local time
03:44 3:44 AM
03:44 3:44 AM
Same time as Bandung
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,390,120
1,020,308
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bandung Pekanbaru 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bandung
  • Pekanbaru

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 Pekanbaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Are salaries higher in Bandung or in Pekanbaru?
Average pay runs 59% higher in Bandung, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bandung compared to Pekanbaru?
Rent for a central apartment: $208 in Bandung versus $243 in Pekanbaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Bandung compared to Pekanbaru?
A monthly transit pass in Pekanbaru runs roughly 10% less than in Bandung. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do dining costs compare in Bandung and in Pekanbaru?
Dining out is cheaper in Pekanbaru – a meal for two runs $8 versus $14 in Bandung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Bandung or in Pekanbaru?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Bandung or Pekanbaru?
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.

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