Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Pontianak

For one person, living is cheaper in Pontianak: $478 a month against $628 in Bandung, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
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Bandung Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Pontianak
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Pontianak Living Index

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Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$628

/mo nomad

Pontianak

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandung and in Pontianak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in Bandung versus $478 in Pontianak.

Bandung $628
Pontianak $478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $929 in Bandung versus $593 in Pontianak.

Bandung $929
Pontianak $593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,230 in Bandung versus $708 in Pontianak.

Bandung $1,230
Pontianak $708

Living in Bandung is roughly 31% more expensive than in Pontianak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bandung 54% lower, Pontianak 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.42 Rp 25.6K

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

-16.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.68 Rp 246.2K

$8.27 Rp 148.8K

65.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$2.89 Rp 52.0K

11.76%

Cappuccino

$1.48 Rp 26.6K

$1.16 Rp 21.0K

27.59%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,689

$0.47 Rp 8,402

-8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 Rp 4,341

$0.21 Rp 3,768

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 Rp 55.9K

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 Rp 55.2K

$3.67 Rp 66.0K

-16.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 Rp 19.3K

$1.03 Rp 18.5K

3.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 Rp 17.7K

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

-30.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

-8.60%

Eggs

$1.45 Rp 26.2K

$1.45 Rp 26.0K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.08 Rp 127.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.0K

$3.22 Rp 58.0K

-12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 Rp 139.8K

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.9K

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

-25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

$1.99 Rp 35.9K

-46.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

-32.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.95 Rp 17.0K

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,573

$0.49 Rp 8,764

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 Rp 47.0K

$2.79 Rp 50.2K

-6.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.34 Rp 402.1K

$22.24 Rp 400.4K

0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 Rp 34.1K

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 Rp 58.3K

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

51.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,256

$0.27 Rp 4,795

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.57 Rp 172.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 Rp 9,203

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

10.39%

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

$20.7K Rp 373.4M

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

$31.6K Rp 569.6M

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

$33.38 Rp 600.8K

$69.1 Rp 1.2M

-51.69%

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

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$5.50 Rp 99.0K

-20.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.09 Rp 343.7K

$22.22 Rp 399.9K

-14.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.35 Rp 330.3K

$23.64 Rp 425.6K

-22.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 Rp 107.9K

$11.66 Rp 209.9K

-48.63%

Cinema Ticket

$2.73 Rp 49.2K

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-23.10%

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

$91.7 Rp 1.7M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,172 Rp 147.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.74 Rp 697.3K

$32.60 Rp 586.8K

18.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.83 Rp 572.9K

$33.62 Rp 605.2K

-5.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 Rp 1.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 Rp 3.9M

$165 Rp 3.0M

30.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 Rp 3.2M

$111 Rp 2.0M

62.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 Rp 6.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 Rp 4.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$726 Rp 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$301 Rp 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 Rp 5.0M

$266 Rp 4.8M

5.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

13.80%

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

Last update for Bandung: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pontianak: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bandung

$192 30.6%

Pontianak

$149 * 31.2% 22.4% $43

Accommodation & Living

Bandung

$180 28.6%

Pontianak

$111 23.2% 38.3% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Bandung

$98 15.7%

Pontianak

$30 * 6.2% 69.7% $69

Eating Out

Bandung

$63 10.1%

Pontianak

$60 12.5% 5.2% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandung

$57 9.1%

Pontianak

$97 20.2% 70.3% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Bandung

$24 3.8%

Pontianak

$31 6.4% 29.1% $6.9

Getting Around

Bandung

$14 2.3%

Pontianak

$1.1 * 0.2% 92.4% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $216 in Bandung and $165 in Pontianak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 5% 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 Pontianak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $149 per month, with Pontianak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bandung

🇮🇩 Pontianak

🕒 Local time

19:42 7:42 PM

Same time as Bandung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,390,120

672,440

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bandung Pontianak 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bandung
Pontianak

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 Pontianak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pontianak wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Bandung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pontianak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $216 in Bandung versus $165 in Pontianak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $628 per month in Bandung versus $478 in Pontianak – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Bandung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Pontianak 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 Pontianak delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $478 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pontianak hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bandung and Pontianak 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 Pontianak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Bandung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.