Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Samarinda

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandung: $623 a month against $652 in Samarinda, rent and utilities included – about $350 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bandung, Indonesia
Samarinda, Indonesia
Bandung
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$623
/mo nomad
Samarinda
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$652
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandung and in Samarinda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $623 in Bandung versus $652 in Samarinda.

  • Bandung $623
  • Samarinda $652

Estimated couple costs with rent: $925 in Bandung versus $1,055 in Samarinda.

  • Bandung $925
  • Samarinda $1,055

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,226 in Bandung versus $1,457 in Samarinda.

  • Bandung $1,226
  • Samarinda $1,457

Living in Bandung costs roughly 4% less than in Samarinda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bandung 54% lower, Samarinda 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bandung
Samarinda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.40 Rp 25.4K
$1.63 Rp 29.6K
-14.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.70 Rp 248.6K
$13.90 Rp 252.0K
-1.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.22 Rp 58.4K
$3.33 Rp 60.4K
-3.30%
Cappuccino
$1.48 Rp 26.8K
$1.45 Rp 26.3K
2.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,764
$0.45 Rp 8,244
-4.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 Rp 3,986
$0.24 Rp 4,368
-8.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 Rp 56.3K
$2.17 Rp 39.4K
42.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 Rp 56.3K
$3.50 Rp 63.5K
-11.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bandung
Samarinda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
$1.06 Rp 19.2K
4.72%
White Bread (500g)
$0.97 Rp 17.6K
$0.86 Rp 15.6K
12.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.86 Rp 15.5K
$0.64 Rp 11.7K
34.37%
Eggs
$1.41 Rp 25.6K
$1.37 Rp 24.8K
2.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.94 Rp 125.9K
$7.12 Rp 129.1K
-2.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.92 Rp 53.0K
$3.54 Rp 64.2K
-17.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.93 Rp 143.8K
$10.03 Rp 181.9K
-20.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$4.99 Rp 90.5K
-55.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.05 Rp 19.0K
$1.09 Rp 19.8K
-3.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$1.07 Rp 19.5K
36.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
$1.41 Rp 25.6K
-36.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 Rp 19.7K
$1.29 Rp 23.4K
-15.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 Rp 35.1K
$1.81 Rp 32.8K
7.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
-20.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,800
$0.51 Rp 9,225
-15.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.56 Rp 46.5K
$2.07 Rp 37.5K
23.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.37 Rp 405.8K
$21.12 Rp 383.0K
5.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 Rp 34.3K
$1.96 Rp 35.5K
-3.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 Rp 57.2K
$2.92 Rp 53.0K
7.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Bandung
Samarinda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,853
$0.21 Rp 3,781
28.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.56 Rp 227.9K
$11.71 Rp 212.4K
7.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.84 Rp 15.3K
$0.50 Rp 9,006
68.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.54 Rp 9,717
$0.33 Rp 6,003
63.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.32 Rp 42.1K
$2.80 Rp 50.9K
-17.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
3.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K Rp 376.5M
$22.3K Rp 404.4M
-6.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K Rp 584.6M
$31.5K Rp 571.7M
2.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandung
Samarinda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$33.56 Rp 608.6K
$63.1 Rp 1.1M
-46.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.22 Rp 76.6K
$3.84 Rp 69.7K
9.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.17 Rp 347.7K
$18.56 Rp 336.6K
3.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bandung
Samarinda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$16.35 Rp 296.6K
$18.49 Rp 335.4K
-11.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.92 Rp 107.4K
$7.04 Rp 127.7K
-15.91%
Cinema Ticket
$2.83 Rp 51.2K
$2.73 Rp 49.6K
3.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bandung
Samarinda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$92.1 Rp 1.7M
$98.6 Rp 1.8M
-6.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,239 Rp 149.4M
$8,897 Rp 161.4M
-7.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bandung
Samarinda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$38.89 Rp 705.3K
$40.26 Rp 730.3K
-3.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.30 Rp 567.6K
$27.22 Rp 493.8K
14.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.7 Rp 1.4M
$70.8 Rp 1.3M
5.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.3 Rp 1.3M
$64.6 Rp 1.2M
7.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bandung
Samarinda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$208 Rp 3.8M
$210 Rp 3.8M
-0.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$176 Rp 3.2M
$161 Rp 2.9M
8.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$372 Rp 6.7M
$527 Rp 9.6M
-29.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$264 Rp 4.8M
$420 Rp 7.6M
-37.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$706 Rp 12.8M
$1,231 Rp 22.3M
-42.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$298 Rp 5.4M
$819 Rp 14.9M
-63.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bandung
Samarinda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$277 Rp 5.0M
$327 Rp 5.9M
-15.29%
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 Samarinda: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Bandung
$192
Samarinda
$214 11.4% $22
Accommodation & Living
Bandung
$176
Samarinda
$161 8% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Bandung
$96
Samarinda
$91 5.3% $5.1
Eating Out
Bandung
$63
Samarinda
$61 2.8% $1.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bandung
$57
Samarinda
$85 50.1% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Bandung
$22
Samarinda
$24 8.9% $2
Getting Around
Bandung
$17
Samarinda
$15 14.4% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Bandung and $210 in Samarinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samarinda pays 18% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $14 in Bandung vs $14 in Samarinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $214 per month, with Bandung cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bandung
🇮🇩 Samarinda
🕒 Local time
15:10 3:10 PM
16:10 4:10 PM
1 h ahead of Bandung
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,390,120
726,223
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bandung Samarinda 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bandung
  • Samarinda

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 Samarinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bandung or Samarinda?
Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Samarinda. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bandung or in Samarinda?
On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Bandung. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Bandung compared to Samarinda?
Rent for a central apartment: $208 in Bandung versus $210 in Samarinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Bandung and in Samarinda?
Childcare runs $92 in Bandung versus $99 in Samarinda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How expensive is transport in Bandung compared to Samarinda?
A monthly transit pass in Samarinda runs roughly 7% less than in Bandung. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $800/month in Bandung or in Samarinda?
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 Samarinda?
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.
Should I move to Bandung or to Samarinda?
It comes down to priorities – Bandung wins on affordability, Samarinda on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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