Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bandung and Semarang

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $593 a month against $623 in Bandung, rent and utilities included – about $360 less a year. The total is higher in Bandung despite lower rent and utilities.

30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
Learn more

Bandung Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
Learn more

Semarang Living Index

Jump to prices

Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$623

/mo nomad

Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bandung and in Semarang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $623 in Bandung versus $593 in Semarang.

Bandung $623
Semarang $593

Estimated couple costs with rent: $925 in Bandung versus $938 in Semarang.

Bandung $925
Semarang $938

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,226 in Bandung versus $1,282 in Semarang.

Bandung $1,226
Semarang $1,282

Living in Bandung is roughly 5% more expensive than in Semarang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bandung 54% lower, Semarang 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

4.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.70 Rp 249.1K

$10.53 Rp 191.3K

30.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.22 Rp 58.5K

$3.04 Rp 55.3K

5.92%

Cappuccino

$1.48 Rp 26.8K

$1.28 Rp 23.2K

15.62%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,780

$0.43 Rp 7,808

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 Rp 3,994

$0.16 Rp 2,847

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 Rp 56.4K

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

89.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 Rp 56.4K

$3.25 Rp 59.1K

-4.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

8.86%

Eggs

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

19.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 Rp 126.1K

$3.86 Rp 70.2K

79.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.92 Rp 53.1K

$2.33 Rp 42.4K

25.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 Rp 144.1K

$7.55 Rp 137.3K

5.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$1.96 Rp 35.7K

13.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

-17.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$1.80 Rp 32.8K

-18.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.2K

$1.47 Rp 26.7K

-39.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

$1.28 Rp 23.3K

-14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 Rp 35.2K

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$0.93 Rp 17.0K

-31.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,815

$0.40 Rp 7,359

7.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 Rp 46.6K

$1.87 Rp 34.1K

36.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.37 Rp 406.6K

$25.05 Rp 455.2K

-10.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 Rp 34.4K

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

15.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 Rp 57.3K

$1.95 Rp 35.4K

61.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,863

$0.21 Rp 3,816

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.56 Rp 228.4K

$13.93 Rp 253.1K

-9.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$0.50 Rp 9,128

68.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 Rp 9,737

$0.29 Rp 5,331

86.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 Rp 42.2K

$2.69 Rp 48.8K

-13.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$0.77 Rp 14.0K

9.09%

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

$20.8K Rp 377.2M

$24.5K Rp 446.0M

-15.42%

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

$32.2K Rp 585.8M

$32.2K Rp 585.5M

0.05%

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

$33.56 Rp 609.9K

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

-61.04%

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

$4.22 Rp 76.8K

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

58.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.17 Rp 348.4K

$18.96 Rp 344.7K

1.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.35 Rp 297.2K

$20.30 Rp 368.9K

-19.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.92 Rp 107.7K

$4.49 Rp 81.5K

31.85%

Cinema Ticket

$2.83 Rp 51.3K

$2.25 Rp 40.9K

25.78%

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

$92.1 Rp 1.7M

$49.33 Rp 896.6K

86.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,239 Rp 149.7M

$2,076 Rp 37.7M

296.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.89 Rp 706.7K

$34.61 Rp 629.1K

12.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.30 Rp 568.8K

$29.31 Rp 532.7K

6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

32.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 Rp 1.3M

$38.07 Rp 691.9K

82.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 Rp 3.8M

$226 Rp 4.1M

-7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 Rp 3.2M

$136 Rp 2.5M

28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 Rp 6.8M

$477 Rp 8.7M

-22.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 Rp 4.8M

$380 Rp 6.9M

-30.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$706 Rp 12.8M

$1,223 Rp 22.2M

-42.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$298 Rp 5.4M

$833 Rp 15.1M

-64.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$277 Rp 5.0M

$186 Rp 3.4M

49.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

8.82

29.02%

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

Last update for Bandung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Semarang: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bandung

$192 30.8%

Semarang

$184 31% 4.2% $8.2

Accommodation & Living

Bandung

$176 28.2%

Semarang

$136 23% 22.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Bandung

$96 15.5%

Semarang

$71 12% 26.1% $25

Eating Out

Bandung

$63 10.1%

Semarang

$52 8.8% 16.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bandung

$57 9.1%

Semarang

$108 18.2% 89.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Bandung

$22 3.5%

Semarang

$25 4.2% 12.7% $2.8

Getting Around

Bandung

$17 2.8%

Semarang

$17 2.8% 2.4% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $208 in Bandung and $226 in Semarang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $14 in Bandung vs $11 in Semarang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $184 per month, with Semarang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bandung

🇮🇩 Semarang

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

Same time as Bandung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,390,120

1,555,984

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bandung Semarang 310 km

From you

Bandung
Semarang

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 Semarang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semarang wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Bandung. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Semarang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 49% 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 $226 in Semarang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Bandung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Semarang – a meal for two runs $11 versus $14 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 Semarang 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.

It comes down to priorities – Semarang wins on affordability, Bandung on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.