Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Binjai and Jakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Binjai: $638 a month against $772 in Jakarta, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Binjai, Indonesia
Jakarta, Indonesia
Binjai
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$638
/mo nomad
Jakarta
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$772
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Binjai and in Jakarta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Binjai and in Jakarta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $638 in Binjai versus $772 in Jakarta.

  • Binjai $638
  • Jakarta $772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,029 in Binjai versus $1,257 in Jakarta.

  • Binjai $1,029
  • Jakarta $1,257

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,421 in Binjai versus $1,741 in Jakarta.

  • Binjai $1,421
  • Jakarta $1,741

Living in Binjai costs roughly 17% less than in Jakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Binjai 53% lower, Jakarta 43% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Binjai
Jakarta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.80 Rp 32.7K
$2.71 Rp 49.1K
-33.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.06 Rp 273.1K
$16.34 Rp 296.3K
-7.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.81 Rp 51.0K
$3.24 Rp 58.8K
-13.27%
Cappuccino
$1.33 Rp 24.1K
$2.02 Rp 36.7K
-34.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 Rp 8,707
$0.41 Rp 7,475
17.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 Rp 3,639
$0.26 Rp 4,720
-23.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.49 Rp 45.1K
$2.49 Rp 45.2K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 Rp 56.6K
$3.89 Rp 70.6K
-19.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Binjai
Jakarta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 Rp 18.8K
$1.38 Rp 25.1K
-24.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
$1.08 Rp 19.5K
-12.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.80 Rp 14.6K
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
-4.76%
Eggs
$1.25 Rp 22.6K
$1.76 Rp 32.0K
-28.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.22 Rp 112.9K
$9.22 Rp 167.3K
-32.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.15 Rp 57.1K
$2.95 Rp 53.6K
6.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.48 Rp 135.8K
$7.34 Rp 133.2K
1.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.43 Rp 44.1K
$2.73 Rp 49.5K
-10.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.30 Rp 23.7K
$1.35 Rp 24.4K
-3.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 Rp 32.2K
$2.48 Rp 45.0K
-28.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.25 Rp 22.7K
$1.38 Rp 25.1K
-9.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 Rp 25.4K
$1.37 Rp 24.8K
2.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 Rp 35.5K
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
-3.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
$0.95 Rp 17.2K
-14.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 Rp 6,985
$0.50 Rp 9,031
-22.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.43 Rp 44.1K
$2.79 Rp 50.6K
-12.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.59 Rp 391.6K
$21.05 Rp 381.8K
2.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 Rp 36.5K
$2.03 Rp 36.8K
-0.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.20 Rp 58.0K
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
7.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Binjai
Jakarta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 Rp 3,849
$0.16 Rp 2,942
31.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.00 Rp 181.4K
$11.69 Rp 212.0K
-14.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,510
$0.49 Rp 8,953
-4.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 Rp 6,512
$0.32 Rp 5,786
12.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.18 Rp 57.6K
$3.28 Rp 59.6K
-3.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
$0.86 Rp 15.7K
9.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.3K Rp 369.0M
$27.0K Rp 489.6M
-24.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1K Rp 546.1M
$32.7K Rp 592.9M
-7.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Binjai
Jakarta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$68.7 Rp 1.2M
$107 Rp 1.9M
-35.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.91 Rp 70.8K
$5.99 Rp 108.6K
-34.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.11 Rp 328.4K
$19.06 Rp 345.7K
-4.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Binjai
Jakarta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.19 Rp 366.2K
$19.34 Rp 350.9K
4.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.73 Rp 158.4K
$13.90 Rp 252.1K
-37.19%
Cinema Ticket
$2.88 Rp 52.3K
$3.11 Rp 56.3K
-7.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Binjai
Jakarta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$105 Rp 1.9M
$238 Rp 4.3M
-56.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,060 Rp 146.2M
$8,010 Rp 145.3M
0.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Binjai
Jakarta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.93 Rp 778.7K
$57.5 Rp 1.0M
-25.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.03 Rp 490.3K
$27.82 Rp 504.7K
-2.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.1 Rp 1.5M
$70.5 Rp 1.3M
19.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$62.7 Rp 1.1M
$103 Rp 1.9M
-39.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Binjai
Jakarta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$204 Rp 3.7M
$355 Rp 6.4M
-42.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$156 Rp 2.8M
$191 Rp 3.5M
-18.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$495 Rp 9.0M
$1,123 Rp 20.4M
-55.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$411 Rp 7.5M
$544 Rp 9.9M
-24.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,207 Rp 21.9M
$2,742 Rp 49.7M
-55.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$752 Rp 13.6M
$1,506 Rp 27.3M
-50.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Binjai
Jakarta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$441 Rp 8.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
9.46
-

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

Last update for Binjai: October 24, 2026

Last update for Jakarta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Binjai
$194
Jakarta
$214 10.5% $20
Accommodation & Living
Binjai
$156
Jakarta
$191 22.3% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Binjai
$98
Jakarta
$116 19.3% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Binjai
$91
Jakarta
$132 45.6% $41
Eating Out
Binjai
$60
Jakarta
$79 30.5% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Binjai
$26
Jakarta
$26 1.5% $0.4
Getting Around
Binjai
$13
Jakarta
$14 10.1% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Binjai and $355 in Jakarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15 in Binjai vs $16 in Jakarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $214 per month, with Binjai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Binjai
🇮🇩 Jakarta
🕒 Local time
15:01 3:01 PM
15:01 3:01 PM
Same time as Binjai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
267,901
11,337,563 Capital
💱 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
  • Binjai Jakarta 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Binjai
  • Jakarta

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
Binjai vs Jakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Binjai cheaper than Jakarta?
Binjai is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $956 in Binjai and $1,159 in Jakarta to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Binjai and Jakarta?
Rent for a central apartment: $204 in Binjai versus $355 in Jakarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Binjai and in Jakarta?
All in, you’ll spend $638 per month in Binjai versus $772 in Jakarta – Binjai is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Binjai runs roughly 14% less than in Jakarta. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Binjai or Jakarta?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Binjai gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Binjai or in Jakarta?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Binjai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Jakarta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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