Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Indonesia Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Indonesia

Name: Indonesia
Address: ID

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in China versus $738 in Indonesia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $1,187 in Indonesia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $1,635 in Indonesia.

Living in China costs about 2% less than in Indonesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Indonesia 46% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Indonesia: monthly costs span $333 to $1,727, compared to $468–$1,236 in China. City choice carries more weight in Indonesia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$1.66 Rp 29.2K

76.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$11.87 Rp 209.0K

91.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$3.25 Rp 57.3K

56.00%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

79.27%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$0.50 Rp 8,726

-4.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.26 Rp 4,611

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$2.22 Rp 39.0K

-52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$3.49 Rp 61.4K

-35.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$1.20 Rp 21.1K

49.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$1.15 Rp 20.3K

47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$0.83 Rp 14.7K

15.66%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$1.51 Rp 26.5K

6.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$8.54 Rp 150.4K

59.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$3.03 Rp 53.3K

12.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$7.59 Rp 133.7K

45.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$2.52 Rp 44.4K

-28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$1.35 Rp 23.7K

-3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$1.83 Rp 32.3K

-19.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$1.19 Rp 21.0K

9.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$1.30 Rp 22.9K

-44.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$1.99 Rp 35.0K

-52.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$0.84 Rp 14.7K

-27.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.45 Rp 7,944

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$2.56 Rp 45.1K

43.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$17.00 Rp 299.3K

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.95 Rp 34.4K

-57.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$3.00 Rp 52.8K

-45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.27 Rp 4,685

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$11.22 Rp 197.5K

101.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$0.58 Rp 10.2K

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.41 Rp 7,294

-17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$3.10 Rp 54.6K

134.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$0.72 Rp 12.7K

70.83%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$22.8K Rp 401.7M

-14.36%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$31.9K Rp 561.1M

-45.88%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

-17.36%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$4.55 Rp 80.1K

87.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$19.55 Rp 344.3K

-44.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$20.60 Rp 362.7K

94.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$10.87 Rp 191.3K

36.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$2.75 Rp 48.4K

144.73%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$113 Rp 2.0M

302.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$5,759 Rp 101.4M

239.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$42.02 Rp 739.9K

6.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$26.02 Rp 458.0K

37.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$68.1 Rp 1.2M

12.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$65.6 Rp 1.2M

17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$299 Rp 5.3M

28.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$173 Rp 3.0M

39.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$802 Rp 14.1M

4.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$440 Rp 7.8M

7.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$1,915 Rp 33.7M

141.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$1,097 Rp 19.3M

111.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$266 Rp 4.7M

299.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

9.32

-62.77%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Indonesia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $370 in Indonesia. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $363 in Jakarta.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $229 in Indonesia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 25% higher in Indonesia.

Dining out costs 31% more in China.

Public transport is 240% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 278% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

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

China vs Indonesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $1,030 in Indonesia, there's a 21% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Indonesia is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Indonesia it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Indonesia may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.