Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Indonesia

Name: Indonesia
Address: ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Indonesia: $638 a month against $791 in China, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Indonesia
Learn more

Indonesia Living Index

Jump to prices

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Indonesia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $638 in Indonesia.

China $791
Indonesia $638

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,014 in Indonesia.

China $1,251
Indonesia $1,014

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $1,390 in Indonesia.

China $1,711
Indonesia $1,390

Internal cost variation is higher in Indonesia: monthly costs span $318 to $1,649, compared to $465–$1,222 in China. City choice carries more weight in Indonesia.

Living in China is roughly 24% more expensive than in Indonesia on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Indonesia 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.80

$1.61 Rp 29.1K

85.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$11.79 Rp 213.7K

87.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.58

$3.26 Rp 59.0K

59.51%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.73

$1.58 Rp 28.7K

87.97%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.49 Rp 8,892

-2.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.23 Rp 4,168

30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.17

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

-50.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.14

$3.40 Rp 61.6K

-32.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.95

$1.22 Rp 22.2K

47.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.14

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

51.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

5.75%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$1.51 Rp 27.4K

6.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.0

$8.23 Rp 149.2K

62.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.27

$2.96 Rp 53.7K

13.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$7.49 Rp 135.8K

51.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$2.44 Rp 44.2K

-25.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.81 Rp 32.9K

-17.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

8.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$1.27 Rp 23.1K

-44.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$1.92 Rp 34.8K

-51.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-23.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$0.41 Rp 7,343

36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.14

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

56.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.7

$16.71 Rp 302.9K

-27.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$1.99 Rp 36.0K

-58.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.20

$2.78 Rp 50.3K

-39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.27 Rp 4,845

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$11.52 Rp 208.9K

54.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$0.53 Rp 9,607

181.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.37 Rp 6,739

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.21

$3.08 Rp 55.8K

130.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

68.00%

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

$19.4K ¥129.3K

$22.4K Rp 406.7M

-13.33%

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

$17.5K ¥116.6K

$31.6K Rp 572.3M

-44.45%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$64.7 Rp 1.2M

-15.71%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$4.30 Rp 78.0K

103.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.6

$19.61 Rp 355.6K

-43.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$18.02 Rp 326.8K

126.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.3

$10.71 Rp 194.2K

35.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.10

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

143.88%

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

$517 ¥3,436

$117 Rp 2.1M

339.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$5,547 Rp 100.6M

257.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$40.37 Rp 731.9K

15.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$26.09 Rp 473.0K

36.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$68.3 Rp 1.2M

12.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$62.7 Rp 1.1M

28.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,566

$288 Rp 5.2M

33.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,560

$168 Rp 3.0M

39.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,466

$758 Rp 13.7M

8.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,013

$406 Rp 7.4M

11.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$1,946 Rp 35.3M

141.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$1,142 Rp 20.7M

107.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,271

$257 Rp 4.7M

325.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

9.46

-63.42%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Indonesia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Indonesia

$168 26.2% 28.6% $67

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Indonesia

$193 30.2% 8.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Indonesia

$89 13.9% 17.6% $19

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Indonesia

$62 9.8% 29.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Indonesia

$89 13.9% 19.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Indonesia

$24 3.7% 56.6% $31

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Indonesia

$15 2.4% 32.9% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $370 in Indonesia. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $355 in Jakarta.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $221 in Indonesia. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 24% higher in Indonesia.

Dining out costs 38% more in China.

Public transport is 64% more expensive in China.

Salaries are about 4 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇮🇩 Indonesia

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

20:00 8:00 PM

1 h behind China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

275,439,000

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 18,128 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,277 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

China Indonesia 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Indonesia

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

China vs Indonesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $638 in Indonesia, Indonesia comes out about 19% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, Indonesia is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: Indonesia wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.