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

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Indonesia is roughly 3% more expensive than in China on average.

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

$1.66 Rp 29.2K

$2.93 ¥19.60

-43.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.87 Rp 209.0K

$22.72 ¥152

-47.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.25 Rp 57.3K

$5.07 ¥33.95

-35.90%

Cappuccino

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$2.94 ¥19.70

-44.22%

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

$0.50 Rp 8,726

$0.48 ¥3.21

4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,611

$0.30 ¥2.02

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 Rp 39.0K

$1.06 ¥7.10

109.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 Rp 61.4K

$2.25 ¥15.07

55.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 Rp 21.1K

$1.79 ¥11.99

-32.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 Rp 20.3K

$1.70 ¥11.35

-32.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 Rp 14.7K

$0.96 ¥6.45

-13.54%

Eggs

$1.51 Rp 26.5K

$1.61 ¥10.79

-6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 Rp 150.4K

$13.60 ¥91.1

-37.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.03 Rp 53.3K

$3.41 ¥22.84

-11.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.59 Rp 133.7K

$11.07 ¥74.2

-31.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 Rp 44.4K

$1.81 ¥12.09

39.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 Rp 23.7K

$1.30 ¥8.74

3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 Rp 32.3K

$1.48 ¥9.91

23.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.0K

$1.30 ¥8.72

-8.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 22.9K

$0.72 ¥4.82

80.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.0K

$0.94 ¥6.31

111.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 Rp 14.7K

$0.61 ¥4.08

37.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 Rp 7,944

$0.56 ¥3.73

-19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 Rp 45.1K

$3.67 ¥24.58

-30.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.00 Rp 299.3K

$11.90 ¥79.7

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 Rp 34.4K

$0.83 ¥5.56

134.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 52.8K

$1.65 ¥11.08

81.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,685

$0.29 ¥1.92

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.22 Rp 197.5K

$22.61 ¥151

-50.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 Rp 10.2K

$1.45 ¥9.72

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 Rp 7,294

$0.34 ¥2.31

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 Rp 54.6K

$7.27 ¥48.72

-57.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 Rp 12.7K

$1.23 ¥8.26

-41.46%

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

$22.8K Rp 401.7M

$19.5K ¥130.9K

16.77%

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

$31.9K Rp 561.1M

$17.2K ¥115.5K

84.78%

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

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

$55.5 ¥371

21.01%

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

$4.55 Rp 80.1K

$8.51 ¥57.0

-46.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.55 Rp 344.3K

$10.81 ¥72.4

80.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.60 Rp 362.7K

$40.02 ¥268

-48.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.87 Rp 191.3K

$14.80 ¥99.1

-26.55%

Cinema Ticket

$2.75 Rp 48.4K

$6.73 ¥45.09

-59.14%

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

$113 Rp 2.0M

$454 ¥3,042

-75.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,759 Rp 101.4M

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-70.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.02 Rp 739.9K

$44.95 ¥301

-6.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.02 Rp 458.0K

$35.81 ¥240

-27.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 Rp 1.2M

$76.8 ¥514

-11.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 Rp 1.2M

$77.3 ¥518

-15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 Rp 5.3M

$385 ¥2,581

-22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$242 ¥1,623

-28.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 Rp 14.1M

$837 ¥5,603

-4.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 Rp 7.8M

$474 ¥3,177

-7.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 Rp 33.7M

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-58.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,097 Rp 19.3M

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-52.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$266 Rp 4.7M

$1,062 ¥7,110

-74.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.32

3.47

168.59%

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

Last update for Indonesia: September 7, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $229 in Indonesia, $865 in China. 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

Indonesia vs China: 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.