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: $766 in Indonesia versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Indonesia versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,728 in Indonesia versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Indonesia is roughly 8% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Indonesia 42% lower, China 47% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Indonesia: monthly costs span $464 to $1,730, compared to $533–$1,212 in China. City choice carries more weight in Indonesia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.87 Rp 33.8K

$2.77 ¥18.72

-32.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.53 Rp 280.8K

$24.05 ¥162

-35.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.40 Rp 61.6K

$4.73 ¥31.93

-28.12%

Cappuccino

$1.73 Rp 31.2K

$3.08 ¥20.78

-43.83%

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

$0.53 Rp 9,634

$0.44 ¥3.00

20.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 Rp 5,297

$0.29 ¥1.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

$1.01 ¥6.80

139.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 Rp 67.0K

$2.08 ¥14.03

78.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$1.83 ¥12.39

-28.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 Rp 21.4K

$1.62 ¥10.94

-26.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

$0.97 ¥6.58

-5.15%

Eggs

$1.60 Rp 28.9K

$1.61 ¥10.90

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 Rp 145.2K

$13.34 ¥90.1

-39.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 Rp 60.5K

$3.37 ¥22.75

-0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.08 Rp 146.1K

$10.68 ¥72.2

-24.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 Rp 48.4K

$1.81 ¥12.26

48.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.25 ¥8.44

19.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.5K

$1.46 ¥9.88

23.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 Rp 24.0K

$1.15 ¥7.73

15.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 Rp 24.6K

$0.73 ¥4.92

86.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 Rp 37.8K

$0.89 ¥5.99

134.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 Rp 16.7K

$0.60 ¥4.05

53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,231

$0.53 ¥3.59

-13.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 Rp 46.3K

$3.39 ¥22.93

-24.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.73 Rp 302.5K

$11.73 ¥79.3

42.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 Rp 38.3K

$0.77 ¥5.23

175.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 55.5K

$1.63 ¥10.98

88.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,386

$0.41 ¥2.77

-26.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.18 Rp 166.0K

$21.24 ¥143

-56.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 Rp 11.3K

$1.35 ¥9.13

-53.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 Rp 6,191

$0.36 ¥2.40

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 Rp 55.7K

$6.70 ¥45.26

-54.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.1K

$1.18 ¥7.98

-29.66%

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

$24.8K Rp 448.0M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

25.40%

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

$30.3K Rp 547.1M

$16.5K ¥111.7K

83.01%

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

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

$51.7 ¥349

31.12%

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

$4.59 Rp 82.9K

$10.09 ¥68.2

-54.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.01 Rp 434.1K

$11.38 ¥76.9

110.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.34 Rp 422.1K

$39.24 ¥265

-40.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.84 Rp 141.8K

$14.84 ¥100

-47.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.04 Rp 55.0K

$6.30 ¥42.56

-51.75%

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

$108 Rp 1.9M

$414 ¥2,795

-73.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,051 Rp 109.4M

$17.4K ¥117.6K

-65.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 Rp 798.9K

$46.77 ¥316

-5.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 Rp 515.2K

$33.08 ¥223

-13.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 Rp 1.3M

$70.9 ¥479

-0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

$74.5 ¥503

-9.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 Rp 5.5M

$440 ¥2,972

-31.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 Rp 3.2M

$253 ¥1,707

-29.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 Rp 14.2M

$911 ¥6,153

-13.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 Rp 8.4M

$531 ¥3,584

-12.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,800 Rp 32.6M

$4,778 ¥32.3K

-62.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,013 Rp 18.3M

$2,403 ¥16.2K

-57.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$258 Rp 4.7M

$1,058 ¥7,144

-75.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.36

4.06

130.54%

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

Last update for Indonesia: July 27, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $370 in Indonesia, $287 in China. Capital cities: $386 in Jakarta vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $227 in Indonesia, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 29% higher in Indonesia.

Dining out costs 40% more in China.

Public transport is 80% 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 $873 per month in China and $1,097 in Indonesia, there's a 26% 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.