Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Indonesia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

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.

31

Cost of Living Index in Indonesia
Learn more

Indonesia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$638

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Indonesia and in China

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

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

Indonesia $638
China $791

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

Indonesia $1,014
China $1,251

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

Indonesia $1,390
China $1,711

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 Indonesia costs about 19% less than in China on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.61 Rp 29.1K

$2.98 ¥19.80

-45.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.79 Rp 213.7K

$22.09 ¥147

-46.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.26 Rp 59.0K

$5.20 ¥34.58

-37.31%

Cappuccino

$1.58 Rp 28.7K

$2.97 ¥19.73

-46.80%

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

$0.49 Rp 8,892

$0.48 ¥3.19

2.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,168

$0.30 ¥2.01

-23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

$1.08 ¥7.17

102.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 Rp 61.6K

$2.28 ¥15.14

49.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 22.2K

$1.80 ¥11.95

-32.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

$1.68 ¥11.14

-33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 Rp 15.8K

$0.92 ¥6.13

-5.43%

Eggs

$1.51 Rp 27.4K

$1.61 ¥10.73

-6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 Rp 149.2K

$13.38 ¥89.0

-38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 Rp 53.7K

$3.35 ¥22.27

-11.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.49 Rp 135.8K

$11.35 ¥75.5

-34.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 Rp 44.2K

$1.82 ¥12.12

34.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

$1.31 ¥8.69

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.9K

$1.49 ¥9.89

21.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

$1.27 ¥8.47

-7.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 23.1K

$0.71 ¥4.73

78.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.8K

$0.93 ¥6.21

106.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.62 ¥4.12

30.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 Rp 7,343

$0.56 ¥3.74

-26.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$3.78 ¥25.14

-36.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.71 Rp 302.9K

$12.13 ¥80.7

37.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 Rp 36.0K

$0.83 ¥5.54

139.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 50.3K

$1.68 ¥11.20

65.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,845

$0.29 ¥1.91

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.52 Rp 208.9K

$17.83 ¥119

-35.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,607

$1.49 ¥9.89

-64.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,739

$0.37 ¥2.49

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 Rp 55.8K

$7.10 ¥47.21

-56.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.26 ¥8.37

-40.48%

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

$22.4K Rp 406.7M

$19.4K ¥129.3K

15.38%

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

$31.6K Rp 572.3M

$17.5K ¥116.6K

80.02%

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

$64.7 Rp 1.2M

$54.6 ¥363

18.64%

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

$4.30 Rp 78.0K

$8.73 ¥58.1

-50.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.61 Rp 355.6K

$11.07 ¥73.6

77.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.02 Rp 326.8K

$40.77 ¥271

-55.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.71 Rp 194.2K

$14.48 ¥96.3

-26.04%

Cinema Ticket

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

$6.78 ¥45.10

-59.00%

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

$117 Rp 2.1M

$517 ¥3,436

-77.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,547 Rp 100.6M

$19.8K ¥131.8K

-72.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.37 Rp 731.9K

$46.53 ¥309

-13.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.09 Rp 473.0K

$35.66 ¥237

-26.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 Rp 1.2M

$77.0 ¥512

-11.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 Rp 1.1M

$80.3 ¥534

-21.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 Rp 5.2M

$386 ¥2,566

-25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$235 ¥1,560

-28.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 Rp 13.7M

$822 ¥5,466

-7.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 Rp 7.4M

$453 ¥3,013

-10.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,946 Rp 35.3M

$4,697 ¥31.2K

-58.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,142 Rp 20.7M

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-51.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 Rp 4.7M

$1,093 ¥7,271

-76.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

3.46

173.41%

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

Last update for Indonesia: October 25, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Indonesia

$193 30.2%

China

$210 26.5% 9% $17

Accommodation & Living

Indonesia

$168 26.2%

China

$235 29.6% 40% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Indonesia

$89 13.9%

China

$108 13.6% 21.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Indonesia

$89 13.9%

China

$74 9.4% 16.1% $14

Eating Out

Indonesia

$62 9.8%

China

$88 11.1% 41.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Indonesia

$24 3.7%

China

$54 6.9% 130% $31

Getting Around

Indonesia

$15 2.4%

China

$22 2.8% 49.1% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $221 in Indonesia, $873 in China. 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

🇮🇩 Indonesia

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

17:23 5:23 PM

1 h ahead of Indonesia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

275,439,000

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

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).

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).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Indonesia China 5,220 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Indonesia
China

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

Indonesia vs China: 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.