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: $771 in Indonesia versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,255 in Indonesia versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,738 in Indonesia versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Indonesia is roughly 8% more expensive than 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 $466 to $1,736, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Indonesia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.82 Rp 31.3K

$2.75 ¥18.77

-33.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.33 Rp 263.9K

$24.03 ¥164

-36.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.35 Rp 57.7K

$4.96 ¥33.85

-32.46%

Cappuccino

$1.78 Rp 30.7K

$3.12 ¥21.31

-42.95%

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

$0.57 Rp 9,893

$0.48 ¥3.25

18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 Rp 5,059

$0.27 ¥1.83

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 Rp 42.0K

$0.98 ¥6.71

148.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 Rp 62.1K

$2.15 ¥14.65

67.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 Rp 22.3K

$1.83 ¥12.50

-28.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 20.4K

$1.68 ¥11.50

-29.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 Rp 15.7K

$0.91 ¥6.19

Eggs

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.56 ¥10.63

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 Rp 139.0K

$12.97 ¥88.6

-37.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 Rp 54.8K

$3.25 ¥22.17

-2.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 Rp 139.9K

$10.51 ¥71.8

-22.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.9K

$1.81 ¥12.37

50.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 Rp 24.3K

$1.30 ¥8.87

8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 31.1K

$1.50 ¥10.23

20.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 Rp 22.0K

$1.15 ¥7.85

11.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 Rp 23.8K

$0.76 ¥5.19

81.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.8K

$0.89 ¥6.05

146.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 Rp 16.0K

$0.58 ¥3.95

60.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 7,860

$0.58 ¥3.94

-20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.50 Rp 43.0K

$3.50 ¥23.88

-28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 Rp 296.8K

$11.55 ¥78.9

49.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 Rp 37.4K

$0.78 ¥5.30

179.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 Rp 52.5K

$1.61 ¥11.00

89.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 Rp 5,575

$0.44 ¥3.00

-27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.47 Rp 163.1K

$21.15 ¥144

-55.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 Rp 10.2K

$1.36 ¥9.32

-56.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,445

$0.36 ¥2.44

2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 Rp 52.1K

$6.61 ¥45.15

-54.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.2K

$1.13 ¥7.71

-32.74%

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

$24.5K Rp 422.6M

$19.7K ¥134.9K

24.34%

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

$30.5K Rp 525.3M

$17.1K ¥116.7K

78.62%

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

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

$50.9 ¥348

32.65%

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

$4.68 Rp 80.5K

$10.03 ¥68.5

-53.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.21 Rp 399.5K

$11.33 ¥77.4

104.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.19 Rp 399.3K

$40.13 ¥274

-42.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.54 Rp 129.9K

$14.97 ¥102

-49.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.16 Rp 54.4K

$6.09 ¥41.62

-48.11%

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

$104 Rp 1.8M

$418 ¥2,852

-74.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,884 Rp 101.3M

$17.3K ¥117.9K

-65.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.18 Rp 743.4K

$46.40 ¥317

-6.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.52 Rp 491.0K

$32.92 ¥225

-13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 Rp 1.2M

$71.1 ¥486

-2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 Rp 1.2M

$72.9 ¥498

-7.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 Rp 5.1M

$438 ¥2,994

-31.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 Rp 3.1M

$259 ¥1,770

-31.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 Rp 13.7M

$926 ¥6,323

-14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 Rp 8.0M

$548 ¥3,743

-15.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,743 Rp 30.0M

$5,047 ¥34.5K

-65.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,023 Rp 17.6M

$2,666 ¥18.2K

-61.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$269 Rp 4.6M

$1,074 ¥7,336

-74.98%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $371 in Indonesia, $286 in China. Capital cities: $377 in Jakarta vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $243 in Indonesia, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 30% higher in Indonesia.

Dining out costs 40% more in China.

Public transport is 80% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 243% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,101 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.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.