Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jakarta and Balikpapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $669 a month against $772 in Jakarta, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
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Jakarta Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
Learn more

Balikpapan Living Index

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Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$772

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jakarta and in Balikpapan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $772 in Jakarta versus $669 in Balikpapan.

Jakarta $772
Balikpapan $669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,257 in Jakarta versus $1,057 in Balikpapan.

Jakarta $1,257
Balikpapan $1,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,741 in Jakarta versus $1,444 in Balikpapan.

Jakarta $1,741
Balikpapan $1,444

Living in Jakarta is roughly 15% more expensive than in Balikpapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jakarta 43% lower, Balikpapan 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 Rp 49.2K

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

93.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.34 Rp 296.7K

$10.88 Rp 197.7K

50.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.24 Rp 58.8K

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

7.28%

Cappuccino

$2.02 Rp 36.7K

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

50.75%

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

$0.41 Rp 7,484

$0.35 Rp 6,320

17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,726

$0.39 Rp 7,034

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 Rp 45.3K

$2.25 Rp 40.8K

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 Rp 70.7K

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

10.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Rp 25.1K

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 Rp 19.6K

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

$1.17 Rp 21.3K

-28.21%

Eggs

$1.76 Rp 32.0K

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

-27.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 Rp 167.5K

$7.14 Rp 129.7K

29.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 Rp 53.7K

$2.98 Rp 54.1K

-1.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 Rp 133.4K

$8.63 Rp 156.8K

-14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 Rp 49.6K

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 Rp 45.0K

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

61.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 Rp 25.1K

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

15.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

14.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$1.95 Rp 35.5K

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 Rp 17.3K

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

13.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 Rp 9,042

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

-30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 Rp 50.7K

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

56.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 Rp 382.3K

$21.12 Rp 383.5K

-0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 Rp 36.9K

$1.79 Rp 32.6K

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

-0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 Rp 2,945

$0.23 Rp 4,151

-30.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.69 Rp 212.3K

$11.50 Rp 208.8K

1.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,965

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

-55.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 Rp 5,793

$0.29 Rp 5,189

10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 Rp 59.7K

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

16.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.7K

$0.75 Rp 13.7K

14.67%

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

$27.0K Rp 490.3M

$23.2K Rp 420.9M

16.49%

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

$32.7K Rp 593.7M

$31.4K Rp 570.2M

4.12%

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

$107 Rp 1.9M

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

66.91%

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

$5.99 Rp 108.7K

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

42.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.06 Rp 346.2K

$29.48 Rp 535.4K

-35.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.34 Rp 351.3K

$23.84 Rp 432.9K

-18.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 Rp 252.4K

$8.27 Rp 150.3K

68.08%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 Rp 56.4K

$2.82 Rp 51.3K

10.28%

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

$238 Rp 4.3M

$91.6 Rp 1.7M

160.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,010 Rp 145.5M

$9,145 Rp 166.1M

-12.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 Rp 1.0M

$37.81 Rp 686.7K

51.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.82 Rp 505.3K

$18.66 Rp 338.9K

49.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 Rp 1.3M

$140 Rp 2.5M

-49.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 Rp 1.9M

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

45.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 Rp 6.4M

$197 Rp 3.6M

80.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 Rp 3.5M

$143 Rp 2.6M

33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 Rp 20.4M

$559 Rp 10.2M

100.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 Rp 9.9M

$362 Rp 6.6M

50.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,742 Rp 49.8M

$1,323 Rp 24.0M

107.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 Rp 27.3M

$777 Rp 14.1M

93.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 Rp 8.0M

$238 Rp 4.3M

85.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

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

Last update for Jakarta: October 25, 2026

Last update for Balikpapan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jakarta

$214 27.7%

Balikpapan

$206 30.8% 3.9% $8.3

Accommodation & Living

Jakarta

$191 24.7%

Balikpapan

$143 21.4% 25.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jakarta

$132 17.1%

Balikpapan

$98 14.6% 25.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Jakarta

$116 15.1%

Balikpapan

$120 18% 3.3% $3.8

Eating Out

Jakarta

$79 10.2%

Balikpapan

$58 8.6% 26.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Jakarta

$26 3.3%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 15.4% $3.9

Getting Around

Jakarta

$14 1.9%

Balikpapan

$15 2.2% 3.6% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $355 in Jakarta and $197 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jakarta pays 86% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Jakarta vs $11 in Balikpapan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $206 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

13:49 1:49 PM

1 h ahead of Jakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,337,563 Capital

701,066

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Jakarta Balikpapan 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Jakarta
Balikpapan

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

Jakarta vs Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $772 in Jakarta and $669 in Balikpapan, so Balikpapan is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 86% higher in Jakarta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $355 in Jakarta versus $197 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in Jakarta versus $92 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Balikpapan – a meal for two runs $11 versus $16 in Jakarta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Balikpapan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Balikpapan wins on affordability, Jakarta on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.