Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jakarta and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Jakarta: $793 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
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Jakarta Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index

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Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$793

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jakarta and in Dubai

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 Dubai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in Jakarta versus $2,854 in Dubai.

Jakarta $793
Dubai $2,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,283 in Jakarta versus $4,321 in Dubai.

Jakarta $1,283
Dubai $4,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,772 in Jakarta versus $5,788 in Dubai.

Jakarta $1,772
Dubai $5,788

Living in Jakarta costs roughly 72% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jakarta is 41% below, Dubai is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 Rp 47.1K

$13.04 AED 47.89

-79.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.93 Rp 302.9K

$81.4 AED 299

-79.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.33 Rp 59.5K

$9.32 AED 34.25

-64.27%

Cappuccino

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$5.97 AED 21.93

-66.50%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,775

$1.63 AED 5.98

-73.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,472

$0.81 AED 2.99

-69.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 Rp 45.9K

$13.65 AED 50.1

-81.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

$13.38 AED 49.15

-71.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$1.81 AED 6.64

-21.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 Rp 19.4K

$1.57 AED 5.78

-30.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 Rp 16.2K

$2.49 AED 9.16

-63.45%

Eggs

$1.77 Rp 31.7K

$3.28 AED 12.04

-46.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 Rp 164.9K

$12.67 AED 46.52

-27.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 Rp 55.6K

$9.75 AED 35.80

-68.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 Rp 139.1K

$13.18 AED 48.39

-40.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 Rp 51.4K

$2.61 AED 9.57

9.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.5K

$1.93 AED 7.09

-31.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 Rp 44.6K

$1.92 AED 7.05

30.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$1.36 AED 5.00

2.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.17 AED 4.29

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

$1.01 AED 3.71

107.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

$1.51 AED 5.56

-37.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,105

$0.62 AED 2.29

-17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 Rp 50.1K

$5.85 AED 21.50

-52.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.83 Rp 372.7K

$16.14 AED 59.3

29.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 Rp 36.7K

$2.65 AED 9.74

-22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 Rp 54.4K

$2.95 AED 10.82

3.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,809

$1.64 AED 6.03

-83.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.86 Rp 212.1K

$73.6 AED 270

-83.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 8,982

$3.17 AED 11.66

-84.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 Rp 5,888

$0.71 AED 2.63

-53.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 Rp 61.2K

$7.96 AED 29.23

-57.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$0.99 AED 3.64

-12.12%

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

$27.8K Rp 496.8M

$27.4K AED 100.5K

1.46%

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

$32.6K Rp 583.5M

$22.5K AED 82.8K

44.69%

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

$106 Rp 1.9M

$250 AED 920

-57.72%

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

$6.04 Rp 108.0K

$54.2 AED 199

-88.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.04 Rp 340.7K

$91.8 AED 337

-79.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.65 Rp 458.8K

$98.6 AED 362

-73.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.65 Rp 244.3K

$42.61 AED 156

-67.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

$16.03 AED 58.9

-79.48%

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

$153 Rp 2.7M

$843 AED 3,098

-81.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,270 Rp 147.9M

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-54.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 Rp 1.0M

$68.0 AED 250

-13.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.37 Rp 507.5K

$57.9 AED 212

-50.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

$101 AED 370

-29.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 Rp 1.9M

$101 AED 371

4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 Rp 6.6M

$2,380 AED 8,741

-84.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 Rp 3.6M

$1,506 AED 5,531

-86.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 Rp 20.7M

$4,437 AED 16.3K

-73.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 Rp 10.0M

$3,010 AED 11.1K

-81.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,023 Rp 54.1M

$7,121 AED 26.2K

-57.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 Rp 25.9M

$4,135 AED 15.2K

-65.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$449 Rp 8.0M

$3,391 AED 12.5K

-86.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

4.54

108.37%

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

Last update for Jakarta: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jakarta

$218 27.5%

Dubai

$293 10.2% 34.4% $75

Accommodation & Living

Jakarta

$200 25.3%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5% 652% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jakarta

$131 16.5%

Dubai

$396 13.8% 203% $265

Clothing & Footwear

Jakarta

$119 15%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 24.2% $29

Eating Out

Jakarta

$78 9.9%

Dubai

$309 10.8% 294% $230

Sport & Entertainment

Jakarta

$32 4.1%

Dubai

$131 4.6% 306% $98

Getting Around

Jakarta

$15 1.9%

Dubai

$87 3% 477% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Jakarta and $2,380 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 654% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $17.00 in Jakarta vs $81.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $293 per month, with Jakarta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

05:18 5:18 AM

3 h behind Jakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,337,563 Capital

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jakarta Dubai 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Jakarta
Dubai

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 Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jakarta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 260% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 654% lower in Dubai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $370 in Jakarta versus $2,380 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jakarta runs roughly 521% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $153 in Jakarta versus $843 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $793 in Jakarta versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jakarta but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Jakarta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jakarta is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Jakarta and Dubai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jakarta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 260% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.