Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jakarta and Karawang

For one person, living is cheaper in Karawang: $457 a month against $797 in Jakarta, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Jakarta, Indonesia
Karawang, Indonesia
Jakarta
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$797
/mo nomad
Karawang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$457
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jakarta and in Karawang

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

A single person spends $797 per month in Jakarta vs $457 in Karawang, rent included.

  • Jakarta $797
  • Karawang $457

A couple spends around $1,286 per month in Jakarta vs $824 in Karawang, rent included.

  • Jakarta $1,286
  • Karawang $824

A family of three spends $1,776 per month in Jakarta vs $1,191 in Karawang, rent included.

  • Jakarta $1,776
  • Karawang $1,191

Jakarta costs about 74% more than Karawang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Jakarta and Karawang are more affordable than the global median – Jakarta 41% lower, Karawang 66% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jakarta
Karawang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.68 Rp 48.6K
$1.42 Rp 25.7K
88.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.76 Rp 303.4K
$11.17 Rp 202.1K
50.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.36 Rp 60.9K
$3.39 Rp 61.4K
-0.88%
Cappuccino
$1.98 Rp 35.8K
$1.49 Rp 26.9K
32.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,801
$0.42 Rp 7,610
2.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 Rp 4,721
$0.21 Rp 3,841
23.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 Rp 46.4K
$3.02 Rp 54.6K
-15.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 Rp 67.5K
$3.05 Rp 55.2K
22.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jakarta
Karawang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.36 Rp 24.5K
$1.08 Rp 19.5K
25.93%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 Rp 20.3K
$1.02 Rp 18.5K
9.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.89 Rp 16.2K
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
5.95%
Eggs
$1.83 Rp 33.2K
$1.45 Rp 26.3K
26.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.87 Rp 178.7K
$2.73 Rp 49.5K
261.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.11 Rp 56.4K
$2.76 Rp 49.9K
12.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.41 Rp 134.2K
$7.70 Rp 139.3K
-3.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.69 Rp 48.7K
$1.82 Rp 33.0K
47.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 Rp 24.7K
$1.08 Rp 19.5K
26.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 Rp 46.5K
$1.22 Rp 22.1K
110.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.39 Rp 25.2K
$0.51 Rp 9,271
172.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 Rp 24.7K
$0.89 Rp 16.1K
52.81%
Onion (1kg)
$2.26 Rp 40.9K
$1.48 Rp 26.8K
52.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$0.67 Rp 12.2K
26.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 Rp 8,744
$0.43 Rp 7,769
11.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.83 Rp 51.2K
$2.63 Rp 47.6K
7.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.66 Rp 374.0K
$22.00 Rp 398.3K
-6.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 Rp 39.4K
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
17.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 Rp 58.8K
$3.20 Rp 57.9K
1.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Jakarta
Karawang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 Rp 3,844
$0.25 Rp 4,549
-16.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.55 Rp 209.1K
$11.38 Rp 205.9K
1.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.52 Rp 9,486
$0.86 Rp 15.6K
-39.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 Rp 6,233
$0.54 Rp 9,784
-37.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 Rp 55.1K
$1.08 Rp 19.6K
181.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$0.83 Rp 15.1K
6.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K Rp 496.8M
$21.1K Rp 382.9M
29.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K Rp 581.9M
$32.0K Rp 579.7M
0.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jakarta
Karawang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 Rp 2.2M
$32.76 Rp 593.1K
268.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.93 Rp 107.4K
$4.21 Rp 76.2K
40.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.46 Rp 334.1K
$12.47 Rp 225.8K
48.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jakarta
Karawang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.01 Rp 344.1K
$20.15 Rp 364.8K
-5.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.90 Rp 251.7K
$8.33 Rp 150.8K
66.87%
Cinema Ticket
$3.05 Rp 55.2K
$2.80 Rp 50.6K
8.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jakarta
Karawang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$233 Rp 4.2M
$43.31 Rp 784.0K
439.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.2K Rp 366.4M
$8,151 Rp 147.6M
148.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jakarta
Karawang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.1 Rp 1.1M
$16.79 Rp 303.9K
269.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.67 Rp 500.9K
$27.09 Rp 490.5K
2.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.1 Rp 1.3M
$48.47 Rp 877.4K
48.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 Rp 1.9M
$48.73 Rp 882.2K
112.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jakarta
Karawang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$366 Rp 6.6M
$136 Rp 2.5M
168.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$196 Rp 3.5M
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
188.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,117 Rp 20.2M
$544 Rp 9.9M
105.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$548 Rp 9.9M
$364 Rp 6.6M
50.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,853 Rp 51.7M
$1,156 Rp 20.9M
146.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,525 Rp 27.6M
$782 Rp 14.2M
95.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jakarta
Karawang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$418 Rp 7.6M
$404 Rp 7.3M
3.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.45
11.38
-16.96%

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

Last update for Jakarta: November 2, 2026

Last update for Karawang: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Jakarta
$218
Karawang
$171 21.6% $47
Accommodation & Living
Jakarta
$196
Karawang
$68 65.4% $128
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jakarta
$145
Karawang
$49 65.9% $95
Clothing & Footwear
Jakarta
$119
Karawang
$63 46.9% $56
Eating Out
Jakarta
$78
Karawang
$63 19.4% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Jakarta
$25
Karawang
$26 2.6% $0.6
Getting Around
Jakarta
$15
Karawang
$16 8.9% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $366 in Jakarta versus $136 in Karawang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Jakarta, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Jakarta versus $11 in Karawang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $171 – making Karawang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Jakarta
🇮🇩 Karawang
🕒 Local time
21:48 9:48 PM
21:48 9:48 PM
Same time as Jakarta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,337,563 Capital
273,472
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,331 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jakarta Karawang 55 km
From you
  • Jakarta
  • Karawang

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 Karawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Jakarta or Karawang?
Jakarta costs about 74% more than Karawang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Jakarta and in Karawang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,195 per month in Jakarta and $685 in Karawang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Jakarta or Karawang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karawang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $366 in Jakarta.
How do dining costs compare in Jakarta and in Karawang?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Jakarta and $11 in Karawang. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Jakarta or in Karawang?
Groceries cost about 27% more in Jakarta, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Karawang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Jakarta or to Karawang?
If budget matters most, go with Karawang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jakarta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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