Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jakarta and Pekanbaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $627 a month against $772 in Jakarta, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
Learn more

Jakarta Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Pekanbaru
Learn more

Pekanbaru Living Index

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Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$772

/mo nomad

Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jakarta and in Pekanbaru

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

A single person spends $772 per month in Jakarta vs $627 in Pekanbaru, rent included.

Jakarta $772
Pekanbaru $627

A couple spends around $1,257 per month in Jakarta vs $986 in Pekanbaru, rent included.

Jakarta $1,257
Pekanbaru $986

A family of three spends $1,741 per month in Jakarta vs $1,344 in Pekanbaru, rent included.

Jakarta $1,741
Pekanbaru $1,344

Jakarta costs about 23% more than Pekanbaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Jakarta and Pekanbaru are more affordable than the global median – Jakarta 43% lower, Pekanbaru 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.71 Rp 49.1K

$1.42 Rp 25.8K

90.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.34 Rp 296.3K

$8.09 Rp 146.7K

101.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.24 Rp 58.8K

$2.37 Rp 43.0K

36.71%

Cappuccino

$2.02 Rp 36.7K

$1.27 Rp 23.1K

59.06%

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

$0.41 Rp 7,475

$0.60 Rp 10.9K

-31.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,720

$0.33 Rp 6,013

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 Rp 45.2K

$2.02 Rp 36.7K

23.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 Rp 70.6K

$3.50 Rp 63.6K

11.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Rp 25.1K

$1.27 Rp 23.1K

8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

3.70%

Eggs

$1.76 Rp 32.0K

$1.61 Rp 29.1K

9.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 Rp 167.3K

$7.06 Rp 128.0K

30.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 Rp 53.6K

$2.35 Rp 42.6K

25.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 Rp 133.2K

$6.38 Rp 115.7K

15.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 Rp 49.5K

$2.56 Rp 46.4K

6.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$1.66 Rp 30.2K

-18.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 Rp 45.0K

$2.31 Rp 41.9K

7.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 Rp 25.1K

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

15.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

8.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$1.95 Rp 35.3K

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

$0.85 Rp 15.5K

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 Rp 9,031

$0.36 Rp 6,443

38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 Rp 50.6K

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

29.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 Rp 381.8K

$21.11 Rp 382.8K

-0.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 Rp 36.8K

$1.79 Rp 32.5K

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.99 Rp 54.2K

-0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 Rp 2,942

$0.27 Rp 4,871

-40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.69 Rp 212.0K

$11.26 Rp 204.3K

3.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,953

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

-50.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 Rp 5,786

$0.36 Rp 6,441

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 Rp 59.6K

$2.90 Rp 52.7K

13.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.7K

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

22.86%

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

$27.0K Rp 489.6M

$23.2K Rp 420.0M

16.58%

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

$32.7K Rp 592.9M

$25.8K Rp 467.6M

26.81%

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

$107 Rp 1.9M

$62.5 Rp 1.1M

71.31%

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

$5.99 Rp 108.6K

$6.02 Rp 109.1K

-0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.06 Rp 345.7K

$22.68 Rp 411.4K

-15.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.34 Rp 350.9K

$27.69 Rp 502.3K

-30.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 Rp 252.1K

$8.22 Rp 149.2K

69.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.11 Rp 56.3K

$3.07 Rp 55.6K

1.30%

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

$238 Rp 4.3M

$94.5 Rp 1.7M

152.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,010 Rp 145.3M

$8,127 Rp 147.4M

-1.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 Rp 1.0M

$32.20 Rp 584.0K

78.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.82 Rp 504.7K

$28.67 Rp 520.0K

-2.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 Rp 1.3M

$55.6 Rp 1.0M

26.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 Rp 1.9M

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 Rp 6.4M

$243 Rp 4.4M

46.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 Rp 3.5M

$148 Rp 2.7M

29.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 Rp 20.4M

$541 Rp 9.8M

107.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 Rp 9.9M

$370 Rp 6.7M

46.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,742 Rp 49.7M

$1,302 Rp 23.6M

110.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 Rp 27.3M

$804 Rp 14.6M

87.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 Rp 8.0M

$175 Rp 3.2M

152.66%

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 Pekanbaru: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jakarta

$214 27.7%

Pekanbaru

$196 31.2% 8.6% $18

Accommodation & Living

Jakarta

$191 24.7%

Pekanbaru

$148 23.6% 22.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jakarta

$132 17.1%

Pekanbaru

$91 14.5% 31% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Jakarta

$116 15.1%

Pekanbaru

$89 14.2% 23.8% $28

Eating Out

Jakarta

$79 10.2%

Pekanbaru

$55 8.7% 30.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Jakarta

$26 3.3%

Pekanbaru

$34 5.4% 32.3% $8.3

Getting Around

Jakarta

$14 1.9%

Pekanbaru

$15 2.4% 4.6% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $355 in Jakarta versus $243 in Pekanbaru. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Jakarta are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Jakarta versus $8 in Pekanbaru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $196 – making Pekanbaru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🇮🇩 Pekanbaru

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

Same time as Jakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,337,563 Capital

1,020,308

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Jakarta Pekanbaru 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jakarta
Pekanbaru

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 Pekanbaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jakarta costs about 23% more than Pekanbaru, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,159 per month in Jakarta and $941 in Pekanbaru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pekanbaru, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $243 there versus $355 in Jakarta.

Kindergarten costs $238 per month in Jakarta and $94 in Pekanbaru. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Jakarta, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $772 in Jakarta and $627 in Pekanbaru, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pekanbaru – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Pekanbaru. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jakarta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.