Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makassar and Bandung

For one person, living costs are similar in Makassar and in Bandung: $632 and $628 a month, rent and utilities included.

Makassar
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$632
/mo nomad
Bandung
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$628
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makassar and in Bandung

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $632 in Makassar versus $628 in Bandung.

  • Makassar $632
  • Bandung $628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $977 in Makassar versus $929 in Bandung.

  • Makassar $977
  • Bandung $929

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,322 in Makassar versus $1,230 in Bandung.

  • Makassar $1,322
  • Bandung $1,230

Living in Makassar is roughly 1% more expensive than in Bandung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makassar 53% lower, Bandung 54% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Makassar
Bandung
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.62 Rp 29.1K
$1.42 Rp 25.6K
14.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$8.67 Rp 156.1K
$13.68 Rp 246.2K
-36.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
-
Cappuccino
$1.92 Rp 34.6K
$1.48 Rp 26.6K
29.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 Rp 8,457
$0.43 Rp 7,689
9.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 Rp 6,013
$0.24 Rp 4,341
37.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.45 Rp 44.1K
$3.10 Rp 55.9K
-20.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 Rp 56.4K
$3.06 Rp 55.2K
2.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Makassar
Bandung
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 Rp 27.6K
$1.07 Rp 19.3K
42.99%
White Bread (500g)
$0.97 Rp 17.5K
$0.99 Rp 17.7K
-2.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.57 Rp 10.3K
$0.85 Rp 15.2K
-32.94%
Eggs
$1.54 Rp 27.7K
$1.45 Rp 26.2K
6.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.42 Rp 115.5K
$7.08 Rp 127.4K
-9.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.42 Rp 61.6K
$2.83 Rp 51.0K
20.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.23 Rp 94.2K
$7.77 Rp 139.8K
-32.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.45 Rp 44.1K
$2.27 Rp 40.9K
7.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 Rp 23.6K
$1.06 Rp 19.0K
23.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 Rp 35.3K
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
34.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.26 Rp 22.6K
$0.95 Rp 17.0K
32.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 Rp 23.1K
$1.08 Rp 19.5K
18.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 Rp 26.6K
$1.91 Rp 34.5K
-22.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 Rp 13.3K
$0.64 Rp 11.5K
15.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.39 Rp 6,988
$0.42 Rp 7,573
-7.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.60 Rp 46.9K
$2.61 Rp 47.0K
-0.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.14 Rp 398.6K
$22.34 Rp 402.1K
-0.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 Rp 32.7K
$1.89 Rp 34.1K
-3.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 Rp 51.7K
$3.24 Rp 58.3K
-11.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Makassar
Bandung
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,851
$0.29 Rp 5,256
-6.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$4.18 Rp 75.2K
$9.57 Rp 172.3K
-56.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.50 Rp 8,925
$0.82 Rp 14.7K
-39.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 Rp 6,710
$0.51 Rp 9,203
-27.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 Rp 48.0K
$2.22 Rp 40.0K
20.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 Rp 14.3K
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
-5.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 428.5M
$20.7K Rp 373.4M
14.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 574.3M
$31.6K Rp 569.6M
0.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makassar
Bandung
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.3 Rp 1.6M
$33.38 Rp 600.8K
170.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.61 Rp 46.9K
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
-40.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.29 Rp 455.3K
$19.09 Rp 343.7K
32.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Makassar
Bandung
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.58 Rp 388.5K
$18.35 Rp 330.3K
17.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.40 Rp 151.1K
$5.99 Rp 107.9K
40.23%
Cinema Ticket
$3.36 Rp 60.5K
$2.73 Rp 49.2K
23.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Makassar
Bandung
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$94.2 Rp 1.7M
$91.7 Rp 1.7M
2.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,803 Rp 68.5M
$8,172 Rp 147.1M
-53.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Makassar
Bandung
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.97 Rp 485.5K
$38.74 Rp 697.3K
-30.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.43 Rp 421.7K
$31.83 Rp 572.9K
-26.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 Rp 1.3M
$76.6 Rp 1.4M
-2.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$39.92 Rp 718.5K
$71.4 Rp 1.3M
-44.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Makassar
Bandung
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$224 Rp 4.0M
$216 Rp 3.9M
3.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$143 Rp 2.6M
$180 Rp 3.2M
-20.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$528 Rp 9.5M
$380 Rp 6.8M
38.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$364 Rp 6.6M
$265 Rp 4.8M
37.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,151 Rp 20.7M
$726 Rp 13.1M
58.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$794 Rp 14.3M
$301 Rp 5.4M
164.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Makassar
Bandung
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$214 Rp 3.8M
$279 Rp 5.0M
-23.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
11.38
-16.87%

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

Last update for Makassar: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bandung: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Makassar
$193
Bandung
$192 0.6% $1.2
Accommodation & Living
Makassar
$143
Bandung
$180 26% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makassar
$118
Bandung
$57 51.9% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Makassar
$74
Bandung
$98 32.2% $24
Eating Out
Makassar
$67
Bandung
$63 6.3% $4.3
Sport & Entertainment
Makassar
$28
Bandung
$24 15.9% $4.5
Getting Around
Makassar
$7.6
Bandung
$14 85.4% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $224 in Makassar and $216 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $9.00 in Makassar vs $14.00 in Bandung. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $192, with Bandung cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Makassar
🇮🇩 Bandung
🕒 Local time
21:23 9:23 PM
20:23 8:23 PM
1 h behind Makassar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,427,619
2,390,120
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Makassar Bandung 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Makassar
  • Bandung

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
Makassar vs Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Makassar or Bandung?
Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Makassar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Makassar or in Bandung?
On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Bandung. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Makassar compared to Bandung?
Rent for a central apartment: $224 in Makassar versus $216 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Makassar or in Bandung?
Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Makassar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Makassar and in Bandung?
Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $9.00 in Makassar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Makassar or in Bandung?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Bandung gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Makassar or Bandung?
Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $628 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.
How safe is Makassar compared to Bandung?
Safety-wise, Makassar and Bandung are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Makassar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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