Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makassar and Jakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Makassar: $640 a month against $772 in Jakarta, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Makassar, Indonesia
Jakarta, Indonesia
Makassar
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$640
/mo nomad
Jakarta
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$772
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makassar and in Jakarta

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

A single person spends $640 per month in Makassar vs $772 in Jakarta, rent included.

  • Makassar $640
  • Jakarta $772

A couple spends around $989 per month in Makassar vs $1,257 in Jakarta, rent included.

  • Makassar $989
  • Jakarta $1,257

A family of three spends $1,338 per month in Makassar vs $1,741 in Jakarta, rent included.

  • Makassar $1,338
  • Jakarta $1,741

Makassar is about 17% cheaper than Jakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Makassar and Jakarta are more affordable than the global median – Makassar 53% lower, Jakarta 43% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Makassar
Jakarta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.61 Rp 29.2K
$2.71 Rp 49.2K
-40.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.07 Rp 164.8K
$16.34 Rp 296.7K
-44.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.09 Rp 56.2K
$3.24 Rp 58.8K
-4.63%
Cappuccino
$1.98 Rp 36.0K
$2.02 Rp 36.7K
-1.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 Rp 8,981
$0.41 Rp 7,484
19.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 Rp 5,947
$0.26 Rp 4,726
26.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.54 Rp 46.2K
$2.49 Rp 45.3K
2.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 Rp 57.8K
$3.89 Rp 70.7K
-18.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Makassar
Jakarta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 Rp 28.3K
$1.38 Rp 25.1K
13.04%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
$1.08 Rp 19.6K
-5.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.57 Rp 10.4K
$0.84 Rp 15.3K
-32.14%
Eggs
$1.50 Rp 27.3K
$1.76 Rp 32.0K
-14.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.43 Rp 116.8K
$9.22 Rp 167.5K
-30.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.48 Rp 63.2K
$2.95 Rp 53.7K
17.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.38 Rp 97.8K
$7.34 Rp 133.4K
-26.70%
Apples (1kg)
$2.35 Rp 42.7K
$2.73 Rp 49.6K
-13.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 Rp 24.6K
$1.35 Rp 24.4K
0.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 34.2K
$2.48 Rp 45.0K
-24.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.20 Rp 21.7K
$1.38 Rp 25.1K
-13.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 Rp 22.9K
$1.37 Rp 24.8K
-8.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.48 Rp 27.0K
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
-27.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.95 Rp 17.3K
-20.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.41 Rp 7,416
$0.50 Rp 9,042
-18.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.71 Rp 49.2K
$2.79 Rp 50.7K
-2.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.04 Rp 400.2K
$21.05 Rp 382.3K
4.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 Rp 32.5K
$2.03 Rp 36.9K
-11.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 Rp 53.2K
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
-1.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Makassar
Jakarta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 Rp 5,304
$0.16 Rp 2,945
81.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.90 Rp 216.0K
$11.69 Rp 212.3K
1.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 Rp 8,832
$0.49 Rp 8,965
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.34 Rp 6,238
$0.32 Rp 5,793
6.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.81 Rp 51.0K
$3.28 Rp 59.7K
-14.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.77 Rp 13.9K
$0.86 Rp 15.7K
-10.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K Rp 415.9M
$27.0K Rp 490.3M
-15.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.4K Rp 588.5M
$32.7K Rp 593.7M
-0.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makassar
Jakarta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.6 Rp 1.6M
$107 Rp 1.9M
-16.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.62 Rp 47.5K
$5.99 Rp 108.7K
-56.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.31 Rp 441.5K
$19.06 Rp 346.2K
27.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Makassar
Jakarta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.48 Rp 390.0K
$19.34 Rp 351.3K
11.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.36 Rp 151.9K
$13.90 Rp 252.4K
-39.86%
Cinema Ticket
$3.36 Rp 61.0K
$3.11 Rp 56.4K
8.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Makassar
Jakarta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$91.7 Rp 1.7M
$238 Rp 4.3M
-61.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,715 Rp 67.5M
$8,010 Rp 145.5M
-53.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Makassar
Jakarta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.01 Rp 490.6K
$57.5 Rp 1.0M
-52.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.77 Rp 413.6K
$27.82 Rp 505.3K
-18.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.5 Rp 1.4M
$70.5 Rp 1.3M
5.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$39.35 Rp 714.6K
$103 Rp 1.9M
-61.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Makassar
Jakarta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$225 Rp 4.1M
$355 Rp 6.4M
-36.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$144 Rp 2.6M
$191 Rp 3.5M
-24.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$553 Rp 10.0M
$1,123 Rp 20.4M
-50.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$363 Rp 6.6M
$544 Rp 9.9M
-33.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,146 Rp 20.8M
$2,742 Rp 49.8M
-58.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$795 Rp 14.4M
$1,506 Rp 27.3M
-47.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Makassar
Jakarta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$211 Rp 3.8M
$441 Rp 8.0M
-52.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.46
9.46
-

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

Last update for Makassar: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jakarta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Makassar
$194
Jakarta
$214 10.4% $20
Accommodation & Living
Makassar
$144
Jakarta
$191 32.9% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Makassar
$116
Jakarta
$132 13.4% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Makassar
$74
Jakarta
$116 58.1% $43
Eating Out
Makassar
$68
Jakarta
$79 15.1% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Makassar
$28
Jakarta
$26 9.3% $2.6
Getting Around
Makassar
$15
Jakarta
$14 5.5% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $225 in Makassar versus $355 in Jakarta. 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 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Makassar versus $16 in Jakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $214 – making Makassar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Makassar
🇮🇩 Jakarta
🕒 Local time
13:33 1:33 PM
12:33 12:33 PM
1 h behind Makassar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,427,619
11,337,563 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,355 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Makassar Jakarta 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Makassar
  • Jakarta

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 Jakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Makassar or Jakarta?
Jakarta costs about 21% more than Makassar, 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 Makassar and in Jakarta?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $959 per month in Makassar and $1,159 in Jakarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Makassar or Jakarta?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Makassar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $225 there versus $355 in Jakarta.
How do dining costs compare in Makassar and in Jakarta?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Makassar and $16 in Jakarta. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Makassar or in Jakarta?
Groceries cost about 10% more in Jakarta, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Makassar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Makassar or to Jakarta?
If budget matters most, go with Makassar. 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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