Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malang and Bandung

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $464 a month against $623 in Bandung, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Malang
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Malang Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
Learn more

Bandung Living Index

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Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$464

/mo nomad

Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malang 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 Malang and in Bandung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $464 in Malang versus $623 in Bandung.

Malang $464
Bandung $623

Estimated couple costs with rent: $713 in Malang versus $925 in Bandung.

Malang $713
Bandung $925

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $963 in Malang versus $1,226 in Bandung.

Malang $963
Bandung $1,226

Living in Malang costs roughly 26% less than in Bandung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malang 66% lower, Bandung 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

-19.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.09 Rp 201.2K

$13.70 Rp 248.6K

-19.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.80 Rp 50.8K

$3.22 Rp 58.4K

-13.04%

Cappuccino

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

$1.48 Rp 26.8K

-15.54%

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

$0.56 Rp 10.1K

$0.43 Rp 7,764

30.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,806

$0.22 Rp 3,986

-4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 Rp 40.6K

$3.10 Rp 56.3K

-27.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 Rp 75.6K

$3.10 Rp 56.3K

34.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

-15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

$0.97 Rp 17.6K

10.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

$0.86 Rp 15.5K

-10.47%

Eggs

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

$1.41 Rp 25.6K

-17.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.60 Rp 101.6K

$6.94 Rp 125.9K

-19.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 Rp 54.5K

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.89 Rp 124.9K

$7.93 Rp 143.8K

-13.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.9K

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

-10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

22.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.5K

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

3.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

56.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.5K

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

19.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.9K

$1.94 Rp 35.1K

-1.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 Rp 8,987

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,656

$0.43 Rp 7,800

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 Rp 46.7K

$2.56 Rp 46.5K

0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 Rp 225.1K

$22.37 Rp 405.8K

-44.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 Rp 29.9K

$1.89 Rp 34.3K

-12.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.9K

$3.15 Rp 57.2K

-9.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 Rp 10.6K

$0.27 Rp 4,853

114.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.39 Rp 97.7K

$12.56 Rp 227.9K

-57.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,917

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

-41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 Rp 6,867

$0.54 Rp 9,717

-29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 Rp 101.7K

$2.32 Rp 42.1K

141.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

-13.10%

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

$25.1K Rp 455.2M

$20.8K Rp 376.5M

20.91%

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

$27.4K Rp 497.2M

$32.2K Rp 584.6M

-14.94%

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

$30.88 Rp 560.1K

$33.56 Rp 608.6K

-7.99%

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

$2.30 Rp 41.8K

$4.22 Rp 76.6K

-45.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.26 Rp 349.4K

$19.17 Rp 347.7K

0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.37 Rp 260.7K

$16.35 Rp 296.6K

-12.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.58 Rp 83.0K

$5.92 Rp 107.4K

-22.64%

Cinema Ticket

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

$2.83 Rp 51.2K

-33.57%

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

$30.06 Rp 545.2K

$92.1 Rp 1.7M

-67.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,230 Rp 167.4M

$8,239 Rp 149.4M

12.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 Rp 1.0M

$38.89 Rp 705.3K

43.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.42 Rp 406.6K

$31.30 Rp 567.6K

-28.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.8 Rp 921.8K

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

-32.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.21 Rp 638.6K

$69.3 Rp 1.3M

-49.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.5M

$208 Rp 3.8M

-34.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.5 Rp 1.6M

$176 Rp 3.2M

-49.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$196 Rp 3.5M

$372 Rp 6.7M

-47.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 Rp 2.8M

$264 Rp 4.8M

-41.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$706 Rp 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$298 Rp 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$201 Rp 3.6M

$277 Rp 5.0M

-27.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.38

-64.85%

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

Last update for Malang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bandung: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malang

$165 35.5%

Bandung

$192 30.8% 16.7% $28

Accommodation & Living

Malang

$89 19.3%

Bandung

$176 28.2% 96.2% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Malang

$74 15.9%

Bandung

$96 15.5% 30.5% $23

Eating Out

Malang

$55 11.9%

Bandung

$63 10.1% 14.2% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malang

$52 11.3%

Bandung

$57 9.1% 8.6% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Malang

$18 3.9%

Bandung

$22 3.5% 21.3% $3.9

Getting Around

Malang

$10 2.2%

Bandung

$17 2.8% 69.9% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $136 in Malang and $208 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $11 in Malang vs $14 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $192 per month, with Malang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Malang

🇮🇩 Bandung

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

Same time as Malang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

857,891

2,390,120

💱 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

Malang Bandung 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Malang
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

Malang vs Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malang wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Bandung. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Malang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Malang. 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: $136 in Malang versus $208 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Bandung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malang – a meal for two runs $11 versus $14 in Bandung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Malang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Malang delivers better value at $464 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Malang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Malang and Bandung are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Malang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Bandung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.