Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Bandung

For one person, living costs are similar in Medan and in Bandung: $613 and $632 a month, rent and utilities included.

30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
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Bandung Living Index

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Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Medan versus $632 in Bandung.

Medan $613
Bandung $632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Medan versus $933 in Bandung.

Medan $940
Bandung $933

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,266 in Medan versus $1,234 in Bandung.

Medan $1,266
Bandung $1,234

Living in Medan costs roughly 3% less than in Bandung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medan 55% lower, Bandung 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

23.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$13.75 Rp 247.6K

-39.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$3.37 Rp 60.7K

-12.46%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$1.49 Rp 26.8K

2.68%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$0.44 Rp 7,830

-20.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.22 Rp 3,948

13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$3.09 Rp 55.6K

-46.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$3.13 Rp 56.3K

14.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

19.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$1.49 Rp 26.8K

-11.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$7.39 Rp 133.0K

9.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$2.93 Rp 52.7K

22.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

$7.75 Rp 139.4K

-17.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$2.17 Rp 39.1K

10.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$1.10 Rp 19.8K

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$1.54 Rp 27.7K

-7.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

-1.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

-22.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$0.65 Rp 11.6K

-41.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$0.40 Rp 7,248

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$2.66 Rp 47.8K

7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$22.19 Rp 399.5K

-29.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$1.91 Rp 34.4K

-4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$3.25 Rp 58.4K

-7.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.27 Rp 4,821

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

$9.51 Rp 171.1K

-37.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

-37.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

-66.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$0.91 Rp 16.4K

-12.09%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$21.4K Rp 385.3M

15.27%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$29.1K Rp 523.9M

10.69%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$34.14 Rp 614.6K

148.51%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$4.22 Rp 76.0K

-24.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$19.25 Rp 346.4K

22.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$18.42 Rp 331.5K

-7.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$6.03 Rp 108.6K

39.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$2.75 Rp 49.5K

19.64%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$92.5 Rp 1.7M

20.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$8,335 Rp 150.0M

-79.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$39.16 Rp 704.9K

38.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$32.02 Rp 576.3K

20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

39.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$71.7 Rp 1.3M

54.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$214 Rp 3.9M

8.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$180 Rp 3.2M

-50.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$378 Rp 6.8M

30.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$263 Rp 4.7M

-19.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$723 Rp 13.0M

60.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$304 Rp 5.5M

84.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$281 Rp 5.1M

-23.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

11.38

-18.72%

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

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bandung: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Bandung

$193 30.6% 6.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Bandung

$99 15.7% 29.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Bandung

$58 9.1% 48.4% $54

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Bandung

$180 28.6% 101% $91

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Bandung

$63 10% 7.9% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Bandung

$24 3.8% 1.7% $0.4

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Bandung

$14 2.2% 67.4% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Medan and $214 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $8.00 in Medan vs $14.00 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $193 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇮🇩 Bandung

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

Same time as Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

2,390,120

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Medan Bandung 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medan
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

Medan vs Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medan wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Bandung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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.

Rent for a central apartment: $233 in Medan versus $214 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bandung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medan – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $14.00 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 Medan 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 Medan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $613 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medan 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.

Expats usually find Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Bandung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.