Cost of Living Comparison Between Padang and Bandung Cost of Living Comparison Between Padang and Bandung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $651 in Padang versus $645 in Bandung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,007 in Padang versus $942 in Bandung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,363 in Padang versus $1,239 in Bandung.

Living in Padang is roughly 1% more expensive than in Bandung, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Padang 52% lower, Bandung 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.74 Rp 30.9K

$1.40 Rp 24.9K

24.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.43 Rp 220.0K

$14.00 Rp 247.9K

-11.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.04 Rp 53.7K

$3.35 Rp 59.3K

-9.25%

Cappuccino

$1.49 Rp 26.4K

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

-3.87%

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

$0.38 Rp 6,734

$0.45 Rp 8,040

-15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,533

$0.23 Rp 4,043

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.0K

$3.21 Rp 56.8K

-15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 Rp 69.6K

$3.15 Rp 55.8K

24.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 Rp 20.8K

$1.10 Rp 19.5K

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 Rp 16.9K

$1.04 Rp 18.4K

-8.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 Rp 16.3K

$0.88 Rp 15.6K

4.55%

Eggs

$1.45 Rp 25.6K

$1.44 Rp 25.5K

0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 Rp 111.4K

$7.32 Rp 129.6K

-14.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.60 Rp 46.0K

$2.85 Rp 50.5K

-8.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 Rp 141.3K

$8.24 Rp 145.9K

-3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 Rp 35.7K

$2.29 Rp 40.6K

-11.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.5K

$1.12 Rp 19.7K

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$1.49 Rp 26.4K

9.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.7K

$0.95 Rp 16.8K

23.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 Rp 23.8K

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

21.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.2K

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

1.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 Rp 14.7K

$0.66 Rp 11.6K

25.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,865

$0.41 Rp 7,252

7.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 Rp 48.0K

$2.79 Rp 49.4K

-2.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 407.4K

$22.80 Rp 403.8K

0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 Rp 35.5K

$1.93 Rp 34.1K

3.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 48.5K

$3.35 Rp 59.3K

-18.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 Rp 5,325

$0.27 Rp 4,725

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.57 Rp 169.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,086

$0.81 Rp 14.4K

-37.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 Rp 5,191

$0.55 Rp 9,759

-47.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 Rp 44.8K

$2.34 Rp 41.5K

8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 Rp 12.1K

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

-11.54%

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

$22.8K Rp 404.2M

$21.2K Rp 375.9M

7.54%

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

$30.6K Rp 542.5M

$29.5K Rp 522.2M

3.89%

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

$74.1 Rp 1.3M

$33.79 Rp 598.3K

119.15%

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

$4.30 Rp 76.2K

$4.39 Rp 77.7K

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.79 Rp 315.1K

$19.60 Rp 347.0K

-9.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.96 Rp 353.4K

$18.96 Rp 335.7K

5.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.45 Rp 132.0K

$5.92 Rp 104.9K

25.84%

Cinema Ticket

$2.46 Rp 43.5K

$2.88 Rp 51.1K

-14.58%

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

$99.6 Rp 1.8M

$93.8 Rp 1.7M

6.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,742 Rp 137.1M

$8,255 Rp 146.2M

-6.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.85 Rp 794.2K

$39.76 Rp 704.0K

12.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.67 Rp 525.3K

$33.16 Rp 587.1K

-10.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 Rp 1.3M

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

-4.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$70.5 Rp 1.2M

14.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 Rp 4.2M

$222 Rp 3.9M

6.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 Rp 2.5M

$182 Rp 3.2M

-23.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 Rp 9.1M

$390 Rp 6.9M

31.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 Rp 6.4M

$269 Rp 4.8M

33.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,358 Rp 24.0M

$738 Rp 13.1M

83.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$634 Rp 11.2M

$311 Rp 5.5M

103.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$285 Rp 5.1M

-40.47%

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 Padang: September 13, 2026

Last update for Bandung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $236 in Padang and $222 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Padang vs $14.00 in Bandung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $197 per month, with Padang cheaper across the board.

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

Padang vs Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bandung wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Padang. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bandung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 68% 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: $236 in Padang versus $222 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $99.6 in Padang versus $93.8 in Bandung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bandung – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $12.00 in Padang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bandung delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $645 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bandung hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Padang 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 Bandung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Padang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.