Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pekanbaru and Bandung

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

31

Cost of Living Index in Pekanbaru
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Pekanbaru Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Bandung
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Bandung Living Index

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Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$628

/mo nomad

Bandung

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Pekanbaru $628
Bandung $632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $983 in Pekanbaru versus $933 in Bandung.

Pekanbaru $983
Bandung $933

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,339 in Pekanbaru versus $1,234 in Bandung.

Pekanbaru $1,339
Bandung $1,234

Living in Pekanbaru costs roughly 1% less than in Bandung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.20 Rp 147.6K

$13.75 Rp 247.6K

-40.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$3.37 Rp 60.7K

-28.49%

Cappuccino

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$1.49 Rp 26.8K

-12.75%

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

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

$0.44 Rp 7,830

31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 5,954

$0.22 Rp 3,948

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 Rp 37.3K

$3.09 Rp 55.6K

-33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$3.13 Rp 56.3K

10.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$1.08 Rp 19.4K

20.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

16.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

9.88%

Eggs

$1.68 Rp 30.3K

$1.49 Rp 26.8K

12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 Rp 131.3K

$7.39 Rp 133.0K

-1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

$2.93 Rp 52.7K

-19.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.49 Rp 116.9K

$7.75 Rp 139.4K

-16.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 48.5K

$2.17 Rp 39.1K

24.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$1.10 Rp 19.8K

54.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$1.54 Rp 27.7K

56.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

35.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$1.09 Rp 19.7K

13.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.65 Rp 11.6K

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 Rp 6,350

$0.40 Rp 7,248

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

$2.66 Rp 47.8K

-18.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.45 Rp 386.0K

$22.19 Rp 399.5K

-3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.91 Rp 34.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.2K

$3.25 Rp 58.4K

-7.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,230

$0.27 Rp 4,821

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.44 Rp 152.0K

$9.51 Rp 171.1K

-11.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,154

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 Rp 48.2K

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

16.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.91 Rp 16.4K

-16.48%

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

$23.3K Rp 418.9M

$21.4K Rp 385.3M

8.74%

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

$26.0K Rp 468.5M

$29.1K Rp 523.9M

-10.56%

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

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

$34.14 Rp 614.6K

81.84%

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

$5.99 Rp 107.9K

$4.22 Rp 76.0K

41.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.78 Rp 428.1K

$19.25 Rp 346.4K

23.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.34 Rp 510.2K

$18.42 Rp 331.5K

53.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 Rp 149.7K

$6.03 Rp 108.6K

37.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

$2.75 Rp 49.5K

10.18%

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

$96.0 Rp 1.7M

$92.5 Rp 1.7M

3.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,773 Rp 139.9M

$8,335 Rp 150.0M

-6.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.96 Rp 575.3K

$39.16 Rp 704.9K

-18.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.42 Rp 511.6K

$32.02 Rp 576.3K

-11.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 Rp 985.5K

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

-29.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$71.7 Rp 1.3M

12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 Rp 4.7M

$214 Rp 3.9M

22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 Rp 2.6M

$180 Rp 3.2M

-19.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 Rp 9.7M

$378 Rp 6.8M

43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 Rp 6.4M

$263 Rp 4.7M

35.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,070 Rp 19.3M

$723 Rp 13.0M

48.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 Rp 14.5M

$304 Rp 5.5M

165.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$176 Rp 3.2M

$281 Rp 5.1M

-37.39%

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 Pekanbaru: 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

Pekanbaru

$201 32%

Bandung

$193 30.6% 3.9% $7.8

Accommodation & Living

Pekanbaru

$145 23.1%

Bandung

$180 28.6% 24.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pekanbaru

$92 14.6%

Bandung

$58 9.1% 37.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Pekanbaru

$88 14%

Bandung

$99 15.7% 12.5% $11

Eating Out

Pekanbaru

$55 8.8%

Bandung

$63 10% 14.9% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Pekanbaru

$34 5.5%

Bandung

$24 3.8% 30.5% $10

Getting Around

Pekanbaru

$13 2%

Bandung

$14 2.2% 13.3% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Pekanbaru and $214 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bandung pays 60% 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 Pekanbaru vs $14.00 in Bandung. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $193, with Bandung cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Bandung

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

Same time as Pekanbaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,308

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pekanbaru Bandung 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pekanbaru
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

Pekanbaru vs Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 60% 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: $262 in Pekanbaru versus $214 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Bandung pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Pekanbaru – 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 Pekanbaru 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 Pekanbaru delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $628 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pekanbaru hard to pass up.

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