Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pekanbaru and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $628 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Pekanbaru
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Pekanbaru Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
Learn more

Berlin Living Index

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Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$628

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pekanbaru and in Berlin

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

A single person spends $628 per month in Pekanbaru vs $2,551 in Berlin, rent included.

Pekanbaru $628
Berlin $2,551

A couple spends around $983 per month in Pekanbaru vs $3,845 in Berlin, rent included.

Pekanbaru $983
Berlin $3,845

A family of three spends $1,339 per month in Pekanbaru vs $5,139 in Berlin, rent included.

Pekanbaru $1,339
Berlin $5,139

Pekanbaru is about 75% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Pekanbaru sits 53% below the global median, while Berlin is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.43 Rp 25.8K

$16.65 €14.81

-91.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.20 Rp 147.6K

$76.7 €68.2

-89.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$13.47 €11.98

-82.11%

Cappuccino

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$4.37 €3.89

-70.25%

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

$0.58 Rp 10.4K

$3.48 €3.09

-83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 5,954

$3.12 €2.77

-89.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 Rp 37.3K

$5.34 €4.75

-61.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$4.39 €3.91

-21.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

$1.27 €1.13

2.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$2.33 €2.08

-50.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$3.40 €3.02

-73.82%

Eggs

$1.68 Rp 30.3K

$4.50 €4.00

-62.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 Rp 131.3K

$16.78 €14.93

-56.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 42.7K

$11.91 €10.59

-80.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.49 Rp 116.9K

$17.90 €15.92

-63.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 48.5K

$3.46 €3.07

-21.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$1.95 €1.73

-12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

$3.26 €2.90

-26.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$3.71 €3.30

-65.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$2.10 €1.87

-40.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$2.09 €1.86

-8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.42 €1.27

-47.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 Rp 6,350

$0.95 €0.84

-63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

$10.44 €9.29

-79.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.45 Rp 386.0K

$6.58 €5.85

225.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.27 €1.13

50.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.2K

$2.08 €1.85

44.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,230

$4.34 €3.86

-93.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.44 Rp 152.0K

$71.6 €63.7

-88.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 Rp 16.6K

$5.26 €4.68

-82.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,154

$3.09 €2.75

-87.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 Rp 48.2K

$36.34 €32.32

-92.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$2.31 €2.05

-67.10%

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

$23.3K Rp 418.9M

$32.4K €28.8K

-28.24%

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

$26.0K Rp 468.5M

$38.6K €34.3K

-32.59%

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

$62.1 Rp 1.1M

$382 €340

-83.73%

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

$5.99 Rp 107.9K

$18.83 €16.75

-68.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.78 Rp 428.1K

$48.57 €43.20

-51.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.34 Rp 510.2K

$40.21 €35.76

-29.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 Rp 149.7K

$34.90 €31.04

-76.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 Rp 54.6K

$15.73 €14.00

-80.74%

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

$96.0 Rp 1.7M

$142 €126

-32.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,773 Rp 139.9M

$15.8K €14.0K

-50.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.96 Rp 575.3K

$95.4 €84.8

-66.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.42 Rp 511.6K

$46.32 €41.20

-38.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 Rp 985.5K

$104 €92.4

-47.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$143 €128

-43.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 Rp 4.7M

$1,469 €1,306

-82.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 Rp 2.6M

$1,114 €991

-87.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 Rp 9.7M

$2,751 €2,447

-80.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 Rp 6.4M

$2,107 €1,875

-83.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,070 Rp 19.3M

$8,454 €7,520

-87.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$807 Rp 14.5M

$5,435 €4,834

-85.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$176 Rp 3.2M

$3,543 €3,151

-95.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

3.8

148.95%

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

Last update for Pekanbaru: October 12, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pekanbaru

$201 32%

Berlin

$343 13.4% 70.7% $142

Accommodation & Living

Pekanbaru

$145 23.1%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7% 670% $970

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pekanbaru

$92 14.6%

Berlin

$449 17.6% 389% $357

Clothing & Footwear

Pekanbaru

$88 14%

Berlin

$175 6.9% 98.5% $87

Eating Out

Pekanbaru

$55 8.8%

Berlin

$288 11.3% 422% $233

Sport & Entertainment

Pekanbaru

$34 5.5%

Berlin

$72 2.8% 108% $37

Getting Around

Pekanbaru

$13 2%

Berlin

$110 4.3% 776% $97

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $262 in Pekanbaru versus $1,469 in Berlin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1913% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8.00 in Pekanbaru versus $77.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $343 – making Pekanbaru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pekanbaru

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

03:27 3:27 AM

5 h behind Pekanbaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,308

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pekanbaru Berlin 9,830 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Pekanbaru
Berlin

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 Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 306%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $942 per month in Pekanbaru and $3,826 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pekanbaru, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $628 in Pekanbaru and $2,551 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 306%.

Public transport costs about 748% less in Pekanbaru. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pekanbaru, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Pekanbaru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pekanbaru – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pekanbaru. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.