Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pekanbaru and Jakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Pekanbaru: $627 a month against $772 in Jakarta, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Pekanbaru
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Pekanbaru Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
Learn more

Jakarta Living Index

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Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$627

/mo nomad

Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pekanbaru and in Jakarta

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

A single person spends $627 per month in Pekanbaru vs $772 in Jakarta, rent included.

Pekanbaru $627
Jakarta $772

A couple spends around $986 per month in Pekanbaru vs $1,257 in Jakarta, rent included.

Pekanbaru $986
Jakarta $1,257

A family of three spends $1,344 per month in Pekanbaru vs $1,741 in Jakarta, rent included.

Pekanbaru $1,344
Jakarta $1,741

Pekanbaru is about 19% cheaper than Jakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Pekanbaru and Jakarta are more affordable than the global median – Pekanbaru 54% lower, Jakarta 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.42 Rp 25.7K

$2.71 Rp 49.1K

-47.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.09 Rp 146.5K

$16.34 Rp 296.0K

-50.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.37 Rp 43.0K

$3.24 Rp 58.7K

-26.85%

Cappuccino

$1.27 Rp 23.1K

$2.02 Rp 36.6K

-37.13%

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

$0.60 Rp 10.9K

$0.41 Rp 7,467

46.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 Rp 6,007

$0.26 Rp 4,715

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 Rp 36.7K

$2.49 Rp 45.2K

-18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 Rp 63.5K

$3.89 Rp 70.6K

-10.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 Rp 23.0K

$1.38 Rp 25.1K

-7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 Rp 19.5K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

-3.57%

Eggs

$1.61 Rp 29.1K

$1.76 Rp 32.0K

-8.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.06 Rp 127.9K

$9.22 Rp 167.2K

-23.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 42.6K

$2.95 Rp 53.5K

-20.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 Rp 115.6K

$7.34 Rp 133.1K

-13.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 Rp 46.4K

$2.73 Rp 49.4K

-6.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 Rp 30.2K

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

22.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.9K

$2.48 Rp 44.9K

-6.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

$1.38 Rp 25.1K

-13.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 Rp 22.9K

$1.37 Rp 24.8K

-8.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 35.3K

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

-4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 Rp 15.5K

$0.95 Rp 17.2K

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 Rp 6,437

$0.50 Rp 9,022

-28.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 Rp 39.0K

$2.79 Rp 50.6K

-22.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.11 Rp 382.4K

$21.05 Rp 381.5K

0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 Rp 32.5K

$2.03 Rp 36.8K

-11.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 Rp 54.2K

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,866

$0.16 Rp 2,939

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.26 Rp 204.1K

$11.69 Rp 211.8K

-3.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$0.49 Rp 8,944

102.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,435

$0.32 Rp 5,780

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 Rp 52.6K

$3.28 Rp 59.5K

-11.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

-18.60%

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

$23.2K Rp 419.6M

$27.0K Rp 489.2M

-14.22%

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

$25.8K Rp 467.1M

$32.7K Rp 592.4M

-21.14%

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

$62.5 Rp 1.1M

$107 Rp 1.9M

-41.63%

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

$6.02 Rp 109.0K

$5.99 Rp 108.5K

0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.68 Rp 411.0K

$19.06 Rp 345.4K

18.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.69 Rp 501.8K

$19.34 Rp 350.5K

43.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.22 Rp 149.0K

$13.90 Rp 251.8K

-40.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 Rp 55.6K

$3.11 Rp 56.3K

-1.29%

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

$94.5 Rp 1.7M

$238 Rp 4.3M

-60.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 Rp 147.3M

$8,010 Rp 145.1M

1.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.20 Rp 583.4K

$57.5 Rp 1.0M

-43.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.67 Rp 519.5K

$27.82 Rp 504.2K

3.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 Rp 1.0M

$70.5 Rp 1.3M

-21.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$103 Rp 1.9M

-21.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 Rp 4.4M

$355 Rp 6.4M

-31.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$191 Rp 3.5M

-22.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 Rp 9.8M

$1,123 Rp 20.4M

-51.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 Rp 6.7M

$544 Rp 9.9M

-31.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,302 Rp 23.6M

$2,742 Rp 49.7M

-52.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$804 Rp 14.6M

$1,506 Rp 27.3M

-46.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$175 Rp 3.2M

$441 Rp 8.0M

-60.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

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

Last update for Pekanbaru: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jakarta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pekanbaru

$196 31.2%

Jakarta

$214 27.7% 9.4% $18

Accommodation & Living

Pekanbaru

$148 23.6%

Jakarta

$191 24.7% 29.2% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pekanbaru

$91 14.5%

Jakarta

$132 17.1% 44.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Pekanbaru

$89 14.2%

Jakarta

$116 15.1% 31.2% $28

Eating Out

Pekanbaru

$55 8.7%

Jakarta

$79 10.2% 43.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Pekanbaru

$34 5.4%

Jakarta

$26 3.3% 24.4% $8.3

Getting Around

Pekanbaru

$15 2.4%

Jakarta

$14 1.9% 4.4% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $243 in Pekanbaru versus $355 in Jakarta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Jakarta are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $8 in Pekanbaru versus $16 in Jakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $214 – making Pekanbaru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Pekanbaru

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

Same time as Pekanbaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,308

11,337,563 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pekanbaru Jakarta 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pekanbaru
Jakarta

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 Jakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jakarta costs about 23% more than Pekanbaru, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $941 per month in Pekanbaru and $1,159 in Jakarta. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $243 there versus $355 in Jakarta.

Kindergarten costs $94 per month in Pekanbaru and $238 in Jakarta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Jakarta, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $627 in Pekanbaru and $772 in Jakarta, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.

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