Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibolga and Bandung Cost of Living Comparison Between Sibolga and Bandung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $591 in Sibolga versus $628 in Bandung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $944 in Sibolga versus $937 in Bandung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,296 in Sibolga versus $1,247 in Bandung.

Living in Sibolga costs roughly 6% less than in Bandung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sibolga 56% lower, Bandung 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

$1.30 Rp 23.5K

19.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.22 Rp 221.0K

$9.27 Rp 167.5K

31.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.48 Rp 62.8K

$3.42 Rp 61.9K

1.75%

Cappuccino

$1.67 Rp 30.2K

$1.45 Rp 26.2K

15.17%

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

$0.51 Rp 9,310

$0.50 Rp 8,969

2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 Rp 5,116

$0.25 Rp 4,472

12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 Rp 56.2K

$3.36 Rp 60.7K

-7.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 Rp 48.0K

$3.61 Rp 65.2K

-26.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 Rp 22.1K

$1.21 Rp 21.9K

0.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.4K

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

10.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$0.93 Rp 16.8K

Eggs

$1.59 Rp 28.7K

$1.58 Rp 28.6K

0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 Rp 150.5K

$9.26 Rp 167.5K

-10.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 41.1K

$3.01 Rp 54.5K

-24.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 Rp 164.5K

$7.86 Rp 142.1K

15.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 41.5K

$2.31 Rp 41.7K

-0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.3K

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 Rp 34.2K

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

11.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.60 Rp 28.9K

-6.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 Rp 12.9K

$1.48 Rp 26.8K

-52.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 Rp 27.6K

$2.65 Rp 47.9K

-42.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 Rp 16.4K

$0.96 Rp 17.4K

-5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 Rp 6,344

$0.46 Rp 8,342

-23.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 Rp 31.2K

$2.48 Rp 44.8K

-30.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 419.3K

$21.80 Rp 394.2K

6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 41.8K

$2.09 Rp 37.8K

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.1K

$3.43 Rp 62.0K

-32.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 Rp 7,393

$0.30 Rp 5,354

36.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 Rp 175.0K

$10.23 Rp 185.0K

-5.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,606

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

-24.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 Rp 6,764

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

-51.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 Rp 51.8K

$2.58 Rp 46.6K

10.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 Rp 19.2K

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

34.18%

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

$24.7K Rp 446.1M

$25.0K Rp 451.7M

-1.24%

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

$27.3K Rp 492.8M

$26.1K Rp 472.3M

4.34%

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

$26.79 Rp 484.5K

$44.55 Rp 805.5K

-39.87%

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

$4.22 Rp 76.3K

$4.69 Rp 84.9K

-10.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.81 Rp 412.5K

$22.48 Rp 406.4K

1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.00 Rp 415.9K

$21.87 Rp 395.4K

5.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.08 Rp 110.0K

$6.58 Rp 119.0K

-7.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.09 Rp 55.9K

$3.11 Rp 56.2K

-0.64%

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

$24.11 Rp 436.0K

$94.2 Rp 1.7M

-74.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,603 Rp 137.5M

$7,688 Rp 139.0M

-1.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.45 Rp 279.3K

$41.35 Rp 747.6K

-62.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.19 Rp 328.8K

$31.15 Rp 563.2K

-41.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 Rp 1.2M

$58.2 Rp 1.1M

13.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 Rp 1.4M

$63.6 Rp 1.1M

17.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$260 Rp 4.7M

$240 Rp 4.3M

8.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$159 Rp 2.9M

$154 Rp 2.8M

3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 Rp 10.5M

$454 Rp 8.2M

28.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 Rp 6.0M

$246 Rp 4.5M

34.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,293 Rp 23.4M

$727 Rp 13.1M

77.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$622 Rp 11.2M

$308 Rp 5.6M

102.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$283 Rp 5.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

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

Last update for Sibolga: July 26, 2026

Last update for Bandung: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $260 in Sibolga and $240 in Bandung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Sibolga vs $9.00 in Bandung. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $213, with Sibolga cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sibolga vs Bandung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibolga wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Bandung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sibolga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $887 in Sibolga and $942 in Bandung to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $260 in Sibolga versus $240 in Bandung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Bandung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sibolga – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $9.00 in Bandung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sibolga 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 Sibolga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $591 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sibolga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sibolga 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 Sibolga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Bandung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.