Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and Indonesia

For one person, living is cheaper in Indonesia: $638 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

United Kingdom
Indonesia
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,462
/mo nomad
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$638
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in Indonesia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United Kingdom and in Indonesia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,462 per month in the United Kingdom vs $638 in Indonesia, rent included.

  • United Kingdom $2,462
  • Indonesia $638

A couple spends around $3,600 per month in the United Kingdom vs $1,014 in Indonesia, rent included.

  • United Kingdom $3,600
  • Indonesia $1,014

A family of three spends $4,738 per month in the United Kingdom vs $1,390 in Indonesia, rent included.

  • United Kingdom $4,738
  • Indonesia $1,390

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,126–$4,646) than in Indonesia ($318–$1,649), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United Kingdom is about 286% higher than in Indonesia on average.

The United Kingdom sits 81% above the global median, while Indonesia is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.48 £16.06
$1.61 Rp 29.1K
1234.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.7 £64.1
$11.79 Rp 213.7K
627.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.61 £7.93
$3.26 Rp 59.0K
225.46%
Cappuccino
$4.91 £3.67
$1.58 Rp 28.7K
210.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 £1.99
$0.49 Rp 8,892
442.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 £1.40
$0.23 Rp 4,168
713.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.63 £4.95
$2.19 Rp 39.6K
202.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 £5.12
$3.40 Rp 61.6K
101.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.22 Rp 22.2K
37.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 £1.29
$1.11 Rp 20.2K
54.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.17 £1.62
$0.87 Rp 15.8K
149.43%
Eggs
$4.00 £2.99
$1.51 Rp 27.4K
164.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.42 £7.04
$8.23 Rp 149.2K
14.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 £6.87
$2.96 Rp 53.7K
210.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.77 £11.04
$7.49 Rp 135.8K
97.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 £2.22
$2.44 Rp 44.2K
21.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.31 Rp 23.7K
23.66%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 £2.13
$1.81 Rp 32.9K
57.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.52 £2.63
$1.17 Rp 21.2K
200.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 £1.37
$1.27 Rp 23.1K
44.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 £1.20
$1.92 Rp 34.8K
-16.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 £0.93
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
54.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 £1.24
$0.41 Rp 7,343
304.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.65 £17.68
$2.41 Rp 43.7K
881.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.50 £7.85
$16.71 Rp 302.9K
-37.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.98 £2.23
$1.99 Rp 36.0K
49.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 £2.62
$2.78 Rp 50.3K
26.26%
🚌 Getting Around
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.98 £2.97
$0.27 Rp 4,845
1374.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 £80.3
$11.52 Rp 208.9K
832.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.18 £3.87
$0.53 Rp 9,607
877.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.35 £1.75
$0.37 Rp 6,739
535.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.84 £20.06
$3.08 Rp 55.8K
771.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 £1.49
$0.75 Rp 13.5K
165.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.4K £29.5K
$22.4K Rp 406.7M
75.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.3K
$31.6K Rp 572.3M
28.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$327 £245
$64.7 Rp 1.2M
405.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.21 £13.61
$4.30 Rp 78.0K
323.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.60 £32.59
$19.61 Rp 355.6K
122.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.36 £31.66
$18.02 Rp 326.8K
135.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.22 £13.62
$10.71 Rp 194.2K
70.12%
Cinema Ticket
$13.85 £10.35
$2.78 Rp 50.4K
398.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,868 £1,396
$117 Rp 2.1M
1490.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K £16.9K
$5,547 Rp 100.6M
307.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9 £69.5
$40.37 Rp 731.9K
130.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.92 £34.32
$26.09 Rp 473.0K
76.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 £76.0
$68.3 Rp 1.2M
48.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 £76.4
$62.7 Rp 1.1M
63.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,342 £1,003
$288 Rp 5.2M
365.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,073 £802
$168 Rp 3.0M
540.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,231 £1,668
$758 Rp 13.7M
194.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,742 £1,302
$406 Rp 7.4M
328.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,601 £4,187
$1,946 Rp 35.3M
187.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,265 £3,188
$1,142 Rp 20.7M
273.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,349 £2,504
$257 Rp 4.7M
1204.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
9.46
-43.76%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Last update for Indonesia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
United Kingdom
$1.1K
Indonesia
$168 84.4% $906
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United Kingdom
$389
Indonesia
$89 77.2% $300
Eating Out
United Kingdom
$328
Indonesia
$62 81% $265
Groceries & Markets
United Kingdom
$307
Indonesia
$193 37.3% $115
Clothing & Footwear
United Kingdom
$154
Indonesia
$89 42.4% $65
Getting Around
United Kingdom
$140
Indonesia
$15 89.3% $125
Sport & Entertainment
United Kingdom
$70
Indonesia
$24 66.3% $46

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,287 in the United Kingdom vs $370 in Indonesia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,811 in London and $355 in Jakarta.

Average salary: $3,251 in the United Kingdom vs $221 in Indonesia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 248% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 419% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 818% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 15 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇮🇩 Indonesia
🕒 Local time
12:55 12:55 PM
19:55 7:55 PM
7 h ahead of the United Kingdom
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,326,569
275,439,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 18,128 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,277 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • United Kingdom Indonesia 11,710 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • United Kingdom
  • Indonesia

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
United Kingdom vs Indonesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Indonesia more expensive than the United Kingdom?
Indonesia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 74% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 versus $370 in Indonesia.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Indonesia – part of why living there is about 74% cheaper overall.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Indonesia or in the United Kingdom?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Indonesia, but in the United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Indonesia or to the United Kingdom?
Indonesia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

United Kingdom vs other spots: cost of living compared

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