For one person, living is cheaper in Indonesia: $636 a month against $2,720 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in the United States 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 States and in Indonesia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,720 per month in the United States vs $636 in Indonesia, rent included.
United States $2,720
Indonesia $636
A couple spends around $3,954 per month in the United States vs $1,021 in Indonesia, rent included.
United States $3,954
Indonesia $1,021
A family of three spends $5,188 per month in the United States vs $1,406 in Indonesia, rent included.
United States $5,188
Indonesia $1,406
📏
The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($984–$5,225) than in Indonesia ($319–$1,628), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in the United States is about 328% higher than in Indonesia on average.
📊
The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Indonesia is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.75$19.75
$1.68Rp 30.4K
1075.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.3$79.3
$14.04Rp 254.2K
464.46%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.78$11.78
$3.16Rp 57.1K
272.78%
Cappuccino
$5.62$5.62
$1.52Rp 27.5K
269.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68$2.68
$0.50Rp 9,102
436.00%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10$2.10
$0.25Rp 4,562
740.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.98$5.98
$2.23Rp 40.3K
168.16%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.89$7.89
$3.24Rp 58.7K
143.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.09$1.09
$1.17Rp 21.1K
-6.84%
White Bread(500g)
$3.61$3.61
$1.08Rp 19.6K
234.26%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.61$4.61
$0.84Rp 15.1K
448.81%
Eggs
$4.34$4.34
$1.53Rp 27.6K
183.66%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.86$12.86
$8.62Rp 156.1K
49.19%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.50$12.50
$3.17Rp 57.4K
294.32%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.41$17.41
$7.55Rp 136.7K
130.60%
Apples(1kg)
$5.42$5.42
$2.55Rp 46.2K
112.55%
Banana(1kg)
$1.66$1.66
$1.29Rp 23.4K
28.68%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.39$4.39
$1.73Rp 31.4K
153.76%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.96$4.96
$1.22Rp 22.1K
306.56%
Potato(1kg)
$2.85$2.85
$1.31Rp 23.7K
117.56%
Onion(1kg)
$3.06$3.06
$2.00Rp 36.2K
53.00%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.29$2.29
$0.74Rp 13.5K
209.46%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.30$2.30
$0.41Rp 7,512
460.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$11.01$11.01
$2.54Rp 45.9K
333.46%
Wine(Bottle)
$14.94$14.94
$16.35Rp 295.9K
-8.62%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13$2.13
$1.90Rp 34.5K
12.11%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79$3.79
$2.79Rp 50.4K
35.84%
🚌 Getting Around
United States
Indonesia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.04$2.04
$0.27Rp 4,859
655.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$59.1$59.1
$11.68Rp 211.5K
405.57%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.48$3.48
$0.52Rp 9,479
569.23%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.89$1.89
$0.41Rp 7,348
360.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$29.76$29.76
$2.97Rp 53.7K
902.02%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.08$1.08
$0.79Rp 14.3K
36.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K$28.0K
$22.3KRp 403.9M
25.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K$25.8K
$32.5KRp 588.4M
-20.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$217$217
$63.6Rp 1.2M
240.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.7$62.7
$4.48Rp 81.1K
1299.78%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.0$73.0
$19.07Rp 345.3K
282.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$42.08$42.08
$18.09Rp 327.5K
132.61%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.10$23.10
$10.50Rp 190.0K
120.00%
Cinema Ticket
$14.77$14.77
$2.74Rp 49.5K
439.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,490$1,490
$120Rp 2.2M
1140.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$21.7K$21.7K
$12.2KRp 220.9M
78.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5$53.5
$41.34Rp 748.4K
29.46%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.69$42.69
$25.32Rp 458.4K
68.60%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$92.7$92.7
$68.4Rp 1.2M
35.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117$117
$62.3Rp 1.1M
87.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United States
Indonesia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,671$1,671
$300Rp 5.4M
457.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,338$1,338
$166Rp 3.0M
706.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,723$2,723
$775Rp 14.0M
251.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,131$2,131
$409Rp 7.4M
420.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,269$3,269
$1,938Rp 35.1M
68.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,553$2,553
$1,159Rp 21.0M
120.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,253$4,253
$258Rp 4.7M
1548.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.57
9.36
-29.81%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for the United States: November 2, 2026
Last update for Indonesia: October 31, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
United States
$1.3K 49.2%
Indonesia
$166 26.1% ↓ 87.6%$1.2K
🛒Groceries & Markets
United States
$415 15.3%
Indonesia
$194 30.4% ↓ 53.4%$222
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$352 13%
Indonesia
$87 13.7% ↓ 75.3%$265
🍽Eating Out
United States
$326 12%
Indonesia
$62 9.7% ↓ 81%$264
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United States
$137 5.1%
Indonesia
$89 14% ↓ 35.4%$49
🚌Getting Around
United States
$80 3%
Indonesia
$15 2.4% ↓ 80.9%$65
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United States
$72 2.6%
Indonesia
$24 3.7% ↓ 67.1%$48
🏠Accommodation & Living
United States
$2.1K 41.1%
Indonesia
$409 29.1% ↓ 80.8%$1.7K
🛒Groceries & Markets
United States
$952 18.4%
Indonesia
$431 30.6% ↓ 54.7%$521
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$415 8%
Indonesia
$92 6.5% ↓ 77.9%$323
🍽Eating Out
United States
$1.1K 20.3%
Indonesia
$188 13.4% ↓ 82.2%$866
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
United States
$305 5.9%
Indonesia
$197 14% ↓ 35.4%$108
🚌Getting Around
United States
$164 3.2%
Indonesia
$31 2.2% ↓ 81.1%$133
🎉Sport & Entertainment
United States
$166 3.2%
Indonesia
$58 4.1% ↓ 65.4%$109
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,628 in the United States vs $364 in Indonesia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,721 in Washington, DC and $366 in Jakarta.
💰Average salary: $4,531 in the United States vs $222 in Indonesia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 347% higher in the United States.
⭐Dining out costs 369% more in the United States.
⭐Public transport is 473% more expensive in the United States.
⭐Salaries are about 20 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.
United States→Indonesia16,450 km≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
United States
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 States vs Indonesia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Indonesia more expensive than the United States?
Indonesia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 77% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,628 versus $364 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 77% cheaper overall.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Indonesia or in the United States?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Indonesia, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Indonesia or to the United States?
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 States vs other spots: cost of living compared