Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Indonesia

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.

United States
Indonesia
🇺🇸 United States
$2,720
/mo nomad
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$636
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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
🍽 Eating Out
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.75 $19.75
$1.68 Rp 30.4K
1075.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.3 $79.3
$14.04 Rp 254.2K
464.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 $11.78
$3.16 Rp 57.1K
272.78%
Cappuccino
$5.62 $5.62
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
269.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 $2.68
$0.50 Rp 9,102
436.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$0.25 Rp 4,562
740.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.98 $5.98
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
168.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.89 $7.89
$3.24 Rp 58.7K
143.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
-6.84%
White Bread (500g)
$3.61 $3.61
$1.08 Rp 19.6K
234.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.61 $4.61
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
448.81%
Eggs
$4.34 $4.34
$1.53 Rp 27.6K
183.66%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.86 $12.86
$8.62 Rp 156.1K
49.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.50 $12.50
$3.17 Rp 57.4K
294.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.41 $17.41
$7.55 Rp 136.7K
130.60%
Apples (1kg)
$5.42 $5.42
$2.55 Rp 46.2K
112.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.29 Rp 23.4K
28.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.39 $4.39
$1.73 Rp 31.4K
153.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.96 $4.96
$1.22 Rp 22.1K
306.56%
Potato (1kg)
$2.85 $2.85
$1.31 Rp 23.7K
117.56%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$2.00 Rp 36.2K
53.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.29 $2.29
$0.74 Rp 13.5K
209.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.30 $2.30
$0.41 Rp 7,512
460.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.01 $11.01
$2.54 Rp 45.9K
333.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.94 $14.94
$16.35 Rp 295.9K
-8.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.90 Rp 34.5K
12.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79 $3.79
$2.79 Rp 50.4K
35.84%
🚌 Getting Around
United States
Indonesia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.04 $2.04
$0.27 Rp 4,859
655.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.1 $59.1
$11.68 Rp 211.5K
405.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.48 $3.48
$0.52 Rp 9,479
569.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 $1.89
$0.41 Rp 7,348
360.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.76 $29.76
$2.97 Rp 53.7K
902.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.79 Rp 14.3K
36.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K $28.0K
$22.3K Rp 403.9M
25.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$32.5K Rp 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
$63.6 Rp 1.2M
240.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.7 $62.7
$4.48 Rp 81.1K
1299.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.0 $73.0
$19.07 Rp 345.3K
282.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.08 $42.08
$18.09 Rp 327.5K
132.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.10 $23.10
$10.50 Rp 190.0K
120.00%
Cinema Ticket
$14.77 $14.77
$2.74 Rp 49.5K
439.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,490 $1,490
$120 Rp 2.2M
1140.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.7K $21.7K
$12.2K Rp 220.9M
78.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 $53.5
$41.34 Rp 748.4K
29.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.69 $42.69
$25.32 Rp 458.4K
68.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 $92.7
$68.4 Rp 1.2M
35.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 $117
$62.3 Rp 1.1M
87.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United States
Indonesia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 $1,671
$300 Rp 5.4M
457.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,338 $1,338
$166 Rp 3.0M
706.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,723 $2,723
$775 Rp 14.0M
251.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,131 $2,131
$409 Rp 7.4M
420.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,269 $3,269
$1,938 Rp 35.1M
68.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,553 $2,553
$1,159 Rp 21.0M
120.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United States
Indonesia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,253 $4,253
$258 Rp 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.
Accommodation & Living
United States
$1.3K
Indonesia
$166 87.6% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
United States
$415
Indonesia
$194 53.4% $222
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$352
Indonesia
$87 75.3% $265
Eating Out
United States
$326
Indonesia
$62 81% $264
Clothing & Footwear
United States
$137
Indonesia
$89 35.4% $49
Getting Around
United States
$80
Indonesia
$15 80.9% $65
Sport & Entertainment
United States
$72
Indonesia
$24 67.1% $48

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.

Good to know
🇺🇸 United States
🇮🇩 Indonesia
🕒 Local time
12:08 12:08 PM
00:08 12:08 AM
12 h ahead of the United States
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
340,110,988
275,439,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,331 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • United States Indonesia 16,450 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

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