Cost of living in Indonesia in 2026

Tuition fees vary depending on the school. I currently pay Rp4 million per month for two kids. This will increase to Rp7 million per month in July as one of them will change school. In a couple of years that figure will be Rp9 million per month. Eng;ish speaking schools are often more expensive than good local speaking schools.

Cost of living hasn't really changed much when it comes to grocery shopping. It always was too high and still is. We could live on a lot less but we do like to have good food. The two cats are not as cheap to feed as you'd imagine. My supermarket bill is often Rp500k to Rp1 million per visit. I spent Rp2 million at Griya supermarket last week. Occasionally I will visit 3 supermarkets a day starting with Aeon, then Papaya and finally Setiabudi supermarket. Gotta have nice food.

No real leisure costs apart from the occasional trip to Jakarta for shopping and eating. Then we'll visit Decathlon, Sports Direct and a few other places for shoes, clothes etc for the kids.

Health insurance BPJS is cheap but we usually end up just paying for things ourselves to save time and as not every hospital accepts BPJS.

We have a well so water fees are negligible. Electricity is around Rp2 million per month. We cook with gas and it's pretty cheap. Internet and phone subscriptions are a few hundred thousand rupiah.

Now that Shell is not selling V-Power or V-Power nitro, we buy Pertamax and it costs around Rp750k to fill my tank.

Kids pocket money is Rp200k per month each. It's not much but since we pay them for most things then they get to save and decide how to spend it which is good.

Estate agents and greedy developers have been forcing house and business premises prices up,  both to buy and to rent.

Their greed hasn't hit the smaller towns and villages too badly, but it's killing the cities.

The rather poorly built estate that I rent on (until I get out) is 12 years old and service/water charges are pretty stupid at about a million per month. To give you an idea, the same would probably cost around 1/5 of that in a non-posh estate.

People who bought here are regretting it as some of the houses have already fallen down due to subsiding land and rubbish foundations.

When it comes to business premises,  especially retail units, that forces retail prices up a lot due to high costs. That's simple to avoid by shopping away from the 'nice' estates.

Electricity is cheap but it builds up when you use air conditioning a lot. A medium house with evening/night use of AC will likely be around a million per month.

Gas for cooking is very cheap.

Petrol is cheap by UK standards, but I hardly drive so a fill up from half will last me a month as a rule.

That's about 300,000 or so.

Eating out varies a lot, but local food is very cheap. A meal for one can be as little as 20,000 to 30,000.

Water comes in a 'gallon' (standard size water dispenser). They last a few days and cost around 20,000 each.

Rent varies depending on where you are. A 2 bed house in a village will cost as little as five million/year, but a 'posh' house in a large town or city can be 100 million or more. In the middle of a big city such as Jakarta, it can be a lot more.

Hello Expat.com community,

As someone familiar with living in Jakarta in 2026, here's a realistic overview of the current cost of living based on up-to-date data. Prices can vary significantly depending on lifestyle, local vs. expat-oriented (e.g., central areas like SCBD, Sudirman, or Kemang vs. suburbs), whether you're single, a couple, or a family, and choices like eating local warungs or Western/international options. I'll focus on averages in IDR (with approximate USD conversions, where ~1 USD ≈ 16,800 IDR as of early 2026).

Renting or buying an apartment/house

Rent dominates costs for most expats.

1-bedroom apartment in city center (good area): 5,000,000–8,000,000 IDR/month (~300–475 USD).

1-bedroom outside center: 3,000,000–6,000,000 IDR/month (~180–355 USD).

3-bedroom in city center: 10,000,000–36,000,000 IDR/month (~600–2,150 USD), often 15–25 million for nice expat-friendly spots.

3-bedroom outside center: 7,500,000–15,000,000+ IDR/month.

Luxury/high-end in prime areas (e.g., serviced apartments in Kuningan/SCBD): 30–60 million IDR/month for 2–3 bedrooms.

Buying apartments: Prices hover around 35–36 million IDR per sqm in central areas, with modest increases expected. Houses (landed) in suburbs like Pondok Indah or BSD are pricier and less common for rentals.

Public transportation fares

Jakarta's system (TransJakarta BRT, MRT, LRT, KRL commuter trains) is affordable and improving.

TransJakarta bus: Flat fare ~3,500 IDR per ride (may see small adjustments, but still low).

MRT: 3,000–14,000 IDR depending on distance.

KRL Commuterline: Starts at 3,000 IDR for first 25 km, +1,000 IDR per additional 10 km (max ~13,000 IDR for long routes).

Taxis/ride-hailing (Grab/GoCar or Blue Bird): 50,000–150,000 IDR for typical city trips; traffic can add up. Monthly transport for regular commuters: 100,000–500,000 IDR.

Average monthly grocery shopping

For a single person cooking at home (mix of local and imported): 1,500,000–3,000,000 IDR (~90–180 USD).

Family of four: 4,000,000–8,000,000 IDR or more.

Basics like rice, eggs, chicken, veggies are cheap locally; imported goods (e.g., cheese, certain fruits) push costs higher for expats.

Health insurance and medical consultation

Public BPJS Kesehatan: Affordable (Class 1 ~150,000 IDR/month, lower classes cheaper), but many expats prefer private/international plans for better quality and English-speaking doctors.

Private international health insurance: 1,500,000–6,000,000+ IDR/month (~90–350+ USD) per person, depending on age/coverage (family plans higher).

Private consultation: GP ~250,000 IDR; specialist ~500,000–1,400,000 IDR. Top private hospitals in Jakarta are good but can be expensive without insurance.

Tuition fees for children

Local/public schools are low-cost or free for citizens, but expats often choose international schools.

International school annual tuition (e.g., premium like Jakarta Intercultural School, British, or similar):

Primary/Elementary: 200,000,000–450,000,000+ IDR/year (~12,000–27,000+ USD).

Secondary/High school: Similar or higher (e.g., 300–500 million IDR/year in top schools).

Mid-tier options: 150–280 million IDR/year. Additional fees (enrollment, books, uniforms) add 10–20%.

Average monthly utilities

For a standard apartment (85–90 sqm):

Basic (electricity, water, garbage, AC): 1,000,000–2,500,000 IDR (~60–150 USD), higher with heavy AC use in Jakarta's heat.

Internet (unlimited, 60 Mbps+): 300,000–500,000 IDR.

Mobile phone plan (calls + 10GB+ data): 80,000–150,000 IDR.

Total utilities + comms: 1,500,000–3,500,000 IDR/month.

Monthly spending on leisure activities

Varies widely: 500,000–3,000,000 IDR (~30–180 USD).

Examples: Dining out (local warung cheap at 30,000–70,000 IDR/meal; nicer restaurants 100,000+ IDR), cinema ~50,000–100,000 IDR/ticket, gym ~300,000–1,000,000 IDR/month, weekend outings or events.

Other relevant expenses

Domestic help (maid/driver): Common for expats/families, 2–5 million IDR/month.

Eating out frequently or Western groceries: Adds 2–5 million IDR.

Traffic/congestion: Many opt for ride-hailing or private drivers.

Overall monthly (excluding rent): Single ~8–10 million IDR; family of four ~25–40 million IDR (higher for expat lifestyle).

Rough monthly total estimates (2026, excluding rent)

Single (modest/local-ish): 8–12 million IDR (~475–700 USD).

Family of four (comfortable, some international touches): 25–40 million IDR (~1,500–2,400 USD).

Jakarta remains relatively affordable compared to many global cities, but traffic, pollution, and expat-area premiums add up.

BTW, I have houses and apartment in Pasar Minggu, Jagakarsa, and Kalibata for rental (I'm not agent).

Hope this helps anyone planning a move, feel free to ask for specifics!

Best,

Imam

Renting or buying an apartment/house
Rent dominates costs for most expats.

1-bedroom apartment in city center (good area): 5,000,000–8,000,000 IDR/month (~300–475 USD).
1-bedroom outside center: 3,000,000–6,000,000 IDR/month (~180–355 USD).
3-bedroom in city center: 10,000,000–36,000,000 IDR/month (~600–2,150 USD), often 15–25 million for nice expat-friendly spots.
3-bedroom outside center: 7,500,000–15,000,000+ IDR/month.
Luxury/high-end in prime areas (e.g., serviced apartments in Kuningan/SCBD): 30–60 million IDR/month for 2–3 bedrooms.
Buying apartments: Prices hover around 35–36 million IDR per sqm in central areas, with modest increases expected. Houses (landed) in suburbs like Pondok Indah or BSD are pricier and less common for rentals.
- @kautsar

The above might very well be true of silly priced, top end (or just silly priced places aimed to scam expats), you can get far cheaper if you aren't looking for luxury.

With  this poster, it's worth a note he's adverisingg apartments for rent, thus it is in his interests to pump up prices.

Expats should be be afraid of these prices are they are easily avoidable.

A lot of people rent rooms or small studios often in nice apartment buildings, something like a high end kost. It seems your rental prices are only for expats whose companies are going to pay their rent. These can be found throughout the city in downtown areas.

@Fred

Excuse me SCAM?

References:

1. https://www.noblepropertiesasia.com/label/cilandak/
2. https://www.rumah123.com/en/rent/jakarta-selatan/house/
3. https://www.knightfrank.com/properties/ … s/all-beds

However, you can get cheaper here:

1. https://www.rumah123.com/sewa/jakarta-s … %5D=ANNUAL

@kautsar

Excuse me SCAM?

What do you expect ? You have ‘ skin’ in the game.

This Forum quite rightly is suspicious of grubby salesmen trying to to sell their wares. Especially ones who ‘like’ their own posts 🙄