Jakarta Budget Calculator
- Housing + utilities $837 47%
- Food & drink $549 31%
- Getting around $69 4%
- Work + connectivity $174 10%
- Health, gym, fun $153 9%
These are mid-market figures. Paying with a typical bank card in Jakarta adds roughly 3% on top, about $53 a month on this budget. Find the best travel card for Jakarta →
A solo digital-nomad month, per person, side by side with places in the region.
A month here is about 64% of a mid-size US city.
See the cost breakdown
- Rent (1-bed) 1× 1-bed $742
- Utilities + internet flat estimate $95
- Eating out (local) 32 × $3.95 $126
- Eating out (mid-range) 16 × $11 $177
- Groceries (cooking in) 32 meals × $2.08 $66
- Coffees 45 × $3.12 $140
- Beers out 10 × $3.88 $39
- Getting around transit pass + 12 taxis $69
- Coworking $145/mo $145
- SIM / data 7-day SIM × 4 $29
- Gym $39/mo $39
- Massages 2 × $15 $29
- Health (amortised) GP + dentist ÷ 12 $5.25
- Nightlife / buffer flat estimate $80
Figures assume a long-term stay (30+ days) and cover rent, food, transport, internet and everyday spending. Flights, visas and insurance aren't included. Rent, utilities and internet are shared across the household; everything else is per person. Rent, food and transport use the prices listed below. Utilities, health costs spread over the year and a buffer for extras are estimates.
Prices last checked between May and August 2026
Average prices in Jakarta
Jakarta is cheap if you stick to local eateries and public transport. Imported goods and Western-style places add up fast, and a week spent mostly in malls and hotel restaurants costs about what it would at home.
Where a business publishes a price we use it and name it: 79 of them sit behind the rows above, last checked between May and August 2026, and the i beside a price shows which. Where no business publishes one, a taxi fare or a long-term rent, the figure is an estimate drawn from published local sources. How these prices are collected ↗
Rent in Jakarta by area
Rent in Jakarta is highest in SCBD and Sudirman and lowest in Tebet and the east. The areas below are listed from most to least expensive, compared with the city average. The rent differences are estimates from local listings, not measured prices, so treat them as a rough guide.
- SCBD / Sudirman Pricier SCBD and the Sudirman corridor have the highest rents on this list. This is Jakarta's financial center, with the newest towers. You pay to live next to the offices and the MRT.
- Menteng Pricier Menteng is an old, leafy district in central Jakarta, close to the embassies. It is quiet and prestigious, and rents are well above the city average.
- Kemang Mid Kemang is the long-standing expat area in the south, with cafes, bars and international schools. Rents are a little above the city average. Traffic in and out is slow.
- Kebayoran Baru Mid Kebayoran Baru is an established area in the south, near the MRT line. Rents are around the city average, lower than in Kemang.
- Kelapa Gading Cheaper Kelapa Gading, in the north, is a district of malls and newer condos with lower rents. It suits you if you do not need to be near the cafes in the south.
- Tebet / East Cheaper Tebet and the eastern areas have the lowest rents on this list. They are more local, with a few streets of newer cafes. The trade-off is distance from the business district and the south.
Is Jakarta expensive?
Jakarta is cheap for local food, transport and household help. Apartments in the prime districts, imported goods and cafe meals cost close to what they do at home. Budgets usually go over on rent, cafes and mall spending.
A digital-nomad month in Jakarta costs far less than the same life in a mid-size US, UK or Australian city. It costs more than Bali, mostly on rent, and well above cities like Yogyakarta. See the Indonesia cost of living guide for the rest of the country.
Sending money to Jakarta
If your income or savings are abroad, you will be converting money into rupiah. Monthly rent is millions of rupiah, and a coffee costs tens of thousands. A poor exchange rate plus a transfer fee can cost 3 to 5% on each transfer, and the loss grows with the amount you send.
Rent is paid by bank transfer, and many landlords want six or twelve months at signing, so you will need to move one large sum. Compare providers below, then read the full Indonesia money guide for ATMs, cards and QRIS (Indonesia's national QR-code payment system).
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Paying rent, using ATMs, tapping a card? See the full Indonesia money guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How much do you need per month to live in Jakarta?
About $820 a month for one person on a basic budget, $1,780 as a digital nomad with a one-bed and coworking, and $3,120 for a business-district apartment with a car. These are city averages. The calculator above adjusts for household size, neighborhood and currency.
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Can you live in Jakarta on $1,000 a month?
Yes, for one person, if you rent outside the business district and the prime south, eat mostly local food and get around by bus and ojek. A central apartment, a cafe habit and regular nights out take you well past $1,000.
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Is Jakarta cheaper than Bali?
No, mainly because of rent. Apartments in Jakarta's prime districts cost more than most places in Bali. Local food and transport are cheap in both. Bali has tourist prices in areas like Canggu, and Jakarta has big-city prices in its business district.
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What costs do people forget when budgeting for Jakarta?
Rent paid up front is the big one: many landlords want six or twelve months at signing. Health insurance and visa fees are the next most common misses. Long commutes also push many people toward pricier central rent.
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Do you need a scooter in Jakarta?
No, and we would not rent one. The traffic is heavy and short-term scooter rentals for foreigners are rare. The MRT, TransJakarta and Gojek or Grab cover most trips. The Basic and Digital Nomad budgets use those instead of a scooter; the Luxury budget uses a car.