confused over cost of living

I guess another problem is with what NUMBEO states as medium monthly income.... $250/mos. So how is anyone living in these places you guys are reporting on as nice places to live? Can anyone address this?

My blog http:mylifejakarta.Blogspot.Com has a post about the cost of living in terms of food and basic requirements which would help you. Many people coming here use usd to work things out and that makes things more expensive.  Better to look at it like this. One dollar is 10,000 rupiah as a simple guide.
Yes it is cheaper to live here in real terms but  if you choose  to live a western lifestyle here then it is no real difference to living at home in  many ways.
Also your salary will be far higher than the locals so they would be aggrieved to hear how you struggle on five times as much a month as they earn. For those that complain  40 million a month is not enough well they need to wake up and stop feeling sorry for themselves because the majority of Indonesians don't earn that a year. Plus go away because they are annoying.

I have lived in Jakarta for 7 years and my salary whilst not big is enough to support a family of four and still allow to save and enjoy life. My rent is high but that's where I live and again in real terms what I pay each year would equate to a quarter of what I would pay back home for the same house but  I am not in the West so I am not complaining.
I hope some of this helps.  Take a look at my cost
of living posts for 2013 and 2012 and let me know.  There are plenty of people on this site in Bali and Jakarta not complaining but enjoying what they have.

lukereg wrote:

For those that complain  40 million a month is not enough well they need to wake up and stop feeling sorry for themselves because the majority of Indonesians don't earn that a year. Plus go away because they are annoying.

I don't believe it's possible for anyone to more agree with a comment than I agree with that one.

So many expats come to Indonesia, act like idiots, get ripped off with everything because they have no clue as to the true cost of living, then go home and moan how crap the place is.

See it this way, a very well paid local teacher will get about 5 million per month but live reasonably, run a car and feed his family.
I tend to spend about 8 million in an expensive month; I'm married with a kid and like to eat out a lot, but it's usually a million or so less than that.

Advice:
* never rent a place quoted in Dollars - they're for idiots with loads of cash but no brains.
*Leave the booze alone - it's daft prices and a waste of time anyway
* Consider that well paid local teacher when you buy anything. Ask yourself if he could afford it. If it sounds way to expensive for a local; you're probably being ripped off.

Lukered, thank you so very much. I'm sure you haloed others as well.

Thank you for this gauge to use. I will also be wise to your warnings. I too want to eat out and on special occasions enjoy fine dining. I see now I can do that.

Except the restaurants aiming at the tourist and daft foreigner trade, you can eat out cheaply.
Such as Papa Ron's start at 17,000 for a six inch pizza.
Pizza hut costs a lot more but I rather like their pizzas. Three of us can nosh there for around Rp200,000 or so.
Loads of other local restaurants around at half that price but with great food.
I don't know if SS (Special sambal) is in Bali but that costs bugger all and the food is out of this world. I use their places a lot because they're so great.
Once you get the feel for local food, eating out is a cheap affair for someone with 40 million/month to play with.

Booze is a killer; expensive because it's taxed to hell by the government.
If you can leave that out of a meal, it will remain a cheap evening out.

Is it possible to live in Bogor with 2 million per month?

Yes but it won't be nice. That's for sure

thank you lukereg for the information. But it is still enough to survive the whole month..

Rp2 million a month is next to nothing and considered as a low salary even for Indonesians. What kind of job would pay you that?

No foreigner can survive with just 2mio juta a month this is even below min wage for locals.

aly123 wrote:

Is it possible to live in Bogor with 2 million per month?

Yes, but only if you live in a small shack, eat veggie and rice, and don't get arrested for working illegally.
(Assuming you're working, not living off your partner's income)
I've actually done the 2 million a month lark, but that was in a very small village where there was little need for cash.
I rather enjoyed the simple life, but not everyone can do that. It was a few years of holiday.

If that is a salary, it's for an illegal job.
That you can't get away with, so don't do it unless you want to explore an Indonesian prison.