Cost of living 2019 in Indonesia
Last activity 15 January 2019 by GuestPoster0210
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Hello everyone,
As we usually do each year, we invite you to share your experiences and tell us more about the average prices of products and services in your town/city/area, so that we have updated information regarding cost of living and inflation in Indonesia.
Thanks to your contribution, future expats in Indonesia will be more informed and will be able to refine their budget and better prepare for their big move.
How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in Indonesia? How about buying an apartment or a house in Indonesia?
How much do you pay on average for public transportation (bus, subway, train, tram, taxi)?
How much do you pay for basic food items such as rice, bread, and pasta?
What is your monthly budget for groceries?
How much does it cost to see a doctor or health specialist in Indonesia?
How much do you pay for health insurance per month?
How much does childcare cost on average per month?
What is your child's schooling budget per month?
How much does it cost to fill up your cars fuel tank?
How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc., per month?
How much do you pay for your internet and phone subscription?
How much do you pay for your lunch pack on weekdays?
How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?
How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?
How much does a gym membership cost in Indonesia?
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Priscilla
How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in Indonesia? How about buying an apartment or a house in Indonesia?
Like any place it varies incredibley
Apartments can vary from 500,000idr to 40million+ idr per month same with a house but upwards of 1billion idr per year
Buying is the same from a few hundred idr to over 30/40 billion idr
Public transport maybe 200,000idr per week max always a taxi
Basic food like rice I’m not sure as I seldom buy this, bread I usually make myself but to buy a very large loaf is between 20/40,000idr
We don’t budget on food, if I/ we want it we get it
To see a doctor I think it’s around 150,000 idr but my employmer has doctor on site family care see for free and medicine
Health insurance is our own BPJS that we must pay but company pays for an international medical insurance for the family
Schools for out two is around 3 million a month but will quadruple in September young’n starts full time oldest English is at a level to attend Cambridge international school
Fuel for car anythiybetween 1-1.5million per month for mine around 3/400,000idr for the wife (for the good stuff not the crap)
Electric upwards of 2million, water 150,000 this includes unlimited drinking water due to filtration system,gas about 100,000 a month as we cook with both electric and gas ALOT
Internet tv 350,000 per month unlimited
Lunch pack free by employer
Coffee from costa about 1 million per month
Cinema don’t usuall bother but about 40k
Gym free by employer for self and family
inflation in Indonesia.
Going up, and business is going down
How much does it cost to rent an apartment or a house in Indonesia? How about buying an apartment or a house in Indonesia?
Most foreigners can't legally buy but some can.
House prices in the cities have gone skywards due to greedy estate agents but prices in the smaller places haven't gone that stupid yet.
Rents are about the same - What I would have had to pay 50 million/year for in the Jakarta area I get for 19 million in a smaller town, and that includes rubbish collection and security.
How much do you pay on average for public transportation (bus, subway, train, tram, taxi)?
Commuter trains are small change, hardly worth a mention.
Intercity trains vary a lot but to get from Jakarta to Surabaya (Luxury class) will cost a maximum of 1.25 million , half that for executive.
Local bus prices are nothing and a little bit
Jakarta to the airport - 70k per trip on the new train
Taxis at 5,000/km + flag fall
How much do you pay for basic food items such as rice, bread, and pasta?
A loaf of bread will cost 12,000 or more
How much does it cost to see a doctor or health specialist in Indonesia?
Depends where you go. A local surgery will see 50,000 or less for the consultation, top hospitals can make a serious dent in your wallet
How much do you pay for health insurance per month?
I forget the exact number but BPJS is about 100,000/person/month
I get health insurance from my employer so I'll probably never use the government insurance but I don't mind as it helps poor people who have no options. - Call it a charity tax.
What is your child's schooling budget per month?
English speaking national plus type schools start from 1.5 million/month but you can triple that in Jakarta. The big international style school charge telephone number fees but they are very good.
How much does it cost to fill up your cars fuel tank?
Depends on the type of fuel but I use Pertalite at 8,000/L - Getting to Surabaya and back costs me around a million plus toll road fees
Long distance travellers must have an etoll card or similar - fees vary from 2,500 for a short trip to a few hundred thousand for long journeys.
How much do you pay for electricity/gas/water etc., per month?
Gas comes in bottles and is cheap
Electricity with 3 Air con units and other stuff hits around a million on a bad month
Water is 140,00/month (variable)
How much do you pay for your internet and phone subscription?
Hardly anyone bothers with a home land line
Mobile phones are cheap to run as most people use WA so data is the biggest cost - sets me back 30,000/month, sometimes more.
I pay my internet once a year - I'll dis the price out when I get a moment but I think it's around 600,000/month
How much do you pay for an espresso coffee?
In a big international chain - 60,000, give or take
In a local shack (Warkop) - 2,000
How much do you pay for a cinema ticket?
Cinema 21 (My preferred place)
30,000 for the cheap, off peak
40,000 or 50,000 at peak times (More in Jakarta)
70,000 for the ultra posh special seats with waitress service and all the bells (more in Jakarta area)
How much does a gym membership cost in Indonesia?
No idea, I'm a fat slob
Just to note on the BPJS, it will vary from one individual to another, as a foreigner on KITAS you can claim around 80/90% back as I do yearly when KITAS I’ve paid it on expires (you must pay this)
I don’t do the charity part as i pay over100 million idr per year to BPJS, my tax contribution is more than enough for Indonesia
Gwmeath wrote:I don’t do the charity part as i pay over100 million idr per year to BPJS, my tax contribution is more than enough for Indonesia
100 juta to BPJS?
Just checked - I pay 332,500/month for a family of 4 - about 4 million/year
That's the top level available to us - if we ever use it
Fred wrote:Gwmeath wrote:I don’t do the charity part as i pay over100 million idr per year to BPJS, my tax contribution is more than enough for Indonesia
100 juta to BPJS?
Just checked - I pay 332,500/month for a family of 4 - about 4 million/year
That's the top level available to us - if we ever use it
I’m not 100% but I think it’s around 2/3% of salary I pay per month it does vary as depends if I choose or need to work a weekend/ public holidays etc or if the job dictates
The least I’ve paid is $480 Us equivalent in a month
O and don’t forget my employer contributions also so makes it around double per year hence I claim it back,
Gwmeath wrote:The least I’ve paid is $480 Us equivalent in a month
Cripes!
Perhaps the payment structure is different for WNA
Alls I know for expats is around the 2/3% and similar or a little more from employer, the law changed around 2014? Whereas expats must pay this if in Indonesia for say 3/6 months or more
And I can claim around 80/90 % of both mine and employers contributions back the first 80Ish million is tax free the remainder is (I think) 10% tax but could be more, pays for schooling the kids the remainder I split between 4 orphanages in batam as do all of my expat friends
This is in the way of clothing, bedding, education materials, food, repairs to building sports equipment and entertainment, most done around Ramadan time
Down in the big smoke, most prices remain the same as 2018. The price of fuel moves up more than down. Electricity has not moved in price and the water is still dirt cheap but the dirt is free.
A gallon of Aqua is around 18k and my normal weekly shop has increased to 800k before buying stuff every day.
I still spend around 25k on lunch which is a lot in the local food court.
Not having internet means I am paying out quite a lot for 4g / 3g / edge or nothing as Telkomsel is the best of the bunch for signal and that drops quite often. I am paying less than 400k a month for movies and tv channels from Indovision but its rarely used as every watches stuff on their phones.
Transjakarta is still 3,500 rupiah. The introduction on OvO sees Grab bikes and cares being very cheap.
School fees for my youngest are still OK and the cost of moving him to a elementary school was far better than I expected whilst the monthly fee is still manageable.
Food and luxury goods have gone up in price yet through shopping around and looking for deals there is an awful of things that are cheaper if you avoid going to the high end supermarkets just cos you can.
Not living on a westerners salary in Indonesia but a Indonesian one, then I don't compare to prices outside of here. Western foods and luxuries are just that and food courts and warungs are great and with the mother in law seemingly able to get free fruit every single day that she wont eat, I wont starve!!!
With my youngest now out of all things nappies and baby pants and off powdered milk the shopping bill is now full of greenfields uht and spaghetti but again buy in bulk seems to be the order of the day.
Jeez your water is cheap, Aqua here is around 38/40k for a 19L bottle, hence I put in a filtration system , we had been using around 4/5 every week or so
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