Cost of living in Indonesia
The cost of living in Indonesia runs at about 31% of US prices, and the food part of BPS's poverty line was Rp391,618 a person a month in Bali in March 2024.
Official prices, where your money goes further, and a budget built from your own rent and insurance. Checked against official sources on Oct 8, 2026.
- Price level
- ~31% of the US Household consumption, 2025. World Bank. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
- Food poverty line, Jakarta
- IDR 571,647/mo (about $30) Official, household of 1, March 2024. BPS Jakarta; BPS Bali. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
- Food poverty line, Bali
- IDR 391,618/mo (about $20) Official, household of 1, March 2024. BPS Jakarta; BPS Bali. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
- Per person
- $32/mo Food poverty line divided by household size
Build your Indonesia budget
No official source tracks what expats pay in rent, and rent is the biggest line in any budget. So this starts from what is measured, the government's food poverty line, and adds your own numbers.
Get rent from current listings in the area you like and a written quote for health insurance at your age; the total then shows how far it sits above the $3,000 Retirement visa minimum.
Your monthly budget
$0
The official food poverty line
BPS, Indonesia's statistics office, splits its poverty line into a food part (Garis Kemiskinan Makanan) and a non-food part, per person per month, for each province. In March 2024 the food part was Rp571,647 in Jakarta and Rp391,618 in Bali, about 69% of each poverty line.
| Area | March 2024 |
|---|---|
| Jakarta (DKI Jakarta province) | IDR 571,647 (about $30) |
| Bali province | IDR 391,618 (about $20) |
BPS Jakarta; BPS Bali. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Cost of living questions
How much do I need a month to live in Indonesia?
It depends mostly on rent, which no official source tracks for expats. Start from the official food basket ($32 a person), add your rent and insurance quotes in the calculator above, and keep the $3,000 Retirement visa minimum in mind as a floor, not a budget.
Is Indonesia cheaper than the US?
On average, yes: the World Bank puts household prices in Indonesia at about 31% of US levels (2025). Imported goods, cars and electronics can cost as much as at home or more.
Is it cheaper outside Jakarta?
Food is: the official food poverty line for Bali costs IDR 391,618 (about $20) against IDR 571,647 (about $30) (March 2024).
Is Bali cheap to retire in?
Prices in Indonesia run at about 31% of US levels on the World Bank's comparison. The food part of BPS's poverty line in Bali was Rp391,618 a person a month in March 2024, the minimum for food, not a comfortable budget.
How much does food cost in Bali compared with Jakarta?
BPS's food poverty line was Rp391,618 a person a month in Bali and Rp571,647 in Jakarta in March 2024. It measures the minimum spent on food, not the cost of a typical retiree's groceries.
