Indonesia Travel Cost – How Much to Budget

Indonesia is one of the most engaging and most visited countries in Southeast Asia and with good reason! As well as a whole host of attractions and gorgeous natural scenery, the Indonesia travel cost per day makes this an affordable place to spend a holiday in this part of the world.

Cost of living

The cost of living in Indonesia is relatively cheap as prices are low compared to many other countries in Southeast Asia. One thing you may find is that prices differ somewhat depending on where you are, and tend to be higher in tourist hubs in places such as Bali. Even then, you can still get away with a relatively small daily budget if you are prepared to go for cheaper options during your stay in Indonesia which will greatly reduce your overall Indonesia travel cost.

Prices in Indonesia

Prices in Indonesia are fairly low when you compare them to other countries in Southeast Asia like Myanmar, and some in particular such as transport offer you the best options if you want to reduce the cost of travel to the region. Some of the basic price breakdowns are as follows:

Transport in Indonesia

Public transport in Indonesia is one of the cheapest ways to travel and travellers will find that they have a huge number of different options available to them. If you are in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, the you can travel around the city using the Transjakarta Busway which is also called the Bus Rapid Transit and has flat rate fares from IDR 2,000 at off peak times, rising to IDR 3,500 at peak times.

Another option is Jakarta and also all over Indonesia is an angkot which is a small mini-bus that operates like an informal bus and has a number of routes over different cities with tickets costing from IDR 2,000 for a short journey. Angkot routes however can be difficult to navigate and you need to pay the driver directly making ticketing non-existent and fare confusing.

A much easier way to get around however is to take a taxi and there are a number of different kinds available depending on where you are. The main taxi service in Indonesia however is the Blue Bird Group or Blue Bird Taxis who offer a 24 hour service and have fares that start at IDR 7,500 with an additional IDR 400 per 100 meters.

Other options that are now rising in popularity in Indonesia include Gojek and Grabcar which are car and motorbike services that use an app and have a base rate of between IDR 10,000 - 15,000 and an additional IDR 3,500-4,500 depending on which service you use and the time of day you are traveling. These often work out cheaper than taxis however and wait times are usually less, making them a great new addition to Indonesian transport services.

Many travellers also opt to rent their own car in Indonesia which usually comes with a driver and you can usually get one at main airports for around IDR 300,000 per day excluding petrol which is usually around IDR 100,000 for a full day. If you are going to travel around a range of attractions and are traveling as part of a group then this can be one of the most cost effective ways of getting around in Indonesia.

Indonesia is a huge country made up of some 17,000 islands, so if you are short of time then one of the best ways to get around is to fly domestically. Fortunately, due to low cost carriers like Air Asia Indonesia and Lion Air, domestic tickets are affordable and you can get a ticket for a short trip, such as flying between Bali and neighbouring Lombok for as little as IDR 500,000. If you want to fly a longer distance then you can expect to pay between IDR 100,000,000 to IDR 200,000,000 for a ticket, although as this saves on travel time this is often one of the cheapest ways to get around.

The other way to move around Indonesia if you want to cover long distances is to take a long haul bus and this is truly the cheapest way to get around. Many of the buses however travel overnight and can be dirty and uncomfortable, and so even though they are cheap, they are not necessarily the most pleasant way to get around. For a long journey between islands, for example from Sumatra to Java, you can expect to pay around IDR 150,000 although the journey can take upwards of 20 hours depending on where you want to go.

Food Prices

When it comes to Indonesia travel costs you can usually save money on food as prices are low and shouldn’t take too much out of your daily budget. If you eat local food then you can get a meal of rice with several side dishes at a nasi padang restaurant for around IDR 30,000. A meal of fried noodles called mee goreng or fried rice called nasi goreng can cost anything from IDR 10,000 to 20,000 depending on where you buy it, but prices can rise dramatically if you eat in Western style restaurants. In Bali for example you can find all-you-can-eat buffets in Western chain hotels that cost around IDR 1,000,000 including drinks, so how much you want to spend on food in Indonesia depends very much on your preferences and your daily budget.

One thing to note is that Indonesia has a 150% tax on imported alcohol which means that wine and spirits are very expensive. You can however get a bottle of the local beer, Bintang, for around IDR 20,000.

Cost of an Indonesian tourist visa

The new rules mean that Indonesian tourist visas on arrival to Indonesia are now free of charge. They cannot however, be extended, so if you plan to spend longer than 30 days in Indonesia then you will need to opt for a paid tourist visa which costs USD 30 and can be extended for another 30 days, giving two months in the country.

Hotel Prices

There are a huge number of accommodation options in Indonesia from simple guesthouses to five star hotels, so how much you want to spend on accommodation during your trip depends on your own personal preferences and daily budget. If you want to keep your Indonesia travel cost low then you can opt for something like a guesthouse or homestay where it is still possible to find rooms for as low as USD 10 per night if you opt for a dorm room in a hostel or similar. If you want to stay in a hotel then you can find many spots around the country for around USD 30, and prices can then go up to hundreds of dollars if you choose luxury accommodation in somewhere like Bali.

Dual Pricing

One thing to note when looking at prices in Indonesia is that dual pricing often comes into effect. This means that attractions may have two different prices for locals and foreigners, and the foreign price often comes with a steep mark up. One example of this is the access to the orang utan feeding platform at Bukit Lawang in North Sumatra which is IDR 10,000 for locals and IDR 200,000 for foreign visitors.

Indonesia travel cost per day:

As a general rule, you need to budget about USD 30 per day in Indonesia as part of your overall Indonesia travel cost. This allows for some flexibility, and if you can increase your budget to around USD 40 per day then this allows you to stay in reasonably nice accommodation and also leaves room for some beers at the end of the day.

Travel budgeting for Indonesia:

• Accommodation: USD 20- 40 per night
• Food: Meal for one in a local restaurant with a drink IDR 30,000
• Drinks – local beer: IDR 20,000
• Bottle of water: IDR 5,000
• Taxis: Around USD 30,000 to IDR 50,000 depending on the distance.
• Airport taxis: Usually a fixed price depending on the airport and the distance but usually around IDR 150,000.
• Souvenirs: Anything from IDR 30,000 upwards.
• Admission to national parks: Around IDR 200,000.
• Long haul bus journey: Around IDR 150,000 depending on the exact route and length of the journey.
• Domestic flights: Anywhere between IDR 500,000 to 2,000,000.

On the whole, you get more bang for your buck in Indonesia than in many other countries in Southeast Asia, which is why many people choose to base themselves here for a longer period of time. The cost of living in Indonesia is very cheap compared to other places, and as long as you manage your Indonesia travel costs then you can enjoy a mid range travel experience without having to break the bank. If you stay and eat locally, then you won’t need to spend more than around USD 30 per day, and can even spend less if you are prepared to cut a few corners and eschew luxury items such as alcohol.