Jakarta

A month in Jakarta

IDR (Indonesian rupiah); conversions at roughly IDR 18,000 per USD, the August 2026 rate quoted by Grey

One-bed apartment, Kemang

IDR 8,000,000–14,000,000 ($445–780) per month

Grey's guide, updated 3 September 2026. Asia Lifestyle Magazine quoted $900–1,400 in January 2026 for the serviced, expat-grade end of the same district, so the low figure buys a plainer building.

Coworking hot desk, GoWork

IDR 180,000 ($10) per day; from IDR 1,130,000 ($63) per month, VAT on top

GoWork's own Jakarta pricing page, September 2026. Dedicated desks start at IDR 2,700,000 ($150).

Warung lunch

IDR 15,000–40,000 ($0.85–2.20)

Grey, September 2026. A café lunch in an expat area runs $5–8 per Asia Lifestyle Magazine, January 2026.

Western restaurant meal

IDR 150,000–350,000 ($8–20)

Grey, September 2026. This is where the budget goes if the warung habit never forms.

SIM and data on arrival

IDR 200,000–260,000 ($11–14) for 8–14 GB at the airport; IDR 100,000 ($5.50) for 50 GB of Telkomsel top-up in town

Traveltomtom, updated February 2026. Airport counters charge tourist prices; city minimarts and official shops are several times cheaper per gigabyte.

Transport

TransJakarta bus flat IDR 3,500 ($0.20); MRT IDR 4,000–14,000 ($0.20–0.80) per trip; Gojek or Grab car IDR 30,000–70,000 ($1.65–3.90) per ride

Grey, September 2026. No single monthly pass covers all three, so a month of mixed use is a sum of single fares.

Gym, premium chain

About IDR 900,000–1,600,000 ($50–90) per month

Asia Lifestyle Magazine, January 2026, for premium facilities. Cheaper local gyms exist but no verified price was found.

Home fibre internet

IDR 250,000–600,000 ($14–33) per month

Grey, September 2026. Many serviced apartments bundle it into the rent.

Drink out

Craft cocktail in an SCBD bar $8–12 (about IDR 145,000–215,000)

Asia Lifestyle Magazine, January 2026. No verified beer price was found; alcohol is taxed heavily and priced accordingly.

A modest month$780–1,060

IDR 14,000,000–19,000,000 ($780–1,060) for September 2026, taking a low-end Kemang one-bed, a GoWork monthly desk, mostly warung and café food, ride-hailing plus MRT, a SIM and home fibre; Grey's own bands put a frugal month at $600–900 and a comfortable one at $1,000–1,500, and Asia Lifestyle Magazine's single professional at about $1,530.

Indonesia's median mobile download was 59 Mbps in the February 2026 Speedtest Global Index, ranked 73rd of 104 countries, so mobile data is usable for calls but not fast by regional standards. Home fibre costs IDR 250,000–600,000 ($14–33) a month per Grey, September 2026, and serviced apartments often include it. On arrival at Soekarno-Hatta the arrival-hall counters sell Telkomsel at IDR 200,000–260,000 ($11–14) for 8–14 GB and XL at IDR 200,000 ($11) for 15 GB, per Traveltomtom in February 2026, while in the city a Telkomsel top-up of IDR 100,000 ($5.50) buys 50 GB. Telkomsel's official tourist card, Rp100,000 for 25 GB over 30 days, has limited availability per Gigago. A passport is needed to register a SIM and the phone must be unlocked. eSIMs on the Telkomsel network run about $21 for 20 GB with Jetpac and $11 for 3 GB with Airalo, dearer than a local SIM but no counter and no queue.

Where to work

• GoWork · 21 Jakarta sites including Pacific Place (SCBD), Kemang X, Plaza Indonesia and Pondok Indahday From IDR 180,000 ($10) plus VAT, September 2026 · month From IDR 1,130,000 ($63) plus VAT for a hot desk; dedicated desk from IDR 2,700,000 ($150)The widest footprint in the city, so the desk can follow the apartment rather than the other way round; prices are published on its own site.
• Kolega · Kemang, Radio Dalam and Equity Tower (SCBD); head office in Tebetday IDR 220,000 ($12), as listed by Dealls in August 2025 · month Not published; Kolega's site asks for a WhatsApp enquiryIndependent, design-led rooms in the South Jakarta districts nomads actually live in, with six-plus sites.
• Wellspaces · Jl. Bangka XI, Pela Mampang (between Kemang and Senopati)day Not listed · month IDR 1,500,000 ($83), as listed by Dealls in August 2025Small neighbourhood space within walking distance of Kemang housing, priced under the big chains.
• CoHive · Jl. Mega Kuningan Barat, Kuninganday IDR 75,000 ($4), as listed by Dealls in August 2025 · month Not listedThe cheapest verified day pass in the city, in the Kuningan office district near the MRT.
• Greenhouse · Multivision Tower, Jl. Kuningan Muliaday Not listed · month IDR 3,000,000 ($167), as listed by Dealls in August 2025Upper-tier tower coworking with a plant-filled fit-out, for those who want an office-grade address.

Cafés that tolerate laptops

• Anomali Coffee · SenopatiAmple power outlets, a spacious industrial layout and single-origin Indonesian beans; listed among the top work cafés in September 2026.
• First Crack Coffee · Gunung, Kebayoran BaruTwo floors, sockets at the tables and soundproofed rooms for calls, with attentive staff who do not hurry laptops.
• Kopitagram Centang Biru · KuninganLarge two-floor café with free wifi, outlets and greenery; go in the daytime, since live music runs Wednesday to Sunday evenings and weekends need a booking.
• Arborea Café · Ministry of Environment and Forestry complex, Senayan sideFree wifi and plenty of sockets under real trees, an unusual amount of green for central Jakarta.
• 1/15 Coffee · MentengPlenty of seating, a relaxed room and cheaper prices than the South Jakarta specialty places.
• Saudagar Kopi · Jalan Sabang, Central JakartaSpacious semi-outdoor seating, proper food and a laid-back attitude to long sessions.

Where nomads live

• KemangIDR 8,000,000–14,000,000 ($445–780) for a one-bed, September 2026; serviced units $900–1,400 per the January 2026 expat guideThe default nomad and expat district: cafés, bars, Kolega and GoWork sites, and low-rise streets that are walkable by Jakarta standards. No MRT, so rides are the way out.
• SCBD and SudirmanIDR 11,000,000–17,000,000 ($610–945) for a one-bed, September 2026Tower living next to the MRT and the business district; the shortest commute in the city if the coworking desk is at Pacific Place or a Sudirman tower.
• KuninganAbout $800–1,200 (IDR 14,400,000–21,600,000) for a one-bed, January 2026Embassy and office district with CoHive, Greenhouse, WeWork and Kopitagram, on the MRT line; more corporate than Kemang.
• Menteng and Central JakartaIDR 4,000,000–15,000,000 ($220–835) for a one-bed, September 2026; Menteng itself from about $650 in January 2026Old garden-suburb streets and the Sabang café strip close to Grand Indonesia; the wide range covers everything from a plain flat to a colonial-era address.
• East and North JakartaIDR 1,500,000–4,000,000 ($85–220) for a one-bed, September 2026Where the rent is a fraction of the south, at the cost of long commutes to the cafés and coworking that make the base worthwhile.