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Jakarta vs Palawan cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ฉ Jakarta
๐ต๐ญ Palawan
At a glance
- Where Palawan is clearly cheaper: Cocktail & wine (45%โ), Beer (43%โ), Restaurant dinner (21%โ)
- Where Jakarta is clearly cheaper: Convenience store (48%โ), Bottled water (37%โ), Scooter rental (36%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Jakarta 2 vs Palawan 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Jakarta | Palawan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 30,000$1.84 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Jakarta โ30% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 14,000$0.86 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Jakarta โ18% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 180,000$11 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Palawan โ21% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 38,000$2.33 | โฑ 130$2.28 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 45,000$2.76 | โฑ 90$1.58 | Palawan โ43% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 130,000$7.98 | โฑ 250$4.39 | Palawan โ45% |
| Bottled water | Rp 4,500$0.28 | โฑ 25$0.44 | Jakarta โ37% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 6,000$0.37 | โฑ 40$0.7 | Jakarta โ48% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 42,000$2.58 | โฑ 150$2.63 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Jakarta โ13% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 3,500$0.21 | โฑ 15$0.26 | Jakarta โ18% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 100,000$6.13 | โฑ 550$9.65 | Jakarta โ36% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 650,000$39.9 | โฑ 3,000$52.6 | Jakarta โ24% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 5,000,000$307 | โฑ 14,000$246 | Palawan โ20% |
| Laundry | Rp 12,000$0.74 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Jakarta โ30% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 97,000$5.95 | โฑ 400$7.02 | Jakarta โ15% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 50,000$3.07 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Palawan โ14% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 170,000$10.4 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Palawan โ16% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 450,000$27.6 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 97,000$5.95 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Jakarta โ32% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Jakarta or Palawan?
Jakarta is 7% cheaper than Palawan. Daily budget $69.7 vs $82; a month $1,138 vs $1,113.
Which is easier to travel, Jakarta or Palawan?
About the same: Jakarta 2.8/5, Palawan 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Jakarta and Palawan?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Jakarta is about $1,138 and Palawan about $1,113 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.