Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated September 2026
| Item | Jakarta | Palawan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 30,000$1.84 | ₱ 170$2.98 | Jakarta −38% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 14,000$0.86 | ₱ 77$1.35 | Jakarta −36% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 180,000$11 | ₱ 570$10 | Palawan −9% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 38,000$2.33 | ₱ 140$2.46 | Jakarta −5% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 50,000$3.07 | ₱ 91$1.6 | Palawan −48% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 130,000$7.98 | ₱ 240$4.21 | Palawan −47% |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | ₱ 21$0.37 | Jakarta −17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 13,000$0.8 | ₱ 53$0.93 | Jakarta −14% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 30,000$1.84 | ₱ 110$1.93 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 24,000$1.47 | ₱ 98$1.72 | Jakarta −14% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 3,500$0.21 | ₱ 17$0.3 | Jakarta −28% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 97,000$5.95 | ₱ 520$9.12 | Jakarta −35% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 650,000$39.9 | ₱ 2,600$45.6 | Jakarta −13% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 9,000,000$552 | ₱ 20,000$351 | Palawan −36% |
| Laundry | Rp 19,000$1.17 | ₱ 86$1.51 | Jakarta −23% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 97,000$5.95 | ₱ 340$5.96 | similar |
| Haircutcut | Rp 53,000$3.25 | ₱ 210$3.68 | Jakarta −12% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 150,000$9.2 | ₱ 590$10.4 | Jakarta −11% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 480,000$29.4 | ₱ 2,300$40.4 | Jakarta −27% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 97,000$5.95 | ₱ 340$5.96 | similar |
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%+.
Jakarta and Palawan cost about the same. Daily budget $67.8 vs $75.7; a month $1,679 vs $1,411.
With a short-term studio and living costs, Jakarta is about $1,679 and Palawan about $1,411 per month.
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.