Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Yogyakarta is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: language โ Medan 4 vs Yogyakarta 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Medan | Yogyakarta | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Rp 24,000$1.47 | Yogyakarta โ20% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Yogyakarta โ25% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 120,000$7.36 | Rp 90,000$5.52 | Yogyakarta โ25% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Yogyakarta โ14% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 45,000$2.76 | Rp 41,000$2.52 | Yogyakarta โ9% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Rp 110,000$6.75 | Medan โ9% |
| Bottled water | Rp 4,000$0.25 | Rp 4,900$0.3 | Medan โ18% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 7,000$0.43 | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Medan โ12% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Rp 32,000$1.96 | Yogyakarta โ9% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Rp 24,000$1.47 | Medan โ38% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 5,000$0.31 | Rp 3,500$0.21 | Yogyakarta โ30% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 80,000$4.91 | Rp 98,000$6.01 | Medan โ18% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 550,000$33.7 | Rp 490,000$30.1 | Yogyakarta โ11% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 3,500,000$215 | Rp 3,000,000$184 | Yogyakarta โ14% |
| Laundry | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Rp 8,000$0.49 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Rp 98,000$6.01 | similar |
| Haircutcut | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Yogyakarta โ25% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 120,000$7.36 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Yogyakarta โ17% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 250,000$15.3 | Rp 350,000$21.5 | Medan โ29% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Rp 25,000$1.53 | Yogyakarta โ29% |
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%+.
Yogyakarta is 14% cheaper than Medan. Daily budget $57.3 vs $49.3; a month $874 vs $744.
Yogyakarta is easier: Yogyakarta 2.6/5 vs Medan 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Medan is about $874 and Yogyakarta about $744 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.