Bandung vs Jakarta

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The difference at a glance

Green favours Jakarta. Measured metrics only.

Head to head

Each row is named for the thing more of which is better, so a longer bar always wins.

BandungJakarta
107.8More women 20–39men per 100 women, census97.8
$356Cheaper to liveessentials a month$464
0.80×Salary goes furtheressentials covered by one salary0.92×
60/100Safersafety score, perception-based47/100
47.9Cleaner airPM2.5 µg/m³ a year62.9
77%More green spaceshare of residents in high greenness67%

Longer is better. Bar length is the rank among all 453 cities we hold that measure for, not a share of the pair.

Profile shape

Outward is better on every spoke, on the same percentile scale as the bars above. The area is not a score: it moves with the order of the axes.

Women 20–39AffordablePay stretchesSafetyClean airGreen spaceFoodUniversities
BandungJakarta

Every metric, side by side

Each row carries the level it is measured at. A country figure is never printed as a city figure.

Men per 100 women, 20–39national census, age×sex107.897.810.0 fewer men
Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit$356$4641.30× as much
Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD$214$3521.64× as much
Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median$283$4291.52× as much
Salary covers essentialsaverage net salary ÷ essentials0.80×0.92×0.12×
Safety scoreperception-based, not police-reported crime60/10047/10013 points
PM2.5µg/m³ a year; WHO guideline is 547.962.91.31×
Green spaceshare of residents in high-greenness area, 2025 NDVI77%67%10 points
Food outletswithin 5 km (3 mi); OpenStreetMap density, a scene signal, not quality1,4451,0561.37×
Universitieswithin 18 km (11 mi), deduplicated to institutions831511.82×
Reported enrolmentwhere Wikidata reports it; no sex split23,8481,054,41244.21×
Warmest monthcontextfeels like, ten-year monthly normal29°C / 85°F34°C / 92°F
Coolest monthcontextfeels like, ten-year monthly normal27°C / 81°F32°C / 89°F
Wettest monthcontextrainfall, ten-year monthly normal494 mm / 19.4 in316 mm / 12.4 in
Airportcontextnearest scheduled-service classInternationalInternational
Beach towncontexton or beside the coastNoNo
Populationcontextas enumerated at this level2,444,16010,562,088
Tourist pressurecontextvisitor lodging per 1,000 urban-centre residents0.050.03
Expat easeest.hand-set estimate78/10062/10016 points
Walkabilityest.hand-set estimate50/10035/10015 points
Nightlifeest.hand-set estimate65/10085/10020 points
Traffic safetyest.hand-set estimate40/10015/10025 points
Power gridest.hand-set estimate72/10085/10013 points
Urban intensityest.hand-set estimate68/10095/100

Data updated August 6, 2026. Cost figures are Numbeo; sex ratio is the national census age×sex table.

Sex ratio and climate

Sex ratio is men per 100 women in each five-year band, with 100 as parity. Climate is ten-year monthly normals.

BandungJakarta80901001101201520253035404550556065age band, lower boundmen per 100 women
BandungJakarta25°C77°F30°C86°F35°C95°FJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BandungJakarta22°C72°F24°C75°F26°C79°F28°C82°F30°C86°FJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BandungJakarta0 mm0.0 in100 mm3.9 in200 mm7.9 in300 mm11.8 in400 mm15.7 in500 mm19.7 inJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BandungJakarta70%75%80%85%90%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BandungJakarta60%70%80%90%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Sex ratio: Bandung at regency/city level, Jakarta at regency/city level. A supply figure, not a dating-pool model.

Everyday prices

The single items the monthly figures are built from. Cheaper side highlighted.

ItemBandungJakarta
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$1.39$2.23
Meal for 2, mid-range$11.15$16.72
McMeal at McDonald's$3.34$3.34
Cappuccino, regular$1.50$2.01
Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught$3.07$2.79
Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle$3.07$3.90
Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L$0.44$0.46
Water, 0.33 L bottle$0.23$0.25
Milk, 1 L$1.10$1.38
White bread, 500 g$1.00$1.06
White rice, 1 kg$0.84$0.86
Eggs, 12$1.45$1.75
Local cheese, 1 kg$7.18$9.09
Chicken fillets, 1 kg$2.88$2.99
Apples, 1 kg$2.22$2.90
Bananas, 1 kg$1.08$1.34
Tomatoes, 1 kg$0.92$1.36
Potatoes, 1 kg$1.07$1.37
Onions, 1 kg$1.91$2.14
Water, 1.5 L bottle$0.43$0.49
One-way ticket, local transport$0.28$0.22
Monthly transit pass$9.47$11.70
Taxi start$0.84$0.50
Taxi, 1 km$0.53$0.33
Gasoline, 1 L$0.79$0.78
Basic utilities, 85 m² flat$33.77$98.45
Internet, 60 Mbps+$19.12$18.97
Mobile plan, monthly$4.71$5.81
Gym, monthly$18.37$24.38
Cinema, one seat$2.79$3.34

Common questions

Answered here, from the figures above.

Which has more women, Bandung or Jakarta?

Jakarta, by 10.0 fewer men per 100 women.

Bandung107.8Jakarta97.8

men per 100 women, aged 20–39

Is Jakarta cheaper than Bandung?

Bandung is cheaper, by 1.30× as much a month.

Bandung$356Jakarta$464

essentials per month

Which is safer, Bandung or Jakarta?

Bandung, by 13 points.

Bandung60/100Jakarta47/100

safety score, higher is safer

Perception-based, not police-reported crime.

Which has better air quality?

Bandung, by 1.31×.

Bandung47.9Jakarta62.9

PM2.5 µg/m³, annual mean

Both sit above the WHO guideline of 5.

Which goes further on a local salary?

Jakarta, by 0.12×.

Bandung0.80×Jakarta0.92×

essentials covered by one average net salary

Put Bandung and Jakarta on the same board

Both cities land on the desk already pinned, next to every other city we track.

Open both in the research desk

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Bandung, Indonesia — one of the two cities compared hereBandungCost of living guideJakarta, Indonesia — one of the two cities compared hereJakartaCost of living guide

Photos: Bandung: F1fans, CC0 · Jakarta: Medelam, CC BY 4.0.