This post details the estimated cost of travel in Indonesia. Read on for suggested shoestring and more comfortable backpacking budgets for this enormous Southeast Asian nation, one of the world’s most populated countries. We also have information about the local currency and sample prices.
Indonesia Cost of Travel in 2023
Shoestring Backpacker Budget
- US$25/day | 380,000 Indonesian Rupees
Like many large countries, there is a fair bit of regional variation in prices in Indonesia that you should consider so how much you spend will largely depend on where you go. Bali and Java are more expensive than most of the other more remote and less regularly visited islands. Overall though, Indonesia is certainly an affordable destination and always ranks towards the top (cheap end) of our budget travel table which compares backpacking costs around the world.
As a benchmark figure, $25/day is a fairly typical Indonesia backpacking budget for shoestring travellers. You can get by on $20/day if you spend most of your time on the cheaper islands like Sumatra though, especially if you aren’t too ambitious with how much ground you look to cover as Indonesia is enormous. Focusing on one or two regions is advisable if you’re travelling on a budget and don’t have several months for your trip.
$20-25/day is fairly typical when it comes to travel costs in Southeast Asia with Indonesia slightly more affordable than countries like Thailand and Malaysia. However our Vietnam backpacking budget is a fraction less than this and the same goes for Laos.
More Comfortable Indonesia Backpacking Budget
- US$40/day | 600,000 Indonesian Rupees
Getting from one island to another in Indonesia, although relatively inexpensive can still quickly eat into your budget if you are moving around all the time. Entrance fees to major sites of interest can also be surprisingly high with the government clearly keen to cash in on its most popular tourist attractions.
Therefore if you try to pack a lot in and are moving around every couple of days including visits to multiple islands in a relatively short space of time, you might want to allow for a bit more. Adding an extra $15 to your daily travel budget in Indonesia will allow you to do quite a bit more no matter what kind of trip you want to have.
If you are planning to spend a lot of time in Bali then it will allow you to really get into the party culture whilst perhaps doing the odd daytime activity like surfing. In Java, it will allow you to take a few more organised trips up volcanoes and suchlike which are difficult to do independently. While on the cheaper islands you can probably fork out on some pretty good accommodation on this budget that would fall closer into the realm of luxury travel than budget in many countries.
How much do things cost in Indonesia?
| Approximate Price in USD | |
| Flight from Jakarta to Bali (1 hour 45 mins) | From $45 (plus baggage fees) |
| Public ferry from Bali to Lombok (4 hours) | $3.75 |
| Meal in a local restaurant | $1.50-2.50 |
| Local beer in bar/restaurant | $2-3 |
| Dorm bed in a hostel | From $3 |
| Budget private room | From $5 |
| Borobudur Entrance Fee (Foreigners) | $25 |
| Travel insurance for backpacking Indonesia | Depends on age, length of trip & other factors – Get a quote from Heymondo in less than a minute! |
If you can get into the local cuisine, you should find Indonesia incredibly good value with meals in local restaurants going for the equivalent of just $1.50 in places. Hostels are also really cheap in general too so Indonesia is not expensive to backpack, although there will be occasional days when you go well above budget.
That’s largely due to the cost of activities and tours, as well as high entrance fees for some major tourist attractions with recent reports suggesting the Indonesian government were considering increasing the entrance fee to the iconic Borodbur Temple to a huge $100 for foreigners.
Those kinds of expenses will most likely take up the largest part of your Indonesia backpacking budget, which works out to be roughly the same as the cost of travel in the Philippines.
Money – Indonesian Rupiah
£1 = 18300 Rupiah
€1 = 16300 Rupiah
US$1 = 15200 Rupiah
These exchange rates are accurate as of February 2023. Indonesia is still mostly a cash-based society although card payments are easier in more tourist-friendly destinations like Bali.
This Indonesia backpacking budget was last updated in February 2023.