12 Useful Tips of How to Live Cheap in Indonesia

Living in Indonesia could be a dream for several people. This country  offers much experiences for those who like to stay. Moreover, it is no wonder that Indonesia is a home for many foreigners. The cost of living in Indonesia is considered as the lowest in South Asia. However, if you are foreigner and decide to live Indonesia, you would experience over budget if you don’t manage your cost living well. That is why here we are going to provide the tips how to live cheap in Indonesia.

1. Use the public transportations 

There are many public transportation in Indonesia which become some options or people. You could go everywhere by taxi, online transportation, public bus, angkot (cars for public transportation). Moreover, when you stay in a big city like Jakarta and Yogyakarta, there are also fast train and busway available. If you want to save money, start trying to get on all that cheap public transportation. As the example when you choose to go by fast train, it will just cost IDR 6000 for the round-trip.

2. Cooking is cheaper than if you buy foods

Food is one of the things that will spend a large portion of your budget. It is because there are many delicious foods in Indonesia you would like to taste. But if you want to save money, try to hold your appetite this time. To save money, you can cook your own food from home and bring it to the office. This will make eating budget can be saved easily. By cooking your own food, you may only spend about IDR 20,000 – 30,000 in a day for the food cost.

Read also:

• Traditional Indonesian Desserts
• Indonesian Traditional Snacks
• Traditional Indonesian Appetizers

3. Rent the boarding house

If you are a foreigner and need a place to stay in Indonesia, then you can save the budget by choosing a residence in the form of boarding house which is available in Indonesia. Choose one of them which fits with your budget. There are various boarding houses in Indonesia. You could rent a boarding house at the rate IDR 500,000-1,000,000 per month depends on the facility and location.

Use the boarding house just for the place to rest at night, and fill your activities elsewhere during the morning until late afternoon. If you want to achieve success in Indonesia, the thing to do is finding opportunities, connections, and knowledge as much as possible.

4. Rent the boarding house near the workplace

If it is possible, try to live in a boarding house which has the close distance from your office. It would cut your budget not only for livings, but also for transportation. You can go to office on foot since the location is not far. Moreover, you can be healthier if you take a walk every day.

5. Use the public Wi-Fi for internet connection

For the internet connection, use the public Wi-Fi that available at your office. If you use your money for internet connection, it will cost IDR 50,000-100,000 for 5-12 Giga Byte per month. If your internet connection doesn’t support LTE, it would be more expensive. Imagine while using the public Wi-Fi. You can save more money.

6. Eating the street food

If you live in Indonesia, don’t frequently eat at the restaurant. It would cost much money if you have breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the restaurant. You could try to taste some popular Indonesian street food such as: fried rice, pecel lele, or fried noodle. A portion of street foods never costs more than IDR 30,000. Imagine that if you eat at the restaurant, you could spend at least IDR 50,000.

Read also:

• Street Food in Jakarta
• Street Food in Bandung
• Street Food in Bali

7. Buy the discount product while shopping

When you do shopping for monthly needs, make sure to choose the discount product at the supermarket.  In beginning of the month, usually there are many discount products are available there. In addition, you need to buy the big packaging for some products that you frequently use, such as toiletries and laundry. Besides it would be cheaper, it would be considered as more effective. (Read also: Consumer Buying Habits in Indonesia)

8. Buy some foodstuff in traditional market

It is good idea to go to traditional market for buying some foodstuff. Some Traditional Markets in Indonesia is famous with the cheap prize. If you like cooking, you have to provide many stocks of foodstuff in your refrigerator. However, if you want to spend the cheaper budget, buying them in traditional market is the best choice. There, you will find many fresh foodstuff such as vegetable, meat, and fish. Moreover, you could bargain the price much cheaper.

9. Choose the cheap refreshment

While you need to have some refreshment in Indonesia, you could try some cheap refreshments such as visiting the city park, jogging, even just hanging out at some fancy mall. While you want to watch movie, you could use your TV set that available at your boarding house. If you want to watch a film in cinema especially on weekend, you should pay at least IDR 50,000. It is quite expensive, right? For more reference of what you should do in Indonesia, you could see the Things Not to Miss in Indonesia.

10. Bring lunch box to office

If your office doesn’t facilitate any meals for lunch, you could bring a lunch box to office. It would be cheaper than if you buy the food near office. Imagine that if you cook the food using microwave by yourself. You can save three times cheaper than if you buy in food court. In addition, don’t forget to always provide the drinking water at your bag everywhere.

11. If your office facilitate lunch, don’t make any leftover from it

It is good news if your office facilitates the foods for lunch. Make sure to eat them well, and never make any leftover from it. It would not only able to cut your food budget, but also save your energy than if you buy the food by yourself.  It is good for you to search any job that provides some facilitates your life.

Read also:

• Characteristics of Indonesian Workplace
• Typical Work Hours in Indonesia

12. Join Health insurance

Being sick or ill is sometimes out of your expectation. However, it could be more difficult if you don’t have any health insurance. The rate of hospital cost constantly raising every year. That is why it is important to join a good health insurance. However, if your company where you work could cover up the medicine or hospital cost while you are sick, it is really good.

Those are the tips so you can live cheaply in Indonesia. Anywhere you live, you could either live cheaply or expensively. It depends on the way you manage your lifestyle. Indeed, Indonesia is a country with the low cost living. Once again, it comes back to yourself. Whether you want to live cheap or not, it is your choice.