What currency do you pay with in Indonesia? How much do goods cost in a regular supermarket and how much in a restaurant?
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Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
The local currency is the Indonesian rupiah. Get your bulky wallets ready, you'll be carrying millions. Literally.
The Indonesian Rupiah is in fact a relatively weak currency and therefore common price tags are in the tens or hundreds of thousands.
One rupiah is the equivalent of 100 sen, however, the sen is not found in regular cash due to its realistically zero value.
Coins are worth 500 and 1,000 rupees, and less commonly 50, 100 and 200 rupees. Bank notes carry values of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 rupees.
- International Currency Code: IDR (numeric code 360)
- Currency symbol: Rp.
Can I pay with foreign currency in Indonesia?
No. The only official currency is the Indonesian rupiah. Exceptionally, some hotels or tourist agencies organizing organized tours may accept US dollars or euros.
Currency exchange and card payments
What is the most efficient way to get the Indonesian rupiah?
ATMs
Especially in large cities and at airports, there are many ATMs (often marked with an ATM sign) from which you can easily withdraw a limited amount, usually a maximum of Rp 1 000 000-2 000 000. If you need a larger amount, you need to deal with the bank directly or make several withdrawals in a row.
Most ATMs allow withdrawals with both Visa and MasterCard cards.
Indonesian banks do not usually charge for ATM withdrawals (e.g. Bank Mandiri) and Revolut cards work fine here.
If you're travelling to smaller islands or more remote places, it's better to withdraw money in a major city, you may not see ATMs outside of it.
For such cases, it also pays to carry enough US dollars or euros with you just in case, which can be exchanged into the local currency in case of an emergency.
Currency exchange
Official exchange offices can be found at all international airports. Rates are relatively good here, but better rates are often found in city centres.
Exchange offices usually operate in tourist centres or in major cities.
An alternative to exchange offices is the cheaper option of withdrawing from the ubiquitous ATMs.
Payment by card
You can pay by card at all major hotels, supermarkets and popular mini-markets such as 7-Eleven, Indomaret or Lawson without any problems.
You can also pay by card when travelling by train at all ticket offices and some vending machines. When travelling around the city, use the GoJek or Grab mobile apps, where the ride is paid automatically from the card you enter into your account.
You can also pay by card at the most important tourist attractions.
However, it's always a good idea to carry cash with you. Most restaurants, street stalls, shops and some monuments do not accept card payments.
If you are staying in a small hotel, hostel or private accommodation, there is also a chance that you will need cash.
How much does what cost - how expensive is Indonesia?
Indonesia is a vast country, so prices vary greatly from island to island.
In tourist-heavy areas, prices are significantly different than in remote ones where tourists visit in droves.
The most expensive island is of course Bali, where most tourists go. Prices here are up to several times higher than in other regions of Indonesia.
In general, however, Indonesia is still one of the cheapest destinations in the world.
Example of prices in Indonesia
How much does basic food, tourist attractions or transport cost in Sweden? Take a look at the indicative price table.
Accommodation in a double room (prices per night)
- Cheap hostel with shared bathroom - from 15 usd
- Local 3* hotel - from 30 usd
- International 4* hotel - from 70 usd
- Search for accommodation in Indonesia
Food in restaurants
- A hot main meal in a regular restaurant for tourists - 25 000 idr / 55 000 idr in Bali
- Hot main meal in a local restaurant or canteen - from 15 000 idr / 40 000 idr in Bali
- Menu in a fast-food restaurant - 67 000 idr
- Espresso or Capuccino in a café - 23 000 idr / 40 000 idr in Bali
- Water 0.33 l - 5 000 idr / 20 000 idr in Bali
- Fanta/Coca Cola/Sprite 0,5 l - 10 000 idr / 30 000 idr in Bali
- Draft beer - 40 000 idr
Food in the supermarket
- Water 1.5l - 7 000 idr / 10 500 idr in Bali
- Packaged sandwich - 15 000 idr
- Hot food in a box (they heat it up for you in the microwave at checkout, including free cutlery) - 20 000 idr
- Coca Cola (and other sodas) 2l - 10 000 idr
- Milk 1l - 25 000 idr
- Canned tuna - 25 000 idr
Shipping
- Bus ticket in town - from 2 500 idr to 4 000 idr
- Long distance bus ticket - for example from Jakarta to Yogyakarta from 165 000 idr
- Train ticket - for example from Jakarta to Jogjakarta from 410 000 idr
- Price of petrol 1 litre - around 14 000 idr
- Car rental per day - from 330 000 idr per day
- Rent a scooter for the day - from 60 000 idr per day
- Taxi - shorter trips around Jakarta or Bali 85 000 idr
- Compare car rental prices in Indonesia
Alcohol and cigarettes
- A bottle of wine in a shop - 350 000 idr
- A can of local beer - 45 000 idr
- A packet of cigarettes - 35 000 idr
Prices are approximate and vary depending on the city and type of shop.
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Tipping and haggling
Indonesians are not used to tipping, the rest of the money will be returned to you until the last rupiah.
Bargaining is common when riding tuk-tuks, tricycles (becak) and other similar means of transport. You can also haggle in markets for goods where there is no price tag.
You cannot haggle in restaurants (or local stalls).
