Indonesia travel guide 2023

Curious about the Indonesia travel cost ? Generally speaking, Indonesia is a cheap place to travel for backpackers, especially when it comes to accommodation and food.

How much does it cost to travel to Indonesia? If you’re thinking about visiting this tropical country, you might be surprised at how affordable it really is! There are plenty of ways to explore Indonesia within your budget if you’re willing to do some research and planning before you go. The first step? Figuring out how much it costs to travel to Indonesia in the first place! Here’s what you need to know.

Indonesia travel cost

1. How Much Does It Cost to Travel to Indonesia?

As you may expect, it depends on a number of factors: How long are you planning to spend in Indonesia? What type of traveller are you, backpacker or luxury-lover? Is there a specific place or destination that you’re interested in visiting more than others? What is your accommodation preference; camping and hostels or five-star hotels and villas at beach resorts? To get an accurate idea of how much is it going to cost to travel in Indonesia, use our calculator below. Our tool will allow you input some basic information such as: Duration of stay, seasonality and preferred destinations.

Visa Requirements for Indonesia

Before you book your trip, make sure you’re aware of all visa requirements. Visas are issued by Indonesian embassies and consulates around the world, so be sure to contact them directly for more information. Most countries require a visa that must be applied for in advance at an Indonesian embassy or consulate. The cost of your visa will vary based on your nationality and where you plan on entering Indonesia (you may need more than one). For example, British citizens who wish to enter via Bali should obtain a visa prior to arrival costing £52 ($80) and lasting 15 days. If you plan on visiting Batam, however, you’ll need a $15 (around £10) landing visa that lasts three days. Things are changing as the government tries to increase tourism in the country.

Citizens of most countries can get a 30 day-extendable stamp, free of charge, or pay $35 for a “Visa on Arrival,” which can be extended for 30 more days.

Since the pandemic has hit the world, the free visa tourist is not available and replaced by the business tourist.

Money and Currency in Indonesia

  • Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)

  • Exchange rate: $1 USD ≈ 15,500 IDR (as of 2025)

  • ATMs are available in major cities; rural areas require cash.

Tip: Carry cash for transportation, street food, and small vendors.

2.Suggested Travel Budgets

Backpacker style cost per day
Ultralight Backpacking $25-$35USD per day
Flashpacker $50-$75USD per day
The Traveling Couple $90-$115USD per day

The Cost Of Transportation In Indonesia

Transportation costs in Indonesia can vary depending on how much time you want to spend on a plane, ferry or bus. If you plan your trip around some of Indonesia’s major cities, however, transportation can be very affordable. For example, in a country known for its public transportation marvels, Jakarta offers free bus rides with pre-paid cards (called an E-ticket); that can be bought at most convenience stores. Trains are also cheap and offer both luxury and economy cabins; however they don’t run as frequently as buses so keep that in mind if you need something more timely. For more distant cities like Yogyakarta, try finding a private transfer service online like GoJek to get around cheaper than cabs and Uber rides!

Transportation Costs

  • Bike Rental: 50k – 80k IDR/day ($3.50 – $7.50)

  • Ferry: From Java to Bali (7,000 IDR), Bali to Lombok ($5 USD)

  • Bus: Long trips (10+ hours): 110k – 150k IDR ($7 – $10)

  • Train (Java): Jakarta to Yogyakarta (12 hrs): ~100k IDR ($6.50)

  • Flights: Domestic flights: 300k – 800k IDR ($20 – $57)

Use apps like GoJek for ride-hailing and Kiwi.com for flight deals.

 

Best Time to Visit Indonesia

If you’re looking for the most affordable options to fly to Indonesia and stay at an Indonesian hotel, consider these dates:

  1. January 10th to April 1st
  2. August 28th to December 7th

For the absolute lowest prices, plan your vacation in late November to early December. These periods typically offer the best deals for your Indonesian getaway.

Getting Around Bali & Lombok (Transportation)

Transportation is one of your biggest expenses when traveling to Indonesia; especially if you plan on getting around Bali and Lombok using public transportation. The good news is that while some parts of Indonesia are quite pricey, Bali in particular is quite affordable. If you’re looking for a more luxurious experience, there are a number of other options available; boat rides around Gili Trawangan or surfing lessons at Bukit Peninsula will run you thousands of dollars! Whatever your budget and needs, rest assured that getting around Bali & Lombok won’t cost as much as you might think—just be sure to get multiple quotes before committing to any price.

Find a free/ affordable place : Where to stay in Indonesia

Do you have friends or family who live in destination you are heading to ? Most backpacker use the app CouchSurfing, where you can find a free couch, bed, or space on the floor to sleep, the best part about staying with a local, is to travel and see the country as a local. This is the best way to travel on a budget in Indonesia. If you feel not comfortable sleeping in people’s house try hostels. They are really affordable with good cheap accommodation option.

Itinerary If you’re wondering where to stay in Indonesia, stick with top-rated hotels. This will help keep travel costs down and ensure that you receive great service. We recommend choosing a hotel that’s near (or a short shuttle ride away from) your chosen tour operator’s office. That way, you can easily check in, drop off your bags and head right out on an adventure. Here are our top picks for where to stay in Indonesia: The Mulia Senayan Hotel Yogyakarta: Situated near major shopping malls, restaurants and public transport options, The Mulia Senayan Hotel is your best bet if budget isn’t an issue.

Average daily cost per day : staying accommodation

  • on couchsurfing : free
  • in a hostel : from 60k – 350k ($4,5-25$)
  • hotel 3 star : from 600k-800k ($42-$60)
  • a nice aribnb : from 150k-300k ($10 – 20$)

Accommodation in Indonesia

Every traveler is different. Some are attracted by luxury resorts, while others prefer hostels or more rustic accommodation. Whatever your style of travel, there are numerous options for you to consider when visiting Indonesia. Affordable lodging can be hard to find in some parts of Bali and Lombok—but given the country’s beauty, you may well feel like splurging a little on a room with a view. A good rule of thumb is that things tend to get much cheaper as you move inland from tourist areas like Jakarta and Bali; locals say cheap hotels in Central Java can cost as little as $4 per night.

The accommodation in Indonesia is much cheaper than other countries, with an average cost of about $4-6 for a night in a dorm. If you want something more comfortable and private, you can expect to pay around $15-25 per night. In major cities like Jakarta or Surabaya, you may be able to find hotels for as little as $10 per night but only in very well-known locations. However, if you travel away from these areas and onto smaller islands that tourists don’t often visit (like Sumbawa or Flores), your accommodation will drop down significantly again at around $5-$7 per night.

Cost of food in Indonesia

I am so in love with Indonesian street food, the Indonesian is so diverse. You’ll probably spend more time on street food trying Nasi Goreng, Nasi Padang and other delicious dishes than eating in malls.

If you are a sweet team you need to adapt yourself because breakfast in Indonesia can be heavy and typically consists of rice and some meat, usually chicken, and costs, on average, between $1 and $3. But don’t worry if in case you can’t eat salt food a 7-8 am, in the big cities, you’ll be able to find western food available for breakfast as a backup plan. 

Cost of Street Food in Indonesia 10,000Rp – 60,000Rp (70 cents – $4USD)

Cost of Water in Indonesia 5,000Rp – 30,000Rp (30 cents – $2USD)

Standard Indonesian breakfasts:

  • Gudeg (unripe jackfruit cooked with coconut milk) – $1 to $2
  • Bubur Ayam  $1.50 to $3
  • Nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) – $0.8 to $2

Standard Indonesian lunches:

  • Bakso (meatball noodle soup) – $2
  • Gado Gado – $2 to $3
  • Ayam goreng (fried chicken) – $1.50 to $3

Standard Indonesian dinners:

  • Nasi uduk – (boiled rice cooked in coconut milk) – $2 to $3
  • Ayam taliwang – (roast chicken) – $3 to $4
  • Mie -(spicy curry noodle) – $2 to $3

You could go even cheaper than that by eating just some fried rice from warungs and skipping everything else.

Indonesia travel cost for activities 

If you’re a solo traveler and on a budget, you can split the costs of the activities, transport, rental equipment (if hiking). I advise you to use couchsurfing app, there is always travelers hanging out and having activities to do around the city you are heading to.

Entertainment and activities in Indonesia like snorkelling trip, ticket to museums or national park and other attractions will cost around 120k ($8,5) per person, per day.

Orangutan Trekking – 700kRp – 10mRp ($50-$660USD) 

Komodo National Park – 1mRp – 2mRp ($75-$135USD) per day 

Climb Mount Bromo – 220kRp- 1M ($16-$75USD)

Hope this post will help you give you a good overview about the travel cost in Indonesia. If you need additional informations, please do not hesitate to contact me. Enjoy your trip to Indonesia, and stay safe. Bless you !