Thread: Cost of living - again...

Hi Sydjapan

I will start you off with some of our expenses. We live fairly simply.

Housing - we have a 3 bedroom, 2 floor house which we pay 25 million per year.

Car - A new Xenia 18 months ago was costing 100 million. Not sure what they are going for now.

Gas - a cylinder of gas costs Rp65,000 lasts us about 6/8 weeks.

Electricity - We pay about 300,000 per month

Water - we pay a bout 50,000 per month

Cable TV - Indovision has packages at rp149,000 & 179,000 and you can add extra Sports and movie packages on top for Rp85,000.

Internet - dial up can be reasonably cheap but we have broadband from Global Extreme at Rp1,100,000 per month.

Car costs - I find the Xenia very economical on petrol. Less than Rp200,000 for a full tank.
Services at Dihatsu cost between rp250,000 - 350,000 (so far)

Xenia is from Diahtsu and one of the cheapest cars around



I did look at some second hand cars at first but found them to be quite expensive, some more so than a new Xenia, so figured I would go with new. Also we could get credit on a new car :wink:

We don't use Aircon - those are the costs of our electricity without it. Having said that, the house we are in at the moment has a prepay meter, you have to buy pulsa a bit like a hp. Since moving here I have found we are paying more. I dont know if it is because of the meter or because this house has so many lights - even though we use low energy bulbs. We do have two pumps going 24/7 one for the fish and one for a water feature.

A thousand pounds a month I find to be plenty and includes all of the above. Own my own place so rent not included and yet to buy a car which is a one off anyhow.

one thousand pounds a month is about 16 million per month and gives a very good standard of living.

Over and above our bills (and credit payments)at the moment we are probably spending another 3/4 million per month. So it is possible to do it a lot cheaper too.

When we have more money we spend more but when we don't it is possible to do it a lot cheaper.

I use Spicelink and it has frequent problems. I pay for their fastest package which is 1 million a month.

For internet, I use Bali Medianet service, RP500,000/monthly, they offer 24hrs customer services to my suprise, when the last time mine cable error interlinkage at 10pm that still have CS helped me to solve, it's amazed at Bali... Somehow most important expense is food for me at Bali :oops:

Originally Posted by noodles

Somehow most important expense is food for me at Bali :oops:

Oh how correct Noodles, without food the rest just aint so much fun lol

Lets mention food - I love it! Not so keen on the Balinese stuff so will talk about the basics:

Filet Mignon (local stock) - very good quality and if fresh very tasty, don't know why so many want the imported stuff? Costs between 65K and 85K/kilo

Pork filet (huge! more the size of calves filet) also excellent quality and since the locals seem to prefer the fat to the meat quite available. Cost 30K/kilo

Watermelon- 10K each
Eggs - 10K/kilo (about 14)
Rice- 10k/5kilos (I actually find the rice here shitty and tasteless, tend to buy the brown rice but that isn't so much better, just browner :oops: )
Potatoes- why doesn't anyone mention the Balinese potatoes - they are excellent, usually those little butter yellow ones that taste sooo good. About 10k/kilo
Bacon - pack of 250 grams from Hardys - 20k
Ham " " "
Cheese - forget it! If you need to have rotten milk in your life, bring your own cow. I love it but can't rationalize importing it so I do without. Mostly, except for the occasional cheeseburger :oops:
Tomatoes - 4k/kilo
Scotch! - have actually found an Indonesian scotch that isn't too bad at all (high praise) and costs about 35k/300ml - dirt cheap and not too damn bad, oh, said that already well I mean it.
I'm sure there are many more but I'm hungry now so that's all