Job Discussion Forums

[Crazy Lady]

I've just got a job through Australian Volunteers International in Jakarta and need to know about accommodation in Jakarta. I don't know the final figures on my income yet - all I've been told is that I'll earn enough to cover 'a modest lifestyle' . My office will be in Menteng, and of course we will not have a car, so I suppose we will need to live fairly close. I'm worried because all I've heard about Menteng is that it is an exclusive area where all the expats live, and we don't have that kind of money.

Ive lived in a kost in in a kampung in Yogyakarta before, but this time I'll have my husband and son (who will be 1yo) with me, so I'll need air con and more than one room. Are there any family style kosts, or are homestay type arrangements common? We are not in a position to pay rent for 2 years up front so we can't really rent an apartment, and I like the idea of living with a family. In Yogya there are loads of people who have rooms out the back of their house for students, etc. Is this the case in Jakarta, and how much should I expect to pay for accom with AC for 3?

Also, any suggestions as to how much "a modest lifestyle" costs each month in Jakarta?

[laughing_magpie06]

half your luck!...

kosts in jakarta are about 2 million a month and these are one room small motel type places. anything more than that which is not an apartment requiring 1 years rent would be a hotel which would cost big money-more than you would probably pay back home.

good luck-but jakarta seems to cost a heap of money to stay in a dive of an area ruled by thugs...

[rayman]

Taman Rasuna Apartments in Kuningan is the only possibly viable apartment option. You can rent a 1 bedroom there on a 6 month contract for around Rp4 million/month. It'd be about a 15-30min taxi ride to menteng.

Otherwsie, as said, a kost is your only real option. Menteng is still a bit overpriced for kosts. A bit further south, in kuningan, semanggi, casablanca area would probably be best.

[happy_me]

Don't get an Apartment cost to much I had a 5 bedroom house for 26 juta a year and wes very happy, and then finding a GOOD doctor will be a trick.

There are a lot of visa costs to bring a family here, make shur they are covered in your contrect or you maybe spending more than you make!

If want more info, pm or yahoo me.

[Winmarr]

Crikey! I knew Jakarta was expensive, but not that expensive! I rented my house in Bandung for 4m a year!

[Zorobabel]

2m a month kosts? Any kost that would cost that much should have apartment-like accomodations. I've stayed in 2 different kosts for 1m a month each, and they provided service that was roughly equal with 3-4 star hotels.

[rayman]

Zoro - To stay close to the Menteng area, you wouldn't get much of a kost for 1 juta. Think pokey room, no a/c and/or communal bathroom.

[gugelhupf]

Outside the city the basic rent on a 2-3 bed house in a posh housing development like Alam Sutera (Near BSD) is only 1M per month. I can only assume that kost proprietors in central/south Jakarta are raking the cash in. And 4M for an apartment!?

[laughing_magpie06]

about 20 - 30 km from central jakarta you can rent a nice house in a gated community for around 12 million a year.
but yes kosts in central and south jakarta are 2 million. less than that and there may be no cable or satellite tv which is a must in indonesia unless you are a keen book reader. i have asked around many places near kuningan which seems to be the best place in jakarta to get a kost.

[Zorobabel]

Pasar Minggu has cheap kosts, but that's not near Menteng.

[Crazy Lady]

Thanks everyone. I suppose when I know how much I'll be paid I can narrow it down a bit.