Jakarta has an unusual reputation compared to most big cities in Southeast Asia. Many people recommend skipping it altogether, but it’s the main hub for reaching almost anywhere else in Indonesia (except Bali) so many people stop here anyway. Jakarta is enormous, crowded, sprawling, and always hot and humid. On a positive note, it has excellent shopping and nightlife, and things tend to be pretty cheap.
| Population | 10,000,000 |
| Area | 28,000,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+7 |
| Currency | Indonesian Rupiah |
There aren’t many hostels so it’s fortunate that hotel prices tend to be quite low for what you get. In fact, Jakarta isn’t a bad place for a little splurge, since backpackers in pairs can often score a great deal at a 3-star hotel for only a bit more than a hostel dorm.
The high season at Jakarta hotels runs from May through September, which is also the dry season. Room rates are also high around Christmas, the end of Ramadan, and a few local holidays. The low season otherwise runs from October through April.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 16.00 - 40.00 |
| 22.00 - 56.00 |
| 27.00 - 89.00 |
| 47.00 - 125.00 |
| 83.00 - 178.00 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 11.00 - 23.00 |
| Location | Description | Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monas (National Monument) | This patriotic museum gets mixed reviews, but the views from the tower above are the best available. | museum elevator to top | 0.09 0.47 |
| Museum Nasional | This museum is filled with all the country's history and archeological treasures. | foreigners Indonesians | 0.63 0.31 |
As long as you like Indonesian food (as so many do) then you can eat very affordably in Jakarta. There are also plenty of fast food chains and international options, but the best deals are always on the local stuff. Beer is quite cheap as well, as long you enjoy the ubiquitous Bintang lager.
| Food Type | Description | Price(USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Budget breakfast | If you follow the locals and eat what they eat, you can eat for very little here. | 1.51 - 2.32 |
| Budget lunch | All the fast food chains and pizza options are here and they cost a bit more than the local specialties. | 2.26 - 3.77 |
| Budget dinner | Again, if you eat Indonesian food then even the sit-down restaurants are cheap by most standards. | 3.77 - 6.28 |
| Large bottle of Bintang Beer | The local lager is pretty good and can be found everywhere. Prices in nightclubs will be higher. | 2.20 - 3.45 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Taxi from airport to city center | 4.39 - 6.90 |
| Public bus from airport to city center | 1.57 - 2.07 |
| 3km taxi ride in Jakarta | 0.88 - 1.07 |
| Public bus ride in Jakarta | 0.13 - 0.22 |
| Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 86 | 76 | 15.9 |
| February | 87 | 76 | 11.2 |
| March | 89 | 77 | 8.6 |
| April | 91 | 77 | 5.2 |
| May | 91 | 78 | 4.5 |
| June | 89 | 77 | 3.5 |
| July | 90 | 77 | 2.3 |
| August | 90 | 77 | 2.4 |
| September | 91 | 78 | 2.5 |
| October | 91 | 78 | 4.0 |
| November | 88 | 77 | 5.0 |
| December | 90 | 77 | 8.0 |
Being near the equator, you can count on Jakarta to be hot and humid every day of the year. The only difference is the rainy season that runs from November through April, with very wet months from December through February. As such, it’s nicest from May through September, but it still rains some then too.
| 21 Mar | 5:57am | 6:03pm |
| 21 Jun | 6:01am | 5:47pm |
| 21 Sep | 5:43am | 5:49pm |
| 21 Dec | 5:36am | 6:05pm |