Cost of Living in Lombok

Lombok's rental market rewards patience and local knowledge--most of the best long-term deals never appear on Airbnb. In Mataram, the island's capital and most urban hub, a furnished one-bedroom apartment in the city center runs IDR 3,200,000-4,700,000 (USD 200-300) per month, dropping to IDR 2,400,000-3,950,000 (USD 150-250) in quieter residential neighborhoods. Kuta Lombok, the south coast's surf-and-nomad epicenter near the Mandalika development, commands slightly higher rents: furnished studios and one-bedrooms typically go for IDR 4,000,000-7,000,000 (USD 250-450), with coliving options starting around IDR 5,500,000 (USD 350) including wifi, cleaning, and sometimes scooter rental. Senggigi on the west coast offers a similar range with more established tourism infrastructure, while Selong Belanak--a crescent-shaped beach 20 minutes from Kuta--has budget guesthouses from IDR 6,000,000-8,000,000 (USD 380-500) monthly and upscale hillside villas that push well past IDR 15,800,000 (USD 1,000). The Gili Islands operate on island-premium pricing: basic rooms with AC and wifi on Gili Air or Gili Trawangan start at IDR 2,400,000-4,000,000 (USD 150-250), but options are limited and best secured by showing up in person during low season, as summer rates can triple or quadruple.

Lombok's food scene rewards budget-conscious nomads with some of the cheapest eating in Indonesia, anchored by the island's signature dish: ayam taliwang, a spatchcocked young chicken smothered in fiery chili-shrimp paste and grilled over coconut husks. A full portion at a Mataram warung runs IDR 40,000-80,000 ($2.50-$5), and no visit is complete without trying it alongside plecing kangkung (blanched water spinach in sambal). Day-to-day warung meals are where your budget stretches furthest -- a heaped plate of nasi campur with two or three side dishes costs IDR 15,000-35,000 ($0.95-$2.20), while nasi goreng or mie goreng sits at IDR 20,000-30,000 ($1.25-$1.90). In Mataram, a filling local restaurant lunch averages IDR 40,000-75,000 ($2.50-$4.75) per person. Seafood is outstanding and affordable: beachside grills along Senggigi and the south coast serve whole grilled snapper, prawns, and squid with sambal and rice for IDR 75,000-150,000 ($4.75-$9.50) per person, depending on catch and portion. Street-side satay and bakso carts fill gaps for IDR 10,000-20,000 ($0.65-$1.25). If you eat almost exclusively at warungs, a monthly food budget of IDR 2,500,000-3,500,000 ($160-$220) is realistic for three meals a day.

Lombok's traditional markets are the cheapest source of fresh produce and staples, with Mataram's sprawling Cakranegara Market and Pasar Kebon Roek in Ampenan being the main hubs where locals do their daily shopping. Prices here run well below supermarket rates and haggling is expected. A kilogram of local white rice costs IDR 14,500-15,700 ($0.92-$1), eggs go for about IDR 25,000-26,000 ($1.58-$1.65) per dozen, and whole chicken is around IDR 52,000-54,000 ($3.30-$3.40) per kilo. Tropical fruits are plentiful and dirt-cheap at market stalls: bananas run IDR 15,000-24,000 ($0.95-$1.52) per kilo, papayas about IDR 10,000-15,000 ($0.63-$0.95), and local mangoes and rambutans drop even lower in season. Vegetables like tomatoes, kangkung, and long beans cost IDR 10,000-24,000 ($0.63-$1.52) per kilo. Fresh-caught fish at the market -- snapper, tuna, mackerel -- runs IDR 40,000-80,000 ($2.50-$5) per kilo depending on the catch. Cooking oil, an Indonesian kitchen staple, is IDR 20,000-21,000 ($1.27-$1.33) per liter. For a self-catering nomad buying primarily from traditional markets, a monthly grocery bill of IDR 1,500,000-2,000,000 ($95-$127) covers rice, eggs, chicken, vegetables, fruit, and cooking basics comfortably.

Lombok is an island where personal wheels define your daily routine, and for most digital nomads that means a scooter. Daily rentals of a Honda Beat or Scoopy 110cc run IDR 65,000-85,000 (~$4-5 USD), dropping to around IDR 50,000-60,000/day ($3-4) for weekly bookings. Commit to a full month and you'll negotiate IDR 700,000-900,000 ($44-57) through shops in Kuta or Senggigi, or closer to IDR 1.2-1.5 million ($76-95) for a larger NMAX 155cc. Fuel is government-regulated: Pertalite costs a flat IDR 10,000/liter ($0.63) at Pertamina stations island-wide, and a scooter sips roughly one liter per 40-50 km, keeping your monthly fuel bill under IDR 200,000 ($13). Car rental starts at IDR 325,000-500,000/day ($21-32) for a self-drive Avanza or Xenia, or IDR 5-7 million/month ($317-443); adding a driver tacks on IDR 300,000-500,000/day ($19-32). Grab and Gojek work in Mataram and along the Senggigi corridor but remain spotty in south Lombok around Kuta, where the local taxi mafia still controls much of the market. When the apps do connect, a GoRide motorbike hop of 5-10 km costs IDR 15,000-40,000 ($1-2.50), while a GoCar from the airport to Kuta (roughly 30 km) runs IDR 150,000-200,000 ($9-13).

Lombok's internet infrastructure has improved dramatically over the past two years, but it remains a tier below Bali, and your experience will vary sharply depending on where you base yourself. In Mataram and Senggigi, IndiHome fiber is widely available with packages starting at IDR 280,000/month ($18) for 30 Mbps and IDR 330,000/month ($21) for 50 Mbps, plus 11% VAT and a one-time installation fee of around IDR 166,500 ($11) during promotional periods. In Kuta and the south coast, fiber coverage is patchier — some villas and newer builds have IndiHome or Biznet lines delivering 20-50 Mbps, but many rentals still rely on mobile hotspots. Starlink has been commercially available across Indonesia since mid-2025 and works well in Lombok's rural pockets where fixed-line options don't reach. The Starlink Mini kit costs IDR 4.75 million ($301) with a residential lite subscription of IDR 479,000/month ($30), making it a viable backup for remote workers in off-grid villas, though the upfront hardware cost is steep. For mobile data, Telkomsel has the strongest 4G coverage island-wide, including the southern beaches and mountain roads; a tourist SIM runs IDR 150,000 ($9.50) for 25 GB over 30 days, while a local prepaid top-up of 15-18 GB costs as little as IDR 70,000-100,000 ($4.40-6.30). Indosat (IM3) offers more aggressive data bundles — 30 GB for IDR 100,000 ($6.30) or 80 GB for IDR 200,000 ($12.70) — with solid coverage in populated areas but weaker signal in the southwest hills.

Lombok's healthcare is concentrated in Mataram, the capital on the island's west coast, about 30-45 minutes from the popular south-coast areas around Kuta. Siloam Hospitals Mataram (Jl. Majapahit No. 10) is the top facility for foreigners — it opened in 2020, offers 50+ medical specialists, 24/7 emergency care, English-speaking staff, and accepts international insurance with direct billing through their mobile app. A GP consultation at a private clinic runs IDR 300,000-500,000 (USD 18-30), while Siloam charges IDR 400,000-700,000 (USD 25-43) for specialist visits. The government-run RSUD Provinsi NTB (Jl. Prabu Rangkasari) is the largest public hospital and cheaper at IDR 100,000-200,000 (USD 6-12) per visit, though English is limited. Risa Sentra Medika has branches in both Mataram and East Lombok with full accreditation, ICU, NICU, and CT scan facilities. In the Kuta tourist zone, Mandalika Hospital and the 24/7 Kuta Emergency Clinic handle injuries and acute illness with English-speaking doctors, while Lombok International Medical Service near Kuta beach treats tourist wounds and administers IVs at fair rates.

Most digital nomads enter Indonesia on a Visa on Arrival (VOA), available at Lombok's airport for IDR 500,000 (USD 35), valid 30 days and extendable once for another 30 days at the Mataram immigration office — note that since mid-2025, extensions require in-person biometric collection. The e-VOA can be applied for online before arrival to skip queues. For longer stays, the B211A single-entry visa grants 60 days extendable to 180 days for around USD 205 total, and is the workhorse visa for nomads rotating through Indonesia. The official E33G Digital Nomad Visa costs about USD 315 and lasts one year, but requires proof of USD 60,000 annual income and a foreign employment contract — it's not suited for freelancers. Overstaying any visa incurs fines of IDR 1,000,000 (USD 62) per day and possible deportation, so track your dates carefully. Lombok sits in a highly active seismic zone: the devastating 2018 earthquake sequence (magnitude 6.4-7.0) killed over 510 people and displaced 431,000, and aftereffects are still visible in north Lombok today. Download the BMKG earthquake app, know your building's exit routes, and avoid unreinforced masonry accommodations in quake-prone north Lombok. The BNPB disaster hotline for NTB province is +62 370 648368.