Budget · Yogyakarta · Indonesia
Yogyakarta on a budget
What a trip to Yogyakarta really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gunawan Kartapranata, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Yogyakarta is very affordable for most international visitors. Budget roughly $20–$40 per person per day on a tight budget, $50–$110 mid-range and $150–$400 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in January–March and November.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $20–$40 a day
- Mid-range
- $50–$110 a day
- Luxury
- $150–$400 a day
- Local currency
- IDR
- Free sights
- 4
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $20–$40 | $60–$120 | $100–$200 | $140–$280 |
| Mid-range | $50–$110 | $150–$330 | $250–$550 | $350–$770 |
| Luxury | $150–$400 | $450–$1,200 | $750–$2,000 | $1,050–$2,800 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Yogyakarta, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Nasi kucing parcel at an angkringan | about Rp3,000–Rp5,000 |
| Glass of kopi joss | about Rp5,000–Rp10,000 |
| Plate of gudeg with rice and chicken | about Rp25,000–Rp50,000 |
| Box of bakpia | about Rp30,000–Rp60,000 |
| Short becak ride | about Rp20,000–Rp40,000 after bargaining |
| Car with driver for a day | about Rp600,000–Rp900,000 |
| Dinner at a mid-range restaurant | about Rp100,000–Rp200,000 per person |
Money-saving tips
- Borobudur and Prambanan charge much higher foreigner prices than the rest of the city's sights; check combined ticket options.
- Share a car with driver between three or four people for temple days.
- Eat at angkringan stalls and warung, where a filling meal costs a couple of dollars.
- Boutique hotels with pools in Prawirotaman are good value outside July and August.
- Buy batik at Beringharjo Market or fixed-price shops rather than galleries recommended by touts.
Free things to do
- Malioboro Street — Yogyakarta's main street runs from Tugu station towards the Kraton, lined with batik and souvenir shops, Beringharjo Market and Fort Vredeburg.
- Kotagede — The former Mataram capital has walled lanes of old Javanese houses, the royal cemetery of Mataram's founding kings, where visitors wear borrowed Javanese dress, and the Kotagede Great Mosque.
- Beringharjo Market — Yogyakarta's main traditional market sells batik by the metre and as clothing on the ground floor, with spices, herbs, jamu ingredients and snacks deeper inside and upstairs.
- Alun-Alun Kidul — The southern palace square comes alive at night with LED-lit pedal cars, food stalls and the masangin tradition of walking blindfolded between two sacred banyan trees, said to bring good luck to those who pass between them.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, budget and families
Malioboro
The city's main shopping street, street vendors and central hotels
$$ · Best for culture, couples and quiet stays
Kraton and Taman Sari
The walled royal quarter of palaces, lanes and courtyard homes
$$ · Best for solo travellers, couples, food lovers and nightlife
Prawirotaman
Traveller street of cafés, bars, boutique hotels and pools
Eating well for less
- Bakpia — Bakeries in the Pathuk area west of Malioboro, where many family brands are named after their house numbers.
- Nasi kucing — Angkringan carts lit by oil lamps around Tugu station and across the city after dark.
Getting around for less
Central Yogyakarta is compact enough to walk between Malioboro, the Kraton and Taman Sari, while ride-hailing apps cover the rest of the city cheaply. Borobudur, Prambanan and Merapi are best reached by hired car with driver or organised tour.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Yogyakarta cost?
About $250–$550 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $100–$200 on a tight budget.
+Is Yogyakarta expensive?
It is very affordable for international visitors. Borobudur and Prambanan charge much higher foreigner prices than the rest of the city's sights; check combined ticket options.
+How much money do I need per day in Yogyakarta?
Roughly $20–$40 on a budget and $50–$110 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Yogyakarta?
Usually in January–March and November.