Indonesia Is Cheap, Only If You're Not Indonesian

Simultaneously, in many research papers or general view, poverty in developing countries is often portrayed living in inadequate housing, struggling to afford basic necessities and let alone having a mobile phone or access to proper education. While that kind of poverty exist in Indonesia in 2026, there is another economic reality that I am most intrigued, the hidden poverty of middle class.

One could own a car, a smartphone, a university education but constantly struggle with basic necessities. It's not easy to understand it through statistics. It exist within a complex web of societal expectations, interpersonal relationships, cultural obligations and geographical inequalities. So to simply examine based on their spending habit isn't going to justify the whole picture of the reason why they are poor.

Now what's really intriguing is how people earn their income. Many indonesian work in informal sectors. This further amplified the financial insecurity. It's almost like gambling for most of these people. Why do I say this? that's because let's say you're selling food, that can be the most delicious food in your entire neighborhood and turn you into the richest people in the area or it went flop and leave the person with even more debt.

Even on occupations that are considered well-paying job in another country does not guarantee a person won't be on the edge of poverty. You can be a doctor, medical practitioner, lawyer or teacher and still be poor. Being an engineer does not solely guarantee that you can become comfortable. This is why many of its Indonesian workforce are seeking job abroad because their skills worth more than in Indonesia. At its best, Indonesia is the best holiday destination for any income earned in Euro, US dollar, or Pound.

Now since I talk about the many faces of poverty and how it is also a complex web of societal expectations, a person like me for instance can be poor when the family expects of me to be the bearer of the cost. We have a term called "sandwich generation" where we are responsible for the livelihood of our family. We carry the burden of our grandmparents, parents and sometimes even our direct relatives. This is a living hell. Imagine making $132 but has to split with 5 to 6 people.

If I were to isolate my case without considering the background I had, I also got poor because I went through the same reason. I was taking care of multiple people with income that was supposed to be comfortable for not more than 2 head counts.

As people around me pass away, I have a room to breathe. At the end of the day, I learn that to survive in such harsh environment, you have to be unafraid to say no and walk away from situation that no longer serve you despite how close the relationship is. Otherwise, it will eat you up alive, chew and spit you until there is nothing left of you.

So if you look at someone lifestyle and wonder why they seem to be going out, have an iphone, drive a car, a fancy eat out, maybe it is a form of them to cope. Since the cost of a coffee ranges from 25,000 to 60,000 these days. Is it unreasonable? Definitely 100% but is it justified? Maybe.