Student Accommodation in Indonesia: Options, Costs and How to Choose

The main housing types

Students in Indonesia choose between four main setups: a campus dormitory (asrama), a private room in a boarding house (kos), a whole rented house shared with roommates (kontrakan), or an apartment. Each fits a different budget and stage of student life, and most students switch types at least once during their degree as their finances or social circle changes.

Asrama (campus dormitories)

State universities that run dormitories offer the cheapest option, but with fewer spots than the total student population, so registration windows fill fast. At Universitas Indonesia, 2025 dormitory rooms range from Rp500,000 a month for a standard non-AC room up to Rp2,000,000 for a deluxe air conditioned room , spread across 13 buildings with over 1,400 rooms total. Facilities usually include shared cafeterias, minimarkets and security, with rules on national ID, health insurance (BPJS) and student ID required at registration.

Other public universities run their own dorms at similar or lower prices, so check your specific university's kemahasiswaan (student affairs) office for its own asrama fees and application dates rather than assuming UI's numbers apply everywhere.

Kos (boarding houses)

A kos is a private or shared room inside a house or small building run by a landlord, usually with a shared bathroom, kitchen or common area depending on the building. It is the most common housing choice for Indonesian students because it is available near almost every campus and comes in a wide range of prices.

Prices depend heavily on the city. In Yogyakarta, standard kos rooms near campus run Rp800,000 to Rp1,200,000 a month , while Bandung runs somewhat higher at Rp1,200,000 to Rp1,800,000 for a similar standard room. Jakarta kos rooms cost more again, commonly Rp1,500,000 to Rp3,500,000 a month depending on location and whether the room has air conditioning or an ensuite bathroom.

Kontrakan and apartments

A kontrakan is a whole house rented on an annual contract, usually split between three or more students to bring the per-person cost down close to or below a kos room. This suits groups who already know each other and want more space, a shared kitchen, or a place to keep a motorbike inside a gate.

Apartments cost more but offer more privacy and building security. In Jakarta, a one bedroom apartment outside the city centre averages around Rp3,400,000 a month , with units closer to the centre and campus clusters costing more. Students who rent alone or in a couple lean toward apartments once they have a stable budget, since kos rooms rarely allow overnight guests or independent cooking.

Utilities and extra costs

Kos rooms are billed two ways: all-inclusive, where electricity, water and wifi sit inside the monthly rent, or exclusive, where you pay the base rent plus a separate electricity meter and a shared wifi contribution. All-inclusive rooms cost more upfront but remove the guesswork from your monthly budget, which suits a first semester when you are still learning your own spending pattern. Ask which billing type applies before you commit, since the difference between a listed price and your real monthly cost can be significant once electricity and laundry are added.

Laundry is rarely included. Most kos areas have a laundry kiloan service nearby, charging by the kilogram of clothes, which is far cheaper than an in-room washing machine and standard practice for most students living outside their family home.

Finding a place

Most students search through a mix of channels: dedicated boarding house apps and listing sites, campus housing office boards, and word of mouth through Himpunan Mahasiswa or senior students in the same program. Facebook groups and campus messaging channels tied to your specific university or faculty often list rooms before they reach general listing sites, since landlords near a campus prefer tenants a current student can vouch for.

If you are moving to a new city for the first time, ask your university's international or student affairs office whether it keeps a list of landlords it has worked with before, rather than relying only on open listings from people you cannot verify.

Contracts, deposits and what to check

• 📩 Ask for a written contract (surat perjanjian sewa) stating the rent, deposit, what the deposit refunds cover, and the notice period to move out.

• 💵 Kos and kontrakan landlords commonly ask for payment upfront for 6 or 12 months at once, so budget for a large lump sum rather than monthly billing.

• 🏠 Visit in person or ask a local friend to check the room before paying, especially for water pressure, internet reliability, and noise from the street or nearby mosque or campus activity.

• ⏱️ Confirm the kos's rules on curfew, visitors and gender separation before signing. Many traditional kos buildings are single-gender only and lock the gate at a set hour.

How to choose

Start your search with your university's official housing office or student groups on campus before turning to open listings, since official channels filter out unreliable landlords and often negotiate better rates for students.