Jakarta · Area Guides
Most expat families in Jakarta end up in the same five or six neighbourhoods in South Jakarta - and for good reason. The schools are there, the housing stock is there, and the infrastructure that makes daily life manageable is there. The differences between these areas are real, though, and choosing the wrong one can mean an extra hour in the car every day or a social life that never quite gets going.
Written by Mia Windsor Originally published: 25 February 2026 7 min read
Quick Comparison
This is the table to screenshot and send to your partner.
| Area | Vibe | Typical rent (family house) | Nearest international schools | Commute to CBD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pondok Indah | Leafy, spacious, well-serviced | $3,000-$6,000+/mo | JIS, ISJ | 25-40 min (toll road or MRT) |
| Kemang | Social, village feel, restaurants | $2,000-$4,000/mo | AIS, NZ School, SPH, JIS (15-20 min) | 30-50 min (traffic-dependent) |
| Cipete / Cilandak | Mixed, residential, MRT access | $1,500-$3,500/mo | JIS, ISJ (10-15 min), Lycée Français | 15-20 min (MRT) |
| Senopati / Dharmawangsa | Upscale, central, apartment-heavy | $1,500-$4,000/mo | AIS (10 min), JIS (15-20 min) | 10-20 min |
| Bintaro | Suburban, spacious, self-contained | $1,000-$2,500/mo | BSJ (5-10 min), Mentari | 40-60 min (toll road) |
| BSD City / Serpong | New-build, planned, campus-style | $800-$2,000/mo | SPH Lippo Village, Sinarmas World Academy | 60-90 min |
Rents are indicative ranges for furnished three-to-four-bedroom houses as of early 2026. Actual figures vary by condition, size and specific location.
Pondok Indah
Pondok Indah is where Jakarta's wealthiest Indonesian families and the most senior expat executives live. The streets are wide, the compounds gated, the trees mature, and the infrastructure - by Jakarta standards - excellent. Pondok Indah Hospital is one of the best in the country. Pondok Indah Mall 1, 2 and 3 cover everything from Zara to artisan sourdough. It is clean, quiet, and orderly.
Housing here means large detached houses in security-patrolled compounds. Four to five bedrooms, swimming pool, garden, staff quarters, double carport. Rents start around $3,000 per month and go well past $6,000 for the best properties. Apartments are also available - several newer towers along Jalan Sultan Iskandar Muda offer modern units - but most families with children choose houses.
Schools. JIS is in the neighbourhood - the campus sits on the border of Pondok Indah and Cilandak, with the Elementary entrance on the Pondok Indah side. ISJ in Pondok Indah is 5-10 minutes. AIS in Kemang/Pejaten is 15-20 minutes east.
The trade-off. Pondok Indah is walkable in parts - the malls, hospitals, cafés and restaurants along the main streets are accessible on foot from many compounds. But the social scene is centred on malls and private clubs rather than independent street-level bars and restaurants. Younger expats and those without children sometimes find it quiet.
For the full neighbourhood guide, see Living in Pondok Indah.
Kemang
Kemang is Jakarta's original expat village. The streets around Jalan Kemang Raya and Kemang Dalam have had a high concentration of expatriates for decades. There are restaurants, cafés and services on foot from most addresses, and more of a street-level social life than other South Jakarta areas - though Pondok Indah is catching up.
Housing is a mix of older freestanding houses in Kemang Dalam ($2,000-$4,000/month, three to five bedrooms, pool, garden) and modern apartments in Kemang Village (from $1,000/month). The houses have character - mature trees, high walls, garden courts - but many date from the 1980s and 1990s. Condition varies. Check before committing.
Schools. AIS is in the neighbourhood (Pejaten). NZ School Jakarta and SPH Kemang Village are within walking distance from some addresses. JIS is 15-20 minutes. ISJ is about 20 minutes via back roads.
The trade-off. Traffic and flooding. Jalan Kemang Raya is a single carriageway that carries too much traffic. At school-run times it crawls. Lower Kemang near the river floods during heavy rains, particularly December to February. Ask about flood history before signing a lease - and ask the neighbours, not the landlord.
For the full neighbourhood guide, see Living in Kemang.
Cipete and Cilandak
These two adjacent neighbourhoods are the areas expats discover in their second year. Quieter than Kemang, cheaper than Pondok Indah, and with something neither of those can offer: an MRT station. They are also more mixed than the other areas on this list - you may live in a well-maintained house and the street next door looks very different. That is normal Jakarta, and many expats prefer the texture, but it is not the manicured environment of Pondok Indah or Bintaro.
Cipete Raya MRT station connects directly to Sudirman and central Jakarta in 15-20 minutes. For expats working in the CBD, this changes daily life. No car, no traffic, no surge pricing. Cipete itself has a European flavour - the Lycée Français is here, and French bakeries and cafés line the side streets.
Cilandak is broader and more residential. JIS borders the neighbourhood (the Middle/High entrance is on the Cilandak side), and the area around Cilandak Town Square (Citos) provides shops, restaurants and a cinema. Housing in both areas runs $1,500-$3,500 per month - roughly 20-30% less than equivalent properties in Pondok Indah.
Schools. JIS borders Cilandak (the campus straddles Pondok Indah and Cilandak). ISJ is 10-15 minutes from Cilandak, 15-20 from Cipete. Lycée Français is in Cipete. AIS is 10-15 minutes from either.
The trade-off. Fewer restaurants and services than Kemang or Pondok Indah. The streets are rougher around the edges - the mixed-income character that gives these areas their feel also means the infrastructure is less polished. You will drive to dinner more than you walk.
For the full neighbourhood guide, see Living in Cipete & Cilandak.
Senopati and Dharmawangsa
Senopati and the streets around Jalan Dharmawangsa sit between Kemang and the CBD - geographically and in character. This is where Jakarta's restaurant scene is sharpest: high-end Japanese, Italian trattorias, wine bars, and specialty coffee. The streets are tree-lined and relatively quiet for central South Jakarta.
Housing here is more apartment than house. Several mid-rise buildings offer two-to-three-bedroom units aimed at professionals and smaller families. Houses exist but are rarer and more expensive than in Kemang. Expect $1,500-$4,000 per month depending on whether you are in an apartment or a house.
Schools. AIS in Pejaten is 10 minutes south. JIS is 15-20 minutes. ISJ is 20 minutes. The area is closer to central Jakarta, which makes it practical for families with one parent commuting to Sudirman, Kuningan or Mega Kuningan.
The trade-off. This is not a family neighbourhood in the same way Pondok Indah or Kemang is. The expat community is smaller and skews younger. Families with school-age children often find the housing options too compact - three-bedroom apartments rather than four-bedroom houses with pools. It works well for dual-income families with one or two children, less well for families who want garden space and a school-run community.
Bintaro
Bintaro exists for one reason in most expat conversations: the British School Jakarta. BSJ's campus is here, and families who want a short school run - 5 to 10 minutes - live in Bintaro. It is that straightforward.
Beyond BSJ, Bintaro is a large planned residential development in South Tangerang, south-west of central Jakarta. The streets are wide, the compounds new, and the houses spacious. Rents are the lowest of any area in this guide: $1,000-$2,500 per month for a modern four-to-five-bedroom house with pool, garden and 24-hour security. For families relocating from London or Singapore, the space-per-dollar is startling.
Bintaro has its own malls (AEON, Bintaro Jaya Xchange), restaurants, supermarkets and clinics. It functions as a self-contained suburb.
The trade-off. Distance. Bintaro is 40-60 minutes from Kemang, Pondok Indah, and the CBD via the toll road. If your social life is in South Jakarta's expat core, you will spend a lot of time on the toll road. The expat community in Bintaro is smaller and more self-contained - heavily BSJ families. Some find this tight-knit; others find it limiting.
BSD City and Serpong
BSD City (Bumi Serpong Damai) is the newest entrant on the expat radar. A planned city development 30 kilometres south-west of central Jakarta, it hosts two significant international schools: Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH) Lippo Village and Sinarmas World Academy.
Housing is modern, purpose-built, and cheap by Jakarta expat standards: $800-$2,000 per month for a three-to-four-bedroom house. The developments are clean and well-maintained. AEON Mall BSD, The Breeze, and QBig are the commercial centres. Healthcare is adequate but limited - serious cases go to Pondok Indah Hospital (45+ minutes) or Siloam Hospitals.
The trade-off. BSD is not Jakarta. It is a satellite city with a different rhythm. The commute to central Jakarta is long and traffic-dependent - up to 90 minutes at peak times. The expat community is small and school-centred. For families where both children attend SPH and neither parent commutes to the CBD, it can work well. For everyone else, the distance from Jakarta's social and professional core is a daily cost.
How to Choose
Start with the school. Every decision follows from where your children will spend six to eight hours a day.