Kalibata City Residence and Regency

by | Mar 31, 2020

Kalibata City Residence is a low-budget apartment complex in Pancoran, South Jakarta. It is part of Kalibata City, which consists of 2 other entities: Kalibata City Regency and Kalibata City Green Palace.

  • Kalibata City Residence: It is the name given to 7 towers (A – Akasia, B – Borneo, C – Cendana, D – Damar, E – Eboni, F –  Flamboyan, G – Gaharu). They are the cheapest and oldest ones. The prices are low as they were subsidized by the government through the Rusunami program.
  • Kalibata City Regency: This is the name of 3 newer towers: H (Herbras), J (Jasmine) and K (Kemuning). They are also subsidized but a bit newer with 2 extra lifts, a sports playground and better tiles.
  • Kalibata City Green Palace: A private complex that covers 8 Towers: L (Lotus), P (Palem), R (Raffles), S (Sakura), M (Mawar), T (Tulip), N (Nusa Indah), and V (Violet). It is more modern and exclusive, with a swimming pool. Prices are higher as it is not subsidized.

In total, there are 14,000 apartments. Yes, that’s huge! This review will only cover Kalibata City Residence and Kalibata City Regency. I wrote a separate article about Green Palace here.

Location

Neighborhood

In which neighborhood of Jakarta is the complex located?
Kalibata City Residence is in Kalibata, part of Pancoran in South Jakarta. It is a low-to-mid income residential neighborhood whose main interest is its location not too far from the Central Business District of Jakarta. This is especially true if you take the train at the Duren Kalibata Station.

How far is the complex from:
Jakarta Airport: 75 minutes
Grand Indonesia Mall: 50 minutes
Kota Tua: 70 minutes
Kemang: 40 minutes

How does it look like around the apartments?
Kalibata City is a closed space with streets, sidewalks and shops, just like a normal city. You can buy almost anything you need at the apartments’ ground floor in a myriad of warungs, minimarkets, laundry services, banks, property agents, etc. Prices are generally low.

Since a lot of people live around, it is full of life and crowded. There are often traffic jams on the streets and it may be difficult to walk around (the small sidewalks can be obstructed by chairs, scooters, workers, etc).

Below the towers, there is a new shopping center called Kalibata Square. It has many useful shops such as a pharmacy, a supermarket, fashion boutiques, a food court, games for kids, and a cinema.

As you exit Kalibata City, there are two large roads that are difficult to cross. Anyway, there is nothing interesting to see there.

Kalibata City Streets

Shops in Kalibata City

Shops Kalibata City Square

Food Court Kalibata City Square

What are the important landmarks nearby?

Walking distance, there are a few landmarks you can go to:

Malls: Plaza Kalibata (a medium range mall with a Giant supermarket, a Gramedia bookstore, a Matahari and an XXI cinema) or Kalibata Square mentioned above.
Supermarkets: Farmer’s Market, Giant
Restaurants: Many cheap warungs and canteen nearby. Some fast food as well: Domino’s, McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut.
Bars: None to my knowledge.
Universities: None
Hospitals: None
Parks: Taman Makam Pahlawan, a cemetery where many important Indonesian figures are buried.
Offices: Only some government offices

Transportation

What are the main roads or highways nearby?
Kalibata City is not directly near a toll road, but it is at the corner of two important streets: Jalan Kalibata Raya and Jalan Rawajati Timur. To catch the highway, you will need about 15 minutes for both the Tol Jalan Cililitan 2 and the Inner Jakarta Ring Road.

What is the traffic situation near the apartment?
The traffic is ok to go to the East or to the South, but terrible to go to the West and the North (in the Central Business District). One of the problems is that the traffic is blocked every time there is a train. If you work in Central Jakarta, you should consider taking a train instead.

Are their issues with parking?
Yes, many residents complain that they cannot park. If you own a car, make sure that a parking space is included when renting or buying an apartment in Kalibata City. The problem is the complex was designed for poor people, but in reality, it is mostly occupied by the middle-class who can afford cars. Hence the architects did not plan enough space.

Is it easy for taxis/Uber/Grab to find the location?
Yes, it is a very famous location. Just make sure you tell the driver exactly where to pick you up as it is a huge complex.

Is there a Transjakarta bus stop nearby?
Not to my knowledge but there are some local buses that can take you to Pasar Minggu and Blok M.

Is there a train station nearby?
Yes, Duren Kalibata, about 10 minutes away. This is actually one of the best features of Kalibata City. Both the Yellow and the Red lines stop at this station, meaning you can go easily and rather fast to Sudirman, Manggarai, Tebet, Gambir, Kota, Tanah Abang and Depok.

Stasiun Duren Kalibata

Are there sidewalks? Is it possible to walk around?
Yes, but they are small and crowded.

Building Quality

Design and Architecture

What is the general concept of the apartments?
Kalibata City Residences and Kalibata City Regency are targeted to middle-class Indonesian families. The idea is to squeeze as many people in the towers as possible. There are more than 800 apartments per tower, and you can feel that they are almost all occupied as you’ll always see people everywhere: In the lift, in the lobby, in the corridors, etc.

How does the building look like from outside?
The towers look as basic and massive as possible. Few considerations were given to make the design original or pretty.

Kalibata City

Kalibata City View from Above

How spacious are the common areas: Garden, lobby, entrance, etc?
The common areas are generally medium-sized. However, as they are often crowded, you will always feel like you are lacking space.

How spacious are the apartments?
The apartments are very small:
– Studio units start at 21m2
– 2-bedroom units start at 33m2
– 3-bedroom units start at 50m2

How does the reception look like?
There isn’t a proper reception, only a desk with security guards.

How does the garden and pool area look like?
There is no pool and no real garden.

Are there problems with electricity?
Yes, you are limited in your consumption. If you turn on 2 ACs, an oven, and a TV at the same time, you might have a blackout.

How old is the property?
It was completed in 2010.

Building Materials and Finishes

What is the reputation of the developer?
The developer of Kalibata City is Agung Podomoro Land via its company PT Prima Buana Internusa. Synthesis Development was also involved. Both are companies with a long experience building midrange apartment complexes, and their fairly good reputation was one of the reasons Kalibata City became so successful from the start.

That said, I visited more than 10 properties built by APL, and I can say that not all of them are well-managed. In particular, Mediterania Gajah Mada is in a terrible condition.

What is the quality of the materials used in the construction?
Materials used in the building of Kalibata City, as one could expect, were cheaper ones. This means small ceramic tiles, visible pipes, basic lift, etc.

Corridor Kalibata City

What is the quality of the furniture and equipment?
The equipment was cheap one.

Lift in Kalibata City

What is the quality of the finishes?
Average quality. You can see paint on the windows for instance.

Comfort

Facilities and Services

What are the facilities provided in the property?

– There is NO swimming pool in Kalibata City Regency and Kalibata City Residence. If you want one, you need to rent or buy an apartment in Green Palace.

– There is a basket and a football court

Basket and Football Court Kalibata City

– A playground for kids

Playground for Kids in Kalibata City

What are the services available within the property?

– A shopping center below the ground (Kalibata Square) with a supermarket, a pharmacy, a tool shop, fashion boutiques, a food court, games for kids, a cinema, ATMs, etc.

Kalibata City Square Entrance

– Plenty of services at the bottom of the towers: Warungs, laundries, banks, minimart, property agents. They are very convenient and cheap.

– Also there are several mosques.

Cendana Entrance Kalibata City

Atmosphere

Is the property noisy and busy?
Yes, Kalibata City is one of the busiest apartment complexes in Jakarta. There are a lot of people everywhere at almost all time.

What is the background of residents (ethnicity, social status)?

While Kalibata City has the reputation of being low-class because it was subsidized by the government, in fact, 80% of the owners are investors who profited from the subsidies to buy cheap apartments. They are now renting them to middle-class Indonesians, with a comfortable margin. Since the prices have increased, you won’t find that many poor people there.

Most residents are Indonesian “pribumi”, with a small dose of Indonesian Chinese and Foreigners (Indians, Arabs, Blacks, Westerners). It is quite diverse in fact.

There are many short-term residents as well who rent daily. I suspect many Indonesian men use the room to meet with their “girlfriends”.

Kalibata City is famous for having many prostitutes, but to be honest, it is very hidden and you don’t see anything immoral happening in the public space. The huge majority of residents are just normal, working-class Indonesian people.

Management

Maintenance

The maintenance of Kalibata City is satisfactory for a budget complex. The roads and sidewalks could be taken care of better, though. Corridors could use a painting job. The games at the kids’ playground had some rust.

Additional Fees

The management of Kalibata City has been accused by residents of not being fair with the fees charged. In particular, they complained about their electricity bills.

Cleanliness

I found the cleanliness to be satisfactory as well. The shops at the bottom of the towers can be quite dirty.

Security

Guards on duty at the gates: 24/7
Guards on duty at the reception: 24/7
CCTV cameras: Few
Access card: Yes to enter the lift area, BUT so many people enter that it is easy for someone to go the lifts without a card.

Hospitality

I didn’t speak to many staff.

Rooms and Prices

Prices at Kalibata City Residence may vary depending on many factors such as the floor, the unit type, the room condition and the furnishings.

Be aware that you may also need to pay for additional fees: Service charge, parking fee, electricity and water bills, etc.

Here are a few examples of prices and ratios for this property:

Studio Type (21m2) – Furnished (Kalibata City Residence):

  • Rental 1 Year: IDR 36M (or 3M per month)
  • Buy: IDR 350.000.000
  • Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental: 9.7
  • Average buying price/m2: IDR 16.700.000/m2

2-Bedroom Type (33m2) – Furnished (Kalibata City Residence):

  • Rental 1 Year: IDR 40M (or 3.3M per month)
  • Buy: IDR 400.000.000
  • Buying Price/Gross Annual Rental: 10
  • Average buying price/m2: IDR 12.120.000/m2

Which units are the best?
 I think the best units are those as close as possible from one of the exits (especially the ones nearest from Stasiun Duren Kalibata). Being near to the entrance of Kalibata City Square is also strategic.

For this reason, I recommend you to stay in Tower F, G or A (Do make sure your unit is not facing the road as it can be very noisy):

The best towers in Kalibata City are F, A and G

Investment Potential

Evaluation of current prices compared to market and competition:
Prices in Kalibata City have jumped significantly since the towers were completed. Still, they are one of the most affordable options for apartments in Jakarta. New complexes like Bassura City or Green Pramuka are about 15% more expensive (but much nicer).

The rental prices are still interesting, offering a return on investment after about 10 years (not including fees, renovation costs, interest, etc).

Is there a potential for a price increase in the future?

The units and the property are starting to be old, but demand is still strong for a few reasons:

  • The proximity of the station Duren Kalibata makes it a good location for people commuting to Jakarta every day
  • There are many cheap shops and restaurant available nearby
  • In general, middle-class Indonesians like to be in busy places with a “kampung” vibe.

Still, I don’t think it is reasonable to expect significant increases in prices. There are many new towers now with better facilities that are putting pressure on inflation (Bassura City, Green Pramuka, etc). I would predict a 5-7% increase maximum per year.

 

Address

Kalibata City Residence and Regency
Kalibata City, Jalan Raya Kalibata No.1, Rawajati,
Pancoran, South Jakarta 12750, Indonesia

My Ratings

I do my best to write honest and detailed reviews of the apartments I visit. If you disagree with my rating, please let me know why and leave your own rating at the end of this page.

Kalibata City Residence and Regency
2.8 / 5 My Rating
{{ reviewsOverall }} / 5 Readers' Rating (0 votes)
What I Liked
- Proximity to the train station Duren Kalibata (easy to go to Sudirman)
- Many convenient shops and warungs
- Two malls are walking distance
- Affordable prices
What I Didn't Like
- Very crowded and sometime noisy
- Kampung atmosphere
- No swimming pool (there is one in Green Palace Kalibata City)
- Parking issues
- Problem with management: Residents complaint about fees
Location
Quality
Comfort
Management
Value
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