For households in Jambi, the cost of a basic kitchen staple in 2017 could vary wildly depending on what they were buying. A kilogram of dried anchovies (ikan asin teri) fetched Rp115,208 in September, according to provincial retail-price data from Indonesia’s statistics agency. In the same basket, a packet of refined table salt (garam halus kemasan) sat at just Rp2,000 in January — a gap of 57 times.
Top of the chart: Ikan Asin Teri
Anchovies dominated the top of the price table every month. The three highest readings — Rp115,208 in September, Rp114,375 in July, and Rp113,750 in August — all belong to the same commodity. Averaged across the year, a kilogram cost Rp110,834, more than seven times the next most expensive basic good. Protein-rich, small-batch dried fish consistently strained household budgets.
The other end: Garam Halus (Kemas)
At the opposite extreme, packaged refined salt barely moved. Its January low of Rp2,000 crept up to Rp2,417 by March, but even when averaged across all of 2017, the price sat at just Rp3,800. That figure is not only the cheapest among the nine essential commodities tracked, but also the most stable — the entire year’s range barely shifted by more than Rp400.
What separates the two
The chasm between dried anchovies and table salt reflects fundamentally different supply dynamics. Small pelagic fish used for ikan asin depend on weather, fuel costs, and artisanal fishing cycles, while refined salt — often locally packaged — benefits from low input costs and minimal seasonality. This split means a household’s monthly food basket can feel either manageable or stretched, depending on whether that week’s menu leans on the protein or the condiment.
- Ikan Asin Teri (kg): 110,833.50 IDR
- Sabun Cuci Sunlight Refill 800 ml: 15,500 IDR
- Gula Pasir (kg): 11,505.67 IDR
- Beras (kg): 11,013.64 IDR
- Minyak Goreng (kg): 10,400 IDR
- Garam Halus (Kemas): 3,800 IDR
While the data is from 2017, BPS tracking of basic commodities in Jambi shows that the extreme spread between animal protein and pantry staples remains a structural feature — not a one-year fluke. It raises an enduring question about how safety-net programs calibrate assistance when the cost of a single item can exceed the combined price of several others.
Source: Indonesian Central Statistics Agency (BPS) — Web API · Saturday, 4 July 2026, 09:05
