Solo is relatively cheap for housing. Options are extremely varied, and expats are scattered widely over the city. Most expats rent while a few of the more established residents with local spouses having bought or built their own houses. Renting is comparatively much, much cheaper. At the Colomadu Sugar Mill out near the airport there are some huge and magnificent old mansions built by the Dutch in colonial times. They have enormous grounds, and are a challenge to renovate, but where else in the world could you rent almost an acre for under US$4000 per annum. Solo Baru (a satellite town of Surakarta; officially in Sukoharjo Regency) to the south has a lot of one and two storied modern places for rent – usually in the US$2,000-4,000 range. Nice medium size local houses run at about US$1000-2000 per annum. Rental is usually paid in full and in advance for the whole rental period but with government owned properties and some private owners you can discuss payments in terms (like per year). When you have to renovate a lot (most likely) make sure to sign long-term contracts. 

A good place to start and also get an overview regarding prices and offers is: www.rumah123.com

If you need to stay for an extended period but don’t want to commit to rent a house there is always the possibility to move into a “Kost”, a kind of boarding house. They have daily, weekly and monthly rates, the longer you stay, the cheaper it gets. Good kost are: 

• Boga Bogi, Jl. Siwalan 175 Jajar Solo Tel: 0271 - 710131, bogabogi.wordpress.com/kos-boga-bogi/

• d’Madinah www.dmadinah.com/

• Garden Residence, Jalan Siwalan No 92, Kerten, Solo, gardenresidencesolo.blogspot.co.id/

• Pineapple Mansion, Jl. Nanas 5 No. 6, Tel. 0271 - 9228888

• Naungan Coliving Solo, Jl. Punggawan, Banjarsari, Tel. 0819 4747 0888