Learn Hardcore Indonesian: Biaya konsultasi di klinik itu cukup murah bagi keluarga kami. - The consultation fee at that clinic is quite cheap for our family.

In everyday speech, both biaya konsultasi and harga konsultasi can be used and will be understood as the amount of money you must pay to consult a doctor. The difference is subtle and often not important in casual conversation.

Why do we use di in di klinik itu? Could we omit di or use something like ke or pada instead?

di is the basic preposition for at / in / on (location).

di klinik itu = at that clinic

You cannot omit di here; klinik itu alone just means that clinic (a noun phrase), not at that clinic.

ke means to (movement toward a place), so ke klinik itu would mean to that clinic, which is wrong for this sentence because we are not talking about going there; we are talking about prices at that place.

pada can also mean at or on, but in this context di klinik itu is the natural, everyday choice. pada would sound more formal or be used in different structures (e.g. pada hari Senin – on Monday).

What nuance does itu add in klinik itu? Could we just say di klinik?

itu is a demonstrative meaning that or sometimes functioning like the when you’re talking about a specific, known thing.

di klinik = at a clinic / at clinics (in general, not a specific one)
di klinik itu = at that (particular) clinic / at that clinic we both know about

So klinik itu points to a specific clinic that the speaker assumes the listener can identify (maybe the neighborhood clinic they both use).

You can say di klinik if you mean at a clinic in general or you don’t need to specify which clinic. But in this sentence, itu tells us it’s a particular, known clinic.

What does cukup mean in cukup murah? Is it “enough cheap” or “quite cheap”?

In cukup murah, cukup means quite / fairly / reasonably, not enough in the literal sense.

cukup can mean enough when followed by a noun:
- cukup uang = enough money
But with an adjective, it usually means quite / rather / fairly:
- cukup murah = quite cheap / fairly cheap
- cukup besar = quite big

So cukup murah ≈ quite cheap or reasonably cheap, not cheap enough (although in some contexts, it can imply “cheap enough for our needs”). Context decides, but here the natural reading is quite / fairly cheap.

Does cukup murah sound positive, negative, or neutral?

cukup murah is generally positive but a bit moderate. It suggests:

The price is not extremely cheap, but
It is comfortably affordable and not expensive.

Possible English equivalents: pretty cheap, reasonably cheap, fairly inexpensive.

It doesn’t sound negative; it sounds mildly positive and matter‑of‑fact, without strong enthusiasm.

What is the function of bagi here, and what’s the difference between bagi and untuk in this sentence?

bagi introduces the point of view or the beneficiary:

bagi keluarga kami = for our family / in our family’s view / for us as a family

In many sentences, bagi and untuk can overlap and both mean for. Here, you could also say:

cukup murah untuk keluarga kami

Differences in nuance:

bagi often highlights perspective or opinion: for / in the eyes of / as far as X is concerned.
untuk often highlights purpose or recipient: for / intended for / for the use of X.

In this sentence, both are natural. bagi sounds slightly more like “from our perspective”; untuk feels slightly more neutral/practical.

Is bagi necessary? Could we just say cukup murah untuk keluarga kami or even cukup murah keluarga kami?

You cannot drop the preposition completely; cukup murah keluarga kami is ungrammatical. You need bagi or untuk:

cukup murah bagi keluarga kami ✓
cukup murah untuk keluarga kami ✓

So, bagi is not the only option, but some preposition is required to connect keluarga kami to murah. Without it, keluarga kami just sits there as a noun phrase with no grammatical role.

Why do we say keluarga kami instead of just kami? Could we say cukup murah bagi kami?

Both are possible, but they have slightly different focuses:

bagi keluarga kami = for our family (as a unit)
bagi kami = for us

Using keluarga kami emphasizes the idea of “our family situation” (e.g. family income, number of people, family budget).

If you say cukup murah bagi kami, it’s still natural; it just talks about you and the people included in kami, without explicitly highlighting “family”. In many real contexts, both could be used interchangeably.

What is the difference between kami and kita, and why is kami used here?

Indonesian distinguishes two kinds of we:

kami = we (excluding the listener)
kita = we (including the listener)

keluarga kami means our family (not including you, the listener). That makes sense if you are talking to someone outside your family, like a doctor or a friend.

If you said keluarga kita, you would be including the listener in that family, which only fits if you’re actually family with the person you’re talking to (and you want to emphasize that shared family identity). That’s why kami is the normal choice here.

Can we change the word order, like Biaya konsultasi bagi keluarga kami di klinik itu... or Di klinik itu, biaya konsultasi...?

Yes, Indonesian word order is quite flexible, and these alternatives are still correct:

Di klinik itu, biaya konsultasi cukup murah bagi keluarga kami.
- Just puts the location first for emphasis: At that clinic, the consultation fee is quite cheap for our family.
Biaya konsultasi bagi keluarga kami di klinik itu cukup murah.
- Also possible, but it can sound a bit heavier and more formal.

The original order:

Biaya konsultasi di klinik itu cukup murah bagi keluarga kami.

is very natural and neutral in spoken and written Indonesian. Changing order mainly affects emphasis and style, not basic meaning.

Is the sentence talking about one fee or many fees, since there is no plural form like “fees”?

Indonesian usually does not mark plural with a special form, so biaya konsultasi can mean:

the consultation fee (as a general price level), or
consultation fees (if there are multiple kinds, but we’re talking generally)

Context decides whether you think of it as singular or plural. In practice, listeners just understand it as how much you have to pay for consultation at that clinic. There is no need to specify singular or plural unless it’s very important.

Could we also say biaya untuk konsultasi instead of biaya konsultasi? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say:

Biaya untuk konsultasi di klinik itu cukup murah bagi keluarga kami.

biaya konsultasi is a noun–noun compound, very compact and common.
biaya untuk konsultasi uses untuk to explicitly show purpose: cost for consultation.

In everyday use, they mean the same thing here. biaya konsultasi is a bit shorter and more standard as a set phrase; biaya untuk konsultasi sounds slightly more explanatory or formal, but it is definitely correct.

What is the formality level of this sentence? Can it be used in casual conversation?

The sentence is neutral and can be used both in casual and semi‑formal contexts.

Vocabulary like biaya, klinik, cukup murah, keluarga kami is standard, not slang.
It would sound natural when speaking to friends, colleagues, or even in polite conversation with a doctor or staff.

To make it more casual, some speakers might shorten or add particles (e.g. Biaya konsultasi di klinik itu lumayan murah buat keluarga kami), but your version is already very natural and appropriate.

Is there a difference between murah and words like rendah or terjangkau in this context?

Yes:

murah = cheap / inexpensive
- Directly describes the price as low.
rendah = low
- Used with harga or biaya, not by itself for price:
- harganya rendah, biayanya rendah = the price/cost is low.
- rendah alone doesn’t mean “cheap”; you need a noun.
terjangkau = affordable
- Focuses more on being within reach financially, not necessarily “cheap” in an absolute sense.

In your sentence, you could say:

Biaya konsultasi di klinik itu cukup terjangkau bagi keluarga kami.

That would mean quite affordable, slightly softer and more neutral than cukup murah. cukup murah focuses more straightforwardly on “it’s cheap enough / quite cheap”.