Moving to Indonesia from Australia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Australia to Indonesia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Australia to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 60.1% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$107,450 salary in Australia would need to be roughly IDR601,072,075 in Indonesia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Indonesian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jakarta averages 89°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Australia to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,450 → IDR601,072,075
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 79.8% less
Groceries
pay 38.5% less
Transportation
pay 52.1% less
Housing
pay 71.0% less
Childcare
pay 74.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 67.1% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Indonesia cost about 54% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Australia to Indonesia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Indonesia?
Top countries of origin for Indonesia's foreign-born residents.
- 76,028
- 33,580
- 32,911
- 23,681
- 23,681
- 23,681
- · · ·
-
11.11,400
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Australia to Indonesia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia generally does better on safety, though Indonesia leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though Indonesia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than Indonesia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Indonesia generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and Indonesia. To live, work, or study long-term in Indonesia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Indonesia's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting Australia
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Indonesia than Australia?
Yes — Indonesia is on average about 55% cheaper than Australia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Indonesia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly IDR150,268,019 in Indonesia on a A$107,450 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Indonesia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Indonesia has 4.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Indonesia safe for expats?
Australia generally does better on safety, though Indonesia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Australia?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 6.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 39.8 in Australia. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Australia, the official language is English.
