Moving to Indonesia from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to Indonesia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 56.1% cheaper than Canada overall. A CA$106,294 salary in Canada would need to be roughly IDR622,097,484 in Indonesia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Indonesian. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jakarta averages 89°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Canada to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
CA$106,294 → IDR622,097,484
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 77.3% less
Groceries
pay 42.1% less
Transportation
pay 46.8% less
Housing
pay 70.8% less
Childcare
pay 67.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 61.0% 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 52% less than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to Indonesia, and how the trend has changed.
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
- · · ·
-
19.2,253
Canada
Key Indicator Comparison
How Canada and Indonesia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Canada 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 Canada 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
Canada 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
Canada 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
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Indonesia leads in unemployment rate.
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
Canada performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Data: Canada Revenue Agency, 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 | Ottawa | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada 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.
Canada passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting Canada
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 Canada?
Generally yes: Indonesia runs about 54% cheaper than Canada on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Indonesia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$106,294 comparable salary, that's around IDR155,524,371 in Indonesia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Indonesia?
With 4.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Indonesia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Canada and Indonesia.
Is Indonesia safe for expats?
Canada 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 2.3 in Canada. About 63% of people in Indonesia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Canada?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 6.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 25.0 in Canada. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
