Moving to Indonesia from China
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from China to Indonesia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from China to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 19.7% cheaper than China overall. A CN¥500,000 salary in China would need to be roughly IDR1,070,000,000 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 64°F in Beijing, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from China to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
CN¥500,000 → IDR1,070,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 35.8% less
Groceries
pay 6.1% more
Transportation
pay 24.8% less
Housing
pay 11.8% less
Childcare
pay 71.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.4% 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 10% less than cities in China.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from China to Indonesia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Indonesia?
Top countries of origin for Indonesia's foreign-born residents.
-
1.76,028
China
- 33,580
- 32,911
- 23,681
- 23,681
- 23,681
Key Indicator Comparison
How China 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
Indonesia generally does better on safety, though China leads in feel safe walking at night.
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
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indonesia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Indonesia performs significantly better than China across all environment metrics.
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
China generally does better on infrastructure, though Indonesia leads in water stress level.
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
China 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
China performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), State Administration of Taxation (2016), Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Beijing | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Beijing | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
China Meteorological Administration,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting China
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 China?
Generally yes: Indonesia runs about 20% cheaper than China 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 CN¥500,000 comparable salary, that's around IDR267,500,000 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 China and Indonesia.
Is Indonesia safe for expats?
Indonesia generally does better on safety, though China leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in China. About 63% of people in Indonesia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to China?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indonesia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 31.1 in China. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to China?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 64°F in Beijing. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Beijing gets 22.8 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In China, the official language is Chinese.
