Moving to Indonesia from Costa Rica
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Costa Rica to Indonesia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 51.5% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC33,997,640 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly IDR702,787,824 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 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Costa Rica to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
CRC33,997,640 → IDR702,787,824
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 74.6% less
Groceries
pay 36.7% less
Transportation
pay 57.9% less
Housing
pay 53.9% less
Childcare
pay 58.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 46.5% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Costa Rica to Indonesia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Indonesia performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics.
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 Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica performs better than Indonesia 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
Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica, 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 | San Jose | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica 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.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Indonesia passport holder visiting Costa Rica
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 Costa Rica?
Yes — Indonesia is on average about 48% cheaper than Costa Rica. 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 IDR175,696,956 in Indonesia on a CRC33,997,640 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?
Indonesia performs significantly better than Costa Rica across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Costa Rica?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 6.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
