Moving to Indonesia from Hong Kong
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Hong Kong to Indonesia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Hong Kong to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 61.9% cheaper than Hong Kong overall. A HK$587,771 salary in Hong Kong would need to be roughly IDR443,559,354 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 79°F in Hong Kong, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Hong Kong to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
HK$587,771 → IDR443,559,354
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 64.1% less
Groceries
pay 48.4% less
Transportation
pay 66.5% less
Housing
pay 63.2% less
Childcare
pay 81.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 71.3% 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
How Hong Kong and Indonesia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
Hong Kong performs better than Indonesia across all safety metrics.
What about the environment?
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Indonesia performs significantly better than Hong Kong across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Hong Kong 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
Hong Kong 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
Hong Kong performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Data: Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong, 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 | Hong Kong | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 68°/61°F (20°/16°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 83°/75°F (28°/24°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/80°F (31°/27°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/68°F (24°/20°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Hong Kong | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66°/58°F (18.7°/14.6°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 67°/60°F (19.4°/15.3°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 71°/64°F (21.9°/17.6°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 78°/70°F (25.6°/21.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 84°/76°F (28.8°/24.5°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 87°/80°F (30.7°/26.5°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 89°/80°F (31.6°/26.9°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 88°/80°F (31.3°/26.7°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 87°/79°F (30.5°/26.1°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 83°/75°F (28.1°/23.9°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 76°/69°F (24.5°/20.3°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 69°/61°F (20.4°/16.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Hong Kong Observatory,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Hong Kong 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.
Hong Kong passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa Free
Indonesia passport holder visiting Hong Kong
Visa FreeData: 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 Hong Kong?
Generally yes: Indonesia runs about 67% cheaper than Hong Kong 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 HK$587,771 comparable salary, that's around IDR110,889,838 in Indonesia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 Hong Kong and Indonesia.
Is Indonesia safe for expats?
Hong Kong performs better than Indonesia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.4 in Hong Kong.
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Hong Kong?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 79°F in Hong Kong. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Hong Kong gets 95.7 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Hong Kong, the official languages are Chinese and English.
