Moving to Indonesia from Iceland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Iceland to Indonesia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Iceland to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 79.3% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,200,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly IDR279,000,000 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Iceland and Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,200,000 → IDR279,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 90.9% less
Groceries
pay 59.6% less
Transportation
pay 72.1% less
Housing
pay 85.7% less
Childcare
pay 82.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 78.2% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Indonesia compared to Iceland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland 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 Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland 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 Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Directorate of Internal Revenue (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 | Reykjavik | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
On average Indonesia is about 79% less expensive than Iceland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Indonesia?
Budget about IDR69,750,000 for 3 months in Indonesia (based on a ISK9,200,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Indonesia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Indonesia: 4.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Indonesia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Indonesia safe for expats?
Iceland generally does better on safety, though Indonesia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.3 in Iceland. About 63% of people in Indonesia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Iceland?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 43.7 in Iceland. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
