Moving to Massachusetts from Indonesia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Indonesia to Massachusetts — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Indonesia to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 5.3 times more expensive than Indonesia overall. A IDR1,336,972,500 salary in Indonesia would need to be roughly $197,940 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Boston averages 59°F vs 89°F in Jakarta, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Indonesia to Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
IDR1,336,972,500 → $197,940
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 6.7 times more
Groceries
pay 2.4 times more
Transportation
pay 3.2 times more
Housing
pay 6.5 times more
Childcare
pay 12.9 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.7 times more
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 Massachusetts cost about 205% more than cities in Indonesia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Indonesia to Massachusetts, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Indonesia to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
60.105,617
Indonesia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Indonesia and Massachusetts stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Indonesia performs better than Massachusetts across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Massachusetts performs significantly 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
share of people below the poverty line
Indonesia generally does better on employment & economy, though Massachusetts leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Massachusetts performs significantly better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Jakarta | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jakarta | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) |
Data:
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG),
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Indonesia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Indonesia passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than Indonesia?
Day-to-day costs in Massachusetts run about 164% higher than Indonesia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a IDR1,336,972,500 comparable salary, that's around $49,485 in Massachusetts for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Massachusetts?
Working remotely from Massachusetts's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Indonesia and Massachusetts.
How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to Indonesia?
Indonesia performs better than Massachusetts across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to Indonesia?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 89°F in Jakarta. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Jakarta gets 65.2 in.
What language do they speak in Massachusetts?
The official language in Massachusetts is English. In Indonesia, the official language is Indonesian.
