Moving to Mexico from Indonesia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Indonesia to Mexico — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Indonesia to Mexico, you would find that Mexico is 98.3% more expensive than Indonesia overall. A IDR1,345,683,750 salary in Indonesia would need to be roughly MX$1,933,991 in Mexico to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Mexico City averages 74°F vs 89°F in Jakarta, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Indonesia to Mexico.

What does your salary buy?

IDR1,345,683,750 MX$1,933,991

To maintain the same standard of living in Mexico

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.5 times more

Groceries

pay 44.7% more

Transportation

pay 2.5 times more

Housing

pay 79.7% more

Childcare

pay 61.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 66.5% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 IDR = 0.001 MXN (July 2026)

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 Mexico cost about 61% more than cities in Indonesia.

Indonesia

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Indonesia to Mexico, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
17 ↓ 15% vs 2022

people moved from Indonesia to Mexico · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Mexico?

Top countries of origin for Mexico's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Indonesia and Mexico stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

ID
0.6
MX
26.1
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

ID
63%
MX
38%

Indonesia performs better than Mexico across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ID
$417
MX
$1,368
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ID
6.9
MX
25.6

Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ID
58.0
MX
30.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ID
2.9t
MX
3.6t

Indonesia generally does better on environment, though Mexico leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ID
4.9
MX
20.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ID
29.7%
MX
45.0%

Mexico generally does better on infrastructure, though Indonesia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

ID
3.4%
MX
2.8%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ID
$14,100
MX
$22,400

Indonesia generally does better on employment & economy, though Mexico leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ID
73.1 yrs
MX
72.3 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ID
19.7
MX
11.9

Indonesia generally does better on family life, though Mexico leads in infant mortality.

Data: Direktorat Jenderal Pajak, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Jakarta Rain: 65.2 in/yr (1655 mm)
89° / 77°F

Avg. annual high / low

Mexico City Rain: 32.1 in/yr (816 mm)
74° / 49°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Jakarta Mexico City
Jan–Mar 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) 74°/45°F (23°/7°C)
Apr–Jun 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) 79°/53°F (26°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) 73°/53°F (23°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) 71°/47°F (22°/8°C)
View all months
Month Jakarta Mexico City
Jan 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C)
Feb 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C)
Mar 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C)
Apr 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C)
May 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C)
Jun 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C)
Jul 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C)
Aug 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C)
Sep 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C)
Oct 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C)
Nov 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C)
Dec 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C)

Data: Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Indonesia and Mexico. To live, work, or study long-term in Mexico, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Mexico's immigration authority.

Indonesia passport

Indonesia passport holder visiting Mexico

Visa Required
Indonesia passport holders need a visa to enter Mexico.
Mexico passport

Mexico passport holder visiting Indonesia

Visa on Arrival
Mexico passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Indonesia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Mexico than Indonesia?

Day-to-day costs in Mexico run about 47% higher than Indonesia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Mexico?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a IDR1,345,683,750 comparable salary, that's around MX$483,498 in Mexico for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Mexico?

With 20.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Mexico can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Indonesia and Mexico.

Is Mexico safe for expats?

Indonesia performs better than Mexico across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Mexico is 26.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Indonesia. About 38% of people in Mexico feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Mexico compared to Indonesia?

Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Mexico, compared to 6.9 in Indonesia. Mexico scores 75 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Indonesia: 55).

What's the weather like in Mexico compared to Indonesia?

The average high temperature in Mexico City is 74°F, compared to 89°F in Jakarta. Mexico City receives around 32.1 in of rainfall per year, while Jakarta gets 65.2 in.

What language do they speak in Mexico?

The official language in Mexico is Spanish. In Indonesia, the official language is Indonesian.

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At a Glance

ID MX
Population 277,329,163 129,150,971
Currency Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) Mexican Peso (MX$)
Languages Indonesian Spanish
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +62 +52
Time zones 3 3
Emergency number 112 911