Moving to Sweden from Indonesia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Indonesia to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 2.7 times more expensive than Indonesia overall. A IDR1,400,000,000 salary in Indonesia would need to be roughly SEK2,080,000 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Stockholm averages 52°F vs 89°F in Jakarta, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Sweden cheaper than Indonesia?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 5.7 times more

Groceries

pay 77.9% more

Transportation

pay 2.9 times more

Housing

pay 3.2 times more

Childcare

pay 23.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.0 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 IDR = 0.0005 SEK (October 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.

What salary do you need in Sweden?

What does your salary buy?

IDR1,400,000,000 → SEK2,080,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden

Calculate with your salary →

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 Sweden cost about 88% more than cities in Indonesia.

Indonesia

Ubud 35%
Bekasi 25%
Tangerang 24%
Malang 23%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
239 ↑ 40% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Sweden?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

ID
0.3
SE
1.1
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

ID
63%
SE
73%

Sweden generally does better on safety, though Indonesia leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

ID
$417
SE
$7,770
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

ID
5.2
SE
44.1

Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden 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
SE
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ID
2.9t
SE
3.6t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ID
4.9
SE
40.6
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ID
29.7%
SE
3.6%

Sweden performs significantly better than Indonesia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ID
3.2%
SE
8.7%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

ID
$5,060
SE
$63,133

Indonesia generally does better on employment & economy, though Sweden leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

ID
71.3 yrs
SE
84.1 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ID
15.2
SE
2.0

Sweden performs significantly better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (2016), Skatteverket (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Sweden vs Indonesia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Stockholm Rain: 21.5 in/yr (546 mm)
52° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Jakarta Stockholm
Jan–Mar 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) 69°/56°F (21°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) 43°/36°F (6°/2°C)
View all months
Month Jakarta Stockholm
Jan 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C)
Feb 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C)
Mar 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C)
Apr 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C)
May 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C)
Jun 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C)
Jul 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C)
Aug 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C)
Sep 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C)
Oct 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C)
Nov 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C)
Dec 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C)

Data: Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)

Can you move from Indonesia to Sweden?

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

Indonesia passport

Indonesia passport holder visiting Sweden

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

Sweden passport holder visiting Indonesia

Visa on Arrival
Sweden 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 Sweden than Indonesia?

Day-to-day costs in Sweden run about 170% higher than Indonesia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Sweden?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a IDR1,400,000,000 comparable salary, that's around SEK520,000 in Sweden for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Sweden?

With 40.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Sweden 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 Sweden.

Is Sweden safe for expats?

Sweden generally does better on safety, though Indonesia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.3 in Indonesia. About 73% of people in Sweden feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Indonesia?

Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 5.2 in Indonesia. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Indonesia: 55).

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

The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 89°F in Jakarta. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Jakarta gets 65.2 in.

What language do they speak in Sweden?

The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Indonesia, the official language is Indonesian.

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At a Glance

ID SE
Population 285,721,236 10,596,620
Currency Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) Swedish Krona (SEK)
Languages Indonesian Swedish
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +62 +46
Time zones 3 1
Emergency number 112 112