Moving to Switzerland from Indonesia

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Indonesia to Switzerland, you would find that Switzerland is 7.3 times more expensive than Indonesia overall. A IDR1,336,773,750 salary in Indonesia would need to be roughly CHF225,504 in Switzerland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bern averages 55°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 Switzerland.

What does your salary buy?

IDR1,336,773,750 CHF225,504

To maintain the same standard of living in Switzerland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 12.0 times more

Groceries

pay 3.3 times more

Transportation

pay 6.6 times more

Housing

pay 5.7 times more

Childcare

pay 15.9 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.8 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 IDR = 0.0 CHF (June 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
253 ↓ 14% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Switzerland?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Indonesia and Switzerland 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
CH
0.5
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

ID
63%
CH
72%

Switzerland performs significantly better than Indonesia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ID
$417
CH
$10,602
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ID
6.9
CH
44.4

Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland 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
CH
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ID
2.9t
CH
3.7t

Indonesia generally does better on environment, though Switzerland 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
CH
47.1
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ID
29.7%
CH
6.5%

Switzerland performs significantly better than Indonesia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

ID
3.4%
CH
4.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

ID
$14,100
CH
$82,900

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

ID
73.1 yrs
CH
83.2 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ID
19.7
CH
3.6

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

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

Bern Rain: 42.8 in/yr (1086 mm)
55° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Jakarta Bern
Jan–Mar 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C)
Apr–Jun 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) 62°/45°F (17°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) 70°/53°F (21°/12°C)
Oct–Dec 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) 46°/36°F (8°/2°C)
View all months
Month Jakarta Bern
Jan 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C)
Feb 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C)
Mar 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C)
Apr 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C)
May 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C)
Jun 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C)
Jul 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C)
Aug 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C)
Sep 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C)
Oct 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C)
Nov 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C)
Dec 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C)

Data: Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Indonesia passport

Indonesia passport holder visiting Switzerland

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

Switzerland passport holder visiting Indonesia

Visa on Arrival
Switzerland 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 Switzerland than Indonesia?

Day-to-day costs in Switzerland run about 285% higher than Indonesia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Switzerland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a IDR1,336,773,750 comparable salary, that's around CHF56,376 in Switzerland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Switzerland?

With 47.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Switzerland 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 Switzerland.

Is Switzerland safe for expats?

Switzerland performs significantly better than Indonesia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Switzerland is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Indonesia. About 72% of people in Switzerland feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Switzerland compared to Indonesia?

Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 44.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Switzerland, compared to 6.9 in Indonesia. Switzerland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Indonesia: 55).

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

The average high temperature in Bern is 55°F, compared to 89°F in Jakarta. Bern receives around 42.8 in of rainfall per year, while Jakarta gets 65.2 in.

What language do they speak in Switzerland?

The official languages in Switzerland are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German. In Indonesia, the official language is Indonesian.

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At a Glance

ID CH
Population 277,329,163 8,508,698
Currency Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) Swiss Franc (CHF)
Languages Indonesian French, Italian, Romansh, Swiss German
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +62 +41
Time zones 3 1
Emergency number 112 112