Moving to Thailand from Indonesia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Indonesia to Thailand — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Indonesia to Thailand, you would find that Thailand is 62.6% more expensive than Indonesia overall. A IDR1,345,683,750 salary in Indonesia would need to be roughly THB3,427,642 in Thailand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Thai.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Indonesia to Thailand.
What does your salary buy?
IDR1,345,683,750 → THB3,427,642
To maintain the same standard of living in Thailand
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 52.0% more
Groceries
pay 19.2% more
Transportation
pay 100.0% more
Housing
pay 30.6% more
Childcare
pay 2.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 63.7% 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 Thailand cost about 32% more than cities in Indonesia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Indonesia to Thailand, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Indonesia to Thailand.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Indonesia generally does better on safety, though Thailand leads in feel safe walking at night.
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 Thailand 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
Indonesia generally does better on environment, though Thailand leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Thailand 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
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Thailand generally does better on employment & economy, though Indonesia leads in top income tax rate.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Indonesia generally does better on family life, though Thailand leads in life expectancy.
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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Jakarta | Bangkok |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 93°/78°F (34°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 89°/73°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jakarta | Bangkok |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) | 90°/70°F (32.0°/21.0°C) |
| Feb | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.3°C) |
| Mar | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) | 93°/77°F (33.7°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) | 95°/79°F (34.9°/26.1°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) | 93°/78°F (34.0°/25.6°C) |
| Jun | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) | 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.0°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) | 90°/76°F (32.3°/24.6°C) |
| Oct | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) | 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.3°C) |
| Nov | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.1°C) |
| Dec | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) | 88°/69°F (31.3°/20.8°C) |
Data:
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG),
Thai Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Indonesia and Thailand. To live, work, or study long-term in Thailand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Thailand's immigration authority.
Indonesia passport holder visiting Thailand
Visa Free
Thailand passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Thailand than Indonesia?
No — Thailand is on average about 36% more expensive than Indonesia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Thailand?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly THB856,910 in Thailand on a IDR1,345,683,750 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Thailand?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Thailand has 17.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Thailand safe for expats?
Indonesia generally does better on safety, though Thailand leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Thailand is 4.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Indonesia. About 67% of people in Thailand feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Thailand compared to Indonesia?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Thailand leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 9.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Thailand, compared to 6.9 in Indonesia. Thailand scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Indonesia: 55).
What's the weather like in Thailand compared to Indonesia?
The average high temperature in Bangkok is 91°F, compared to 89°F in Jakarta. Bangkok receives around 59.0 in of rainfall per year, while Jakarta gets 65.2 in.
What language do they speak in Thailand?
The official language in Thailand is Thai. In Indonesia, the official language is Indonesian.
