Moving to United Arab Emirates from Indonesia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Indonesia to United Arab Emirates — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Indonesia to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 2.7 times more expensive than Indonesia overall. A IDR1,336,773,750 salary in Indonesia would need to be roughly AED625,530 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Indonesia to United Arab Emirates.
What does your salary buy?
IDR1,336,773,750 → AED625,530
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.6 times more
Groceries
pay 24.0% more
Transportation
pay 2.4 times more
Housing
pay 4.6 times more
Childcare
pay 3.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.4 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Indonesia to United Arab Emirates, and how the trend has changed.
people born in Indonesia live in United Arab Emirates · UN DESA
Who's moving to United Arab Emirates?
Top countries of origin for United Arab Emirates's foreign-born residents.
- 3,471,300
- 1,095,231
- 996,288
- 899,612
- 564,769
-
6.318,809
Indonesia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Indonesia and United Arab Emirates stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Indonesia across all safety metrics.
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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates 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 performs better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Indonesia leads in water stress level.
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
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Indonesia across all employment & economy metrics.
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
United Arab Emirates 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.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Jakarta | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jakarta | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) |
| Feb | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) |
| Mar | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) |
| Apr | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) |
| May | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) |
| Jun | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) |
| Sep | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) |
| Oct | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) |
| Nov | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) |
| Dec | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) |
Data:
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Indonesia and United Arab Emirates. To live, work, or study long-term in United Arab Emirates, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Arab Emirates's immigration authority.
Indonesia passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa Online (e-Visa)
United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates than Indonesia?
Day-to-day costs in United Arab Emirates run about 127% higher than Indonesia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?
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 AED156,382 in United Arab Emirates for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United Arab Emirates?
With 40.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates.
Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?
United Arab Emirates performs significantly better than Indonesia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Indonesia.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Indonesia?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 29.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 6.9 in Indonesia. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Indonesia: 55).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Indonesia?
The average high temperature in Abu Dhabi is 93°F, compared to 89°F in Jakarta. Abu Dhabi receives around 3.5 in of rainfall per year, while Jakarta gets 65.2 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Indonesia, the official language is Indonesian.
