Moving to Indonesia from Kenya
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Kenya to Indonesia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Kenya to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 13.4% more expensive than Kenya overall. A KES9,705,750 salary in Kenya would need to be roughly IDR1,542,939,910 in Indonesia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Indonesian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jakarta averages 89°F vs 74°F in Nairobi, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Kenya to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
KES9,705,750 → IDR1,542,939,910
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 29.3% less
Groceries
pay 52.4% more
Transportation
pay 35.9% less
Housing
pay 31.0% more
Childcare
pay 29.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.9% less
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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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Kenya to Indonesia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Indonesia performs significantly better than Kenya 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 Kenya leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Kenya performs better than Indonesia 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
Indonesia performs significantly better than Kenya 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
Indonesia generally does better on employment & economy, though Kenya 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 Kenya leads in education spending.
Data: Revenue Authority, 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 | Nairobi | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nairobi | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Kenya Meteorological Department,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kenya and Indonesia. To live, work, or study long-term in Indonesia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Indonesia's immigration authority.
Kenya passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting Kenya
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 Indonesia than Kenya?
No — Indonesia is on average about 15% more expensive than Kenya. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Indonesia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly IDR385,734,978 in Indonesia on a KES9,705,750 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, deposits, visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Indonesia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Indonesia has 4.9 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 Indonesia safe for expats?
Indonesia performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Kenya.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Kenya?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kenya leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 6.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 1.0 in Kenya. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kenya: 53).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Kenya?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 74°F in Nairobi. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Nairobi gets 40.3 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Kenya, the official languages are English and Swahili.
