Moving to Indonesia from Mexico
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Mexico to Indonesia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Mexico to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 47.7% cheaper than Mexico overall. A MX$1,400,000 salary in Mexico would need to be roughly IDR712,000,000 in Indonesia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Indonesian. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jakarta averages 89°F vs 74°F in Mexico City, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Mexico to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
MX$1,400,000 → IDR712,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 76.0% less
Groceries
pay 29.6% less
Transportation
pay 46.7% less
Housing
pay 52.4% less
Childcare
pay 26.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 41.1% 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.
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 Indonesia cost about 31% less than cities in Mexico.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Mexico to Indonesia.
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 performs significantly better than Mexico 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico 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
Mexico generally does better on environment, though Indonesia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Mexico 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
share of people below the poverty line
Mexico 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
Mexico generally does better on family life, though Indonesia leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Servicio de Administración Tributaria, SHCP (2016), Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Mexico City | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/45°F (23°/7°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/53°F (26°/12°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 71°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Mexico City | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/42°F (21.2°/5.8°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 73°/45°F (22.9°/7.1°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 78°/49°F (25.7°/9.2°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.8°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 80°/53°F (26.5°/11.7°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 76°/54°F (24.6°/12.2°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 73°/53°F (23.0°/11.5°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 74°/53°F (23.3°/11.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.3°/11.5°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 72°/50°F (22.2°/9.8°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 69°/44°F (20.8°/6.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Coordinación General del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Mexico 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.
Mexico passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting Mexico
Visa RequiredData: 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 Mexico?
Yes — Indonesia is on average about 48% cheaper than Mexico. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Indonesia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly IDR178,000,000 in Indonesia on a MX$1,400,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and 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 Mexico across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 24.9 in Mexico. About 63% of people in Indonesia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Mexico?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Mexico leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 25.9 in Mexico. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Mexico: 75).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Mexico?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 74°F in Mexico City. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Mexico City gets 32.1 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Mexico, the official language is Spanish.
