Moving to Indonesia from Netherlands

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Netherlands to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 63.5% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €65,577 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly IDR507,053,637 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 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Netherlands to Indonesia.

What does your salary buy?

€65,577 IDR507,053,637

To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 85.2% less

Groceries

pay 37.7% less

Transportation

pay 68.0% less

Housing

pay 74.8% less

Childcare

pay 68.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 65.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 20520.78 IDR (July 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.

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 62% less than cities in Netherlands.

Netherlands

Rotterdam 72%
Eindhoven 67%
Zwolle 62%

Indonesia

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
7,306 ↑ 5% vs 2015

people born in Netherlands live in Indonesia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Indonesia?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Netherlands and Indonesia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

NL
0.8
ID
0.6
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NL
3.4
ID
11.3

Netherlands generally does better on safety, though Indonesia leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

NL
$8,195
ID
$417
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

NL
39.1
ID
6.9

Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands 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

NL
13.0
ID
58.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NL
6.6t
ID
2.9t

Netherlands generally does better on environment, though Indonesia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NL
44.4
ID
4.9
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NL
16.1%
ID
29.7%

Netherlands performs 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

NL
3.6%
ID
3.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NL
$69,300
ID
$14,100

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

NL
82.2 yrs
ID
73.1 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NL
3.4
ID
19.7

Netherlands performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.

Data: Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Amsterdam Rain: 30.7 in/yr (780 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

Jakarta Rain: 65.2 in/yr (1655 mm)
89° / 77°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amsterdam Jakarta
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 87°/76°F (31°/25°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 90°/77°F (32°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) 90°/77°F (32°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 90°/77°F (32°/25°C)
View all months
Month Amsterdam Jakarta
Jan 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C)
Feb 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C)
Mar 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C)
Apr 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C)
May 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C)
Jun 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C)
Sep 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C)
Oct 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C)
Nov 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C)

Data: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.

Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting Indonesia

Visa on Arrival
Netherlands passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Indonesia.
Indonesia passport

Indonesia passport holder visiting Netherlands

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

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 Indonesia than Netherlands?

Generally yes: Indonesia runs about 62% cheaper than Netherlands on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Indonesia?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,577 comparable salary, that's around IDR126,763,409 in Indonesia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Indonesia?

With 4.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Indonesia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Netherlands and Indonesia.

Is Indonesia safe for expats?

Netherlands generally does better on safety, though Indonesia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Netherlands.

How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Netherlands?

Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 6.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 39.1 in Netherlands. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.

What language do they speak in Indonesia?

The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.

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At a Glance

NL ID
Population 17,400,824 277,329,163
Currency Euro (€) Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Languages Dutch Indonesian
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +31 +62
Time zones 1 3
Emergency number 112 112