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 73.2% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €67,000 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly IDR364,000,000 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 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Indonesia cheaper than Netherlands?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 87.9% less

Groceries

pay 41.9% less

Transportation

pay 73.0% less

Housing

pay 81.5% less

Childcare

pay 80.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 67.3% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 20283.45 IDR (October 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.

What salary do you need in Indonesia?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → IDR364,000,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia

Calculate with your salary →

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 59% less than cities in Netherlands.

Netherlands

Rotterdam 68%
Arnhem 63%

Indonesia

Ubud 35%
Bekasi 25%
Tangerang 24%
Malang 23%

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 World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

NL
0.7
ID
0.3
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 World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

NL
38.8
ID
5.2

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 World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NL
43.0
ID
4.9
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NL
16.7%
ID
29.7%

Netherlands performs better than Indonesia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NL
3.9%
ID
3.2%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

NL
$73,684
ID
$5,060

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

NL
82.0 yrs
ID
71.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NL
3.4
ID
15.2

Netherlands performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst (2016), Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Indonesia vs Netherlands

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)

Can you move from Netherlands to Indonesia?

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 73% 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around IDR91,000,000 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 0.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 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 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 38.8 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 18,087,633 285,721,236
Currency Euro (€) Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Languages Dutch Indonesian
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +31 +62
Time zones 1 3
Emergency number 112 112