Moving to Indonesia from New Jersey

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from New Jersey to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 65.3% cheaper than New Jersey. A $75,000 salary in New Jersey would need to be roughly IDR498,298,564 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 63°F in Trenton, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 IDR498,298,564

To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 81.7% less

Groceries

pay 54.4% less

Transportation

pay 51.0% less

Housing

pay 76.5% less

Childcare

pay 86.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 69.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 17826.3 IDR (June 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 68% less than cities in New Jersey.

New Jersey

Princeton 87%

Indonesia

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
12,697 ↑ 5% vs 2015

people born in United States 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 New Jersey and Indonesia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

NJ
30.0%
ID
6.9%

Indonesia performs significantly better than New Jersey across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

NJ
91.9%
ID
62.0%

New Jersey performs better than Indonesia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NJ
4.5%
ID
3.4%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

NJ
$70,788
ID
$14,100

New Jersey generally does better on employment & economy, though Indonesia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

NJ
77.5 yrs
ID
73.1 yrs

New Jersey performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Trenton Rain: 46.5 in/yr (1180 mm)
63° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Trenton Jakarta
Jan–Mar 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C) 87°/76°F (31°/25°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) 90°/77°F (32°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) 90°/77°F (32°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/36°F (12°/2°C) 90°/77°F (32°/25°C)
View all months
Month Trenton Jakarta
Jan 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C) 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C)
Feb 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C) 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C)
Mar 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C) 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C)
Apr 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C) 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C)
May 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C) 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C)
Jun 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C) 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C)
Jul 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C) 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C)
Aug 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C) 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C)
Sep 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C) 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C)
Oct 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C) 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C)
Nov 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C) 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C)
Dec 43°/28°F (6.2°/-2.4°C) 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Indonesia

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

Indonesia passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Indonesia passport holders need a visa to enter United States.

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 New Jersey?

Generally yes: Indonesia runs about 63% cheaper than New Jersey 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around IDR124,574,641 in Indonesia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Indonesia?

Working remotely from Indonesia's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in New Jersey and Indonesia.

How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to New Jersey?

Indonesia performs significantly better than New Jersey across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to New Jersey?

The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 63°F in Trenton. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Trenton gets 46.5 in.

What language do they speak in Indonesia?

The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In New Jersey, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

ID
Population 8,791,894 277,329,163
Currency United States Dollar ($) Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Languages English Indonesian
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +1 +62
Time zones 11 3
Emergency number 911 112