Moving to Indonesia from Norway
What to Expect
Considering a move from Norway to Indonesia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Norway to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 74.0% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK700,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly IDR353,000,000 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 49°F in Oslo, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Indonesia cheaper than Norway?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 88.6% less
Groceries
pay 57.2% less
Transportation
pay 72.0% less
Housing
pay 80.5% less
Childcare
pay 45.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 75.8% 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.
What salary do you need in Indonesia?
What does your salary buy?
NOK700,000 → IDR353,000,000
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 60% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Indonesia compared to Norway.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway generally does better on safety, though Indonesia leads in homicide rate.
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 Norway 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
Norway 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
Norway performs better than Indonesia 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
share of people below the poverty line
Indonesia generally does better on employment & economy, though Norway leads in gdp per capita.
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
Norway performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Indonesia vs Norway
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Can you move from Norway to Indonesia?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway 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.
Norway passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting Norway
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 Norway?
On average Indonesia is about 74% less expensive than Norway, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Indonesia?
Budget about IDR88,250,000 for 3 months in Indonesia (based on a NOK700,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Indonesia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Indonesia: 4.9 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Indonesia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Indonesia safe for expats?
Norway 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 Norway.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Norway?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Norway leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 49.8 in Norway. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
