Moving to Indonesia from Philippines
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Philippines to Indonesia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Philippines to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 7.2% cheaper than Philippines overall. A ₱4,607,663 salary in Philippines would need to be roughly IDR1,257,303,366 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.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Philippines to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
₱4,607,663 → IDR1,257,303,366
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 21.6% less
Groceries
pay 17.9% less
Transportation
pay 1.6% more
Housing
pay 12.8% less
Childcare
pay 6.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.3% more
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 20% less than cities in Philippines.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Philippines to Indonesia, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Indonesia?
Top countries of origin for Indonesia's foreign-born residents.
- 76,028
- 33,580
- 32,911
- 23,681
- 23,681
- 23,681
- · · ·
-
14.4,230
Philippines
Key Indicator Comparison
How Philippines and Indonesia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Philippines 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
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indonesia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Philippines generally does better on environment, though Indonesia leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Philippines generally does better on infrastructure, though Indonesia leads in electricity per capita.
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 Philippines leads in unemployment 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
Philippines generally does better on family life, though Indonesia leads in life expectancy.
Data: Bureau of Internal Revenue, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Manila | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Manila | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Philippines 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.
Philippines passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa Free
Indonesia passport holder visiting Philippines
Visa FreeData: 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 Philippines?
Generally yes: Indonesia runs about 7% cheaper than Philippines 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 ₱4,607,663 comparable salary, that's around IDR314,325,842 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 Philippines and Indonesia.
Is Indonesia safe for expats?
Philippines 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 4.3 in Philippines.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Philippines?
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indonesia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 6.9 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 7.9 in Philippines. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Philippines: 58).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Philippines?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 88°F in Manila. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Manila gets 86.7 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Philippines, the official languages are English and Filipino.
