Moving to Indonesia from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia? Here's how the two countries compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 33.5% cheaper than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR282,923 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly IDR856,925,445 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.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
SAR282,923 → IDR856,925,445
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 33.1% less
Groceries
pay 5.4% less
Transportation
pay 30.8% less
Housing
pay 52.9% less
Childcare
pay 38.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.6% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Saudi Arabia to Indonesia.
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
- · · ·
-
17.2,378
Saudi Arabia
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Indonesia compared to Saudi Arabia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Indonesia performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics.
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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Saudi Arabia 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
Indonesia performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Indonesia leads in water stress level.
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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on employment & economy, though Indonesia 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
Saudi Arabia performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, 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 | Riyadh | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia 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.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia?
On average Indonesia is about 36% less expensive than Saudi Arabia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Indonesia?
Budget about IDR214,231,361 for 3 months in Indonesia (based on a SAR282,923 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, rental deposit, 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?
Indonesia performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia 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 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
