Moving to Indonesia from South Africa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Africa to Indonesia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Africa to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 23.4% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,218,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly IDR1,123,478,130 in Indonesia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Indonesian. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Jakarta averages 89°F vs 77°F in Pretoria, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Africa to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,218,000 → IDR1,123,478,130
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 55.2% less
Groceries
pay 7.9% more
Transportation
pay 40.0% less
Housing
pay 43.9% less
Childcare
pay 5.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.7% 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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Key Indicator Comparison
How South Africa and Indonesia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Indonesia performs significantly better than South Africa 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
South Africa 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
South Africa 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
Indonesia generally does better on infrastructure, though South Africa 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
Indonesia generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Indonesia generally does better on family life, though South Africa leads in education spending.
Data: South African Revenue Service, 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 | Pretoria | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa 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.
South Africa passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting South Africa
Visa Online (e-Visa)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 South Africa?
Generally yes: Indonesia runs about 16% cheaper than South Africa 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 ZAR1,218,000 comparable salary, that's around IDR280,869,532 in Indonesia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 South Africa and Indonesia.
Is Indonesia safe for expats?
Indonesia performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 45.5 in South Africa. About 63% of people in Indonesia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to South Africa?
South Africa 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 8.1 in South Africa. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Indonesia
At a Glance
ZA
|
ID
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,516,665 | 277,329,163 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Indonesian |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +27 | +62 |
| Time zones | 1 | 3 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 112 |