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 41.7% cheaper than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly IDR765,000,000 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 71°F in Johannesburg, 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 South Africa?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 70.4% less
Groceries
pay 6.8% less
Transportation
pay 56.7% less
Housing
pay 47.0% less
Childcare
pay 12.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 32.5% 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?
ZAR1,200,000 → IDR765,000,000
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 32% less than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa 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
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
share of households with internet
South Africa 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
share of people below the poverty line
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.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), South African Revenue Service (2017), Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Indonesia vs South Africa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Johannesburg | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/45°F (19°/7°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 67°/44°F (20°/7°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Johannesburg | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.7°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 77°/57°F (25.1°/14.1°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 75°/56°F (24.0°/13.1°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 70°/51°F (21.1°/10.3°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 66°/45°F (18.9°/7.2°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 61°/39°F (16.0°/4.1°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 62°/39°F (16.7°/4.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 67°/43°F (19.4°/6.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 73°/49°F (22.8°/9.3°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 75°/52°F (23.8°/11.2°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 76°/55°F (24.2°/12.7°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 77°/57°F (25.2°/13.9°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Can you move from South Africa to Indonesia?
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 42% 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 ZAR1,200,000 comparable salary, that's around IDR191,250,000 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 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 0.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa. About 63% of people in Indonesia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to South Africa?
Indonesia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 7.9 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 71°F in Johannesburg. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Johannesburg gets 28.1 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 | 64,747,319 | 285,721,236 |
| 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 |