Moving to Indonesia from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Indonesia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 79.8% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly IDR269,000,000 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 55°F in Bern, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Switzerland to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → IDR269,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 91.2% less
Groceries
pay 57.8% less
Transportation
pay 74.9% less
Housing
pay 85.2% less
Childcare
pay 90.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 78.5% 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.
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 69% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Indonesia
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland 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 Switzerland 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
Switzerland performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bern | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Switzerland?
Generally yes: Indonesia runs about 80% cheaper than Switzerland 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 CHF62,000 comparable salary, that's around IDR67,250,000 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 Switzerland and Indonesia.
Is Indonesia safe for expats?
Switzerland 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 0.6 in Switzerland. About 63% of people in Indonesia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indonesia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Indonesia, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
