Moving to Indonesia from Vietnam
What to Expect
Considering a move from Vietnam to Indonesia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Vietnam to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 12.7% cheaper than Vietnam overall. A ₫1,900,000,000 salary in Vietnam would need to be roughly IDR1,150,000,000 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.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Vietnam and Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
₫1,900,000,000 → IDR1,150,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 14.6% less
Groceries
pay 6.0% more
Transportation
pay 6.9% less
Housing
pay 23.7% less
Childcare
pay 60.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.1% 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 15% less than cities in Vietnam.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Indonesia compared to Vietnam.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Indonesia performs significantly better than Vietnam 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
Vietnam 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
Vietnam 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
Vietnam 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
Vietnam generally does better on employment & economy, though Indonesia leads in top income tax 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
Vietnam performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance (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 | Hanoi | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Hanoi | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/58°F (20.0°/14.6°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 70°/61°F (21.3°/16.2°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 74°/66°F (23.5°/18.7°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 82°/71°F (27.7°/21.9°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 89°/76°F (31.7°/24.5°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 93°/79°F (33.8°/26.3°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 92°/80°F (33.3°/26.5°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.8°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.7°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 85°/72°F (29.6°/22.4°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 79°/67°F (26.3°/19.2°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 72°/60°F (22.1°/15.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Vietnam 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.
Vietnam passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa Free
Indonesia passport holder visiting Vietnam
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 Vietnam?
On average Indonesia is about 13% less expensive than Vietnam, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Indonesia?
Budget about IDR287,500,000 for 3 months in Indonesia (based on a ₫1,900,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and 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 Vietnam across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Indonesia is 0.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Vietnam.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Vietnam?
Vietnam 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 11.1 in Vietnam. Indonesia scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Vietnam: 68).
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Vietnam?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 82°F in Hanoi. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Hanoi gets 64.1 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Vietnam, the official language is Vietnamese.
