Moving to Indonesia from Washington
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Washington to Indonesia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Washington to Indonesia, you would find that Indonesia is 63.0% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly IDR554,700,977 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 60°F in Olympia, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Washington to Indonesia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → IDR554,700,977
To maintain the same standard of living in Indonesia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 81.6% less
Groceries
pay 47.2% less
Transportation
pay 54.5% less
Housing
pay 77.2% less
Childcare
pay 85.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 68.9% 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 65% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Washington to Indonesia, and how the trend has changed.
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
- · · ·
-
8.12,697
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
How Washington and Indonesia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Indonesia performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Washington 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
share of people below the poverty line
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Indonesia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Washington performs better than Indonesia across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Olympia | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 87°/76°F (31°/25°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 86°/76°F (29.9°/24.2°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 87°/76°F (30.3°/24.3°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 89°/77°F (31.5°/25.2°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/25.1°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 89°/77°F (31.4°/24.8°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.1°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 91°/78°F (33.0°/25.5°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 91°/78°F (32.7°/25.5°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 88°/77°F (31.3°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) | 90°/77°F (32.0°/24.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Indonesia
Visa on Arrival
Indonesia passport holder visiting United States
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 Washington?
Generally yes: Indonesia runs about 59% cheaper than Washington 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around IDR138,675,244 in Indonesia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Indonesia?
Working remotely from Indonesia's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Washington and Indonesia.
How is healthcare in Indonesia compared to Washington?
Indonesia performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Indonesia compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Jakarta is 89°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Jakarta receives around 65.2 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
What language do they speak in Indonesia?
The official language in Indonesia is Indonesian. In Washington, the official language is English.
