Moving to
Indonesia
Moving to Indonesia: one person needs about $1,300/month in Bali (a family about $2,900), the top personal income-tax rate is 35% — roughly $43,710 take-home on a $60,000 salary — and it offers a digital-nomad visa. Permanent residency takes about 3 years, and citizenship about 5.
Bali living means cheap comfort, year-round warmth and the densest digital-nomad scene in Asia — Canggu alone has dozens of coworking spaces and surf breaks minutes apart. The tradeoff is real: gridlocked traffic, a construction boom eating the rice fields, and 2026 tax rules that now bite. People come for the low cost, the surf and a wellness-and-community lifestyle that's hard to replicate elsewhere.
Last updated August 2026 · How we calculate this
Indonesia by the numbers
Relative scores across cost, safety, healthcare, quality of life and connectivity (higher is better).
Why move to Indonesia
- Low cost of living
- Massive digital-nomad community
- Year-round warmth and surf
The catch
- Brutal traffic, chaotic roads
- E33G needs $60K income proof
- Nomad visa is one year, non-renewable
Take-home pay
Net salary in Indonesia on a $60k gross, after income tax and social security:
Progressive PPh (USD-converted bands) + small BPJS contributions.
Cost of living · Bali
Average all-in monthly cost in USD — estimates for guidance.
Compare cities →Visa & residency
E33G remote-worker KITAS needs ~$60k/yr foreign income for up to 1 year; new 2025 rules can trigger Indonesian tax residency from day one.
Typical income requirement: $5,000/month.
The E33G remote-worker KITAS gives one year (non-renewable, ~$60K income proof plus ~$2K in recent bank statements); for the long haul most expats switch to a retirement KITAS (age 55+), an investor/company KITAS via a PT PMA, or marriage to an Indonesian.
How can I move here? → Do I qualify? →Economy & everyday life
GDP-per-capita PPP of about $17,660 is low, so Western remote income stretches a long way — Bali and Jakarta run cheap on rent, food, and services. Inflation is tame at 1.9% (down from a 4.2% spike in 2022), so prices feel stable while your foreign currency does the heavy lifting against a soft rupiah. Life expectancy is 71.3, the lowest in this group; public hospitals are basic, so expats almost universally buy private international cover and fly to Singapore or Bangkok for anything serious.
Healthcare
World Bank data, most recent available — shows how well the system is resourced, not what you'll personally pay.
Safety
US State Department advisory level, country-wide — general guidance, not neighbourhood-specific. Full advisory →
Education
World Bank data, most recent available — learning score reflects harmonised international test performance.
Connectivity
World Bank data, most recent available.
Getting a passport
Compare all countries →KITAP after ~3 yrs KITAS; naturalisation is discretionary (presidential), requires Bahasa proficiency and renouncing prior citizenship.
By residence — confirm with the official authority.
Best time to go
Full climate →Average daily temperature by month · 2023 (Open-Meteo).
Where expats live in Indonesia
Cost of living by city
All cities →All-in monthly cost for one person — tap a city for the full breakdown. Figures are averages, for guidance.
Living in Indonesia
Healthcare
Decent private hospitals (BIMC, Siloam) in the Denpasar-Kuta triangle with English-speaking staff and cheap cash consultations, but expats carry international insurance and fly to Singapore for anything serious.
Money & banking
A local bank account requires a KITAS residence permit, so nomads on tourist stamps live on foreign cards and cash — ATMs are everywhere but skimming happens and it's still a cash economy.
Internet
Canggu and Ubud have fiber up to ~200 Mbps and coworking spaces (Dojo, Outpost) running 50-100+ Mbps, but power cuts push many nomads to keep a Starlink or Telkomsel 4G backup.
Etiquette & culture
Greetings, tipping and the taboos to dodge — fit in fast. Open the guide →
On arrival
Full essentials →Getting there
Flight distances →You arrive via Jakarta (CGK) or, for most nomads, Bali's Denpasar (DPS) — both are well-connected regional hubs with dense Asia-Pacific and Middle East links.
Generally safe — usual traveller caution applies.
Dial 112 · police 110 for police, ambulance or fire.
Best for surf-loving remote workers who want cheap tropical living and don't mind chaos and yearly visa resets.
Your move to Indonesia — roadmap
Key terms
- Effective tax rate
- The share of your gross income actually lost to income tax and social contributions combined — almost always lower than the headline top tax bracket.
- Take-home pay
- What actually reaches your account after income tax and employee social contributions are taken off your gross salary.
- Tax residency
- The country entitled to tax your worldwide income — usually where you spend 183 days or more in a year, though the exact test varies by country.
- Permanent residency
- The right to live and work in a country indefinitely — the stage before citizenship, and those years usually count toward naturalization.
- Cost of living
- The all-in monthly spend for one person — rent, food, transport and bills — in the country's main relocation city.
Moving to Indonesia — FAQ
Is there income tax in Indonesia?
Yes. Indonesia taxes income on progressive brackets. On a $60,000 salary the effective rate is about 27.2%, leaving roughly $43,710.
Can digital nomads get a visa for Indonesia?
Yes — E33G remote-worker KITAS needs ~$60k/yr foreign income for up to 1 year; new 2025 rules can trigger Indonesian tax residency from day one.
How do you get residency in Indonesia?
The E33G remote-worker KITAS gives one year (non-renewable, ~$60K income proof plus ~$2K in recent bank statements); for the long haul most expats switch to a retirement KITAS (age 55+), an investor/company KITAS via a PT PMA, or marriage to an Indonesian.
How much does it cost to live in Bali?
A single person needs roughly $1,300/month in Bali, and a family around $2,900/month, all-in.
Is tap water safe to drink in Indonesia?
No — stick to bottled or filtered water in Indonesia.