What if you were born in Indonesia?

If you had grown up in Indonesia instead of Pakistan, here is what your money, your home and your day in Jakarta could look like.

Try it with my numbers

Rice terraces in Bali. Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Three alternate lives in Indonesia

Each person keeps the same place on the income ladder they have in Pakistan. Amounts are per month, after tax, in IDR and in rupees at today’s rate.

Single, starting out

Earns Rs 60,000 a month in Pakistan, on your own.

Take-home in Indonesia: IDR 6,050,000Rs 92,300
Rent (city centre): IDR 1,750,000
Transport (public transport): IDR 411,000
Food: IDR 874,000
Saved: IDR 907,000

Family of four

Earns Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, as a family of four.

Take-home in Indonesia: IDR 13,900,000Rs 212,000
Rent (suburbs): IDR 3,540,000
Transport (public transport): IDR 945,000
Food: IDR 2,360,000
Saved: IDR 2,080,000

High-earning couple

Earns Rs 300,000 a month in Pakistan, as a couple.

Take-home in Indonesia: IDR 22,520,000Rs 344,000
Rent (city centre): IDR 5,510,000
Transport (car): IDR 2,110,000
Food: IDR 2,760,000
Saved: IDR 6,310,000

Try it with my own income

A day in Jakarta

The family of four above, with one parent working as an engineer.

Morning
You wake up in Jakarta, a city of mild winters around 27°C and warm summers around 28°C, and an umbrella is never far away.
Commute
Public transport is limited here, so you share rides or use taxis and buses for a longer commute.
Work
As an engineer: You spend the morning on site and the afternoon on drawings and calls with suppliers.
Language
Everything happens in Indonesian; English is not widely spoken.
Lunch
Lunch might be nasi goreng (fried rice) and rendang, a slow-cooked spicy beef.
Evening
You get home with IDR 2,080,000 saved each month. Walking home late feels completely normal here.
Weekend
Weekends are for the coast, the mountains and forest trails.

Indonesia compared with Pakistan

	Indonesia	Pakistan
Prices of everyday things	1.3× Pakistan	1×
Average life expectancy	71 years	68 years
Air pollution (PM2.5)	21 µg/m³	58 µg/m³
Unemployment	3.2%	5.4%
Average temperature, main city	27°C	26°C
Languages	Indonesian	Urdu, English, regional languages
Currency	IDR	PKR

Sources: World Bank (price levels, household spending, life expectancy, PM2.5, unemployment), NASA POWER (climate), Dareecha’s daily exchange rates.

Thinking of really moving? See Pakistan vs Indonesia, living in Indonesia and the visa checker.

Questions

How much would I earn if I was born in Indonesia?

It depends on where you are on the ladder. A family earning Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, above the national average, would take home around IDR 13,900,000 a month at the same level in Indonesia (about Rs 212,000 at today's rate). Try your own numbers in the simulator.

Is Indonesia more expensive than Pakistan?

Yes. Everyday goods and services cost about 1.3 times as much as in Pakistan (World Bank price levels), but incomes there are higher too, so what matters is how far your pay goes.

What language would I speak in Indonesia?

Mainly Indonesian. English is not widely spoken.

Can I actually move to Indonesia?

This page imagines being born there. For a real move, compare costs, safety and jobs on the Pakistan vs Indonesia page, and check visa rules in the visa checker.