Indonesia is one of the fastest growing countries in South-East Asia, with a vibrant local

culture and a rich history of dance, music and crafts. Due to its economy and industry,
Indonesia is also home to a rapidly growing expatriate community and has many things
to offer newcomers. However, like moving to any other country, moving to Indonesia
comes with its own pros and cons. These are a few of the things that you should keep in
mind while living in Indonesia.
Indonesia’s 17,500 islands make it the world’s largest archipelago. This culturally
diverse corner of Southeast Asia maintains a rich tradition of music, art, dance,
storytelling and craft, and offers a rich and varied lifestyle for expats.
Nevertheless, as exciting and exotic as the country is, there are still some downsides to
living in Indonesia. Depending on the origins of an expat, these things may be of little or
no concern, but they are worth considering if thinking of settling in Indonesia.

 Travel Living in Indonesia gives you the opportunity to travel around South East
Asia, to places such as Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Indonesia itself
offers a lot of things to see, including visiting the island of Bali, the Komodo and
Rinca islands, and Sulawesi. If you are a surfing enthusiast, there are some
great options open to you. Sumatra and Bali offer the best beaches for you to
indulge this hobby. You can also visit UNESCO world heritage sites such as the
Borobudur Temple Compounds, Sangiran Early Man Site and the Ujung Kulon
National Park.
 Affordable taxis Taxis are abundant and ridiculously cheap when compared to
the West, and if tipped well the driver will wait for passengers while they do their
shopping. It is very uncommon for expats to drive in Jakarta and most people
employ a driver. A good driver is well worth the cost as they have knowledge of
all the side streets to make travelling around more bearable. Having a driver in
the West would be considered a luxury; here in Indonesia, it is a part of life for
most people with a stable income.
As the center of government, Jakarta also acted as the Culture center. Indonesia
with various culture form its amazing variant of traditional culture supports their
national culture in numerous culture tourism in Jakarta. You just need to know
where to look, but most of them practice and have shown in TMII (Taman Mini
Indonesia Indah) Beautiful Indonesia in miniature.

Jakarta is also the home of other countries cultural center, if you are interested in
learning other country culture, come and live in Jakarta. You can easily find
Italian Cultural center, Geman Center, Japanese and Korean culture center in the
main street of Jakarta. You can learn the language, study their culture and gain
the benefit of applying to their scholarships.
There you have it, some of the most amazing advantages of living in Jakarta. As
the capital city of Indonesia, you will surely experience many positive of having
many things close by.
Due to its popularity, the city attracts many people that come and crowded the
place. However, if you feel the city various advantages are more appealing, you
just might turn the other way of their negatives.
 Food with more than 17000 islands making up the country, Indonesia has a very
vibrant local food culture and if you have an adventurous palate, there are a
number of local specialities for you to enjoy. Redang, nasi goreng and satay,
some of the mainstays of Indonesian food, have been voted amongst the world's
50 most delicious foods in a global reader survey by CNN International in 2011.
Other Indonesian delicacies include sambal, soto, laksa and and bakso.
 Good standard of living Whether it’s food, housing or household help, Indonesia
tends to be very affordable for expats. Your accommodation is likely to be the
largest expense and most expats usually live in parts of Jakarta like Kemang and
Pondok Indah. Household help is far more affordable in Indonesia and most
expats and locals alike have household help. Education for children, however,
tends to be on the expensive side.
For expats, especially women who feel isolated from their compatriots, there are
a number of well-run and established organisations which host weekly meetings,
various events and fundraisers, as well as giving informative talks about the
realities of life as an expat woman in Indonesia. They offer support through their
meetings and network and can give help and advice on any number of issues
that may arise. This may be especially helpful for women who are new to
Indonesia and are trying to get established and settled in a country far away from
their friends and family.
There are various organisations that expats can join to volunteer if they would
like to support one of the myriad charities that work in Indonesia. The very young,
the elderly and the sick are particularly vulnerable.
Eating out is very cheap if alcohol is not included. Shopping for local fresh
produce in the markets and warungs is fun and there are great bargains to be
found. If buying locally and skipping the supermarkets, one can live very cheaply
and well.
Mobile phone tariffs are very good value and broadband or cable is easily
installed and not expensive. To hire household help of any kind, be it household
staff, a gardener,
driver or nanny, the cost is considerably cheaper than in the West. Textiles are
abundant in Indonesia and considered cheap. By finding the right tailor, made-to-
measure clothes become a way of life.
You just finished working, finalizing your proposal or at the end of the school
term, the best way to relieve stress in hanging out with your friends. Jakarta has
the most various and famous hangout places. Even, people from the nearby city
like Bogor, Bandung, and Cilegon come to Jakarta just to hang out. You can
choose between relaxing in best coffee in central jakarta, try some of the social
activities in Jakarta or moreover the night activities in Jakarta that you can have a
go.
Read also:
Recreational Activities in Jakarta Activities for Toddlers in Jakarta Weekend
Activities in Jakarta
If you live in Jakarta, you can have access to various entertainment places.
Jakarta held many music concert and festivals that drew many people.
Many iconic entertainment places in Indonesia is located in Jakarta. These
include Ancol, Monas, and Dufan. These places are very crowded even on
weekdays.
Jakarta even equip their malls with entertainment center for kids like Kidzania or
Panisi. You can easily go to a karaoke restaurant in any malls. Whatever is your
taste of entertainment, Jakarta has it.
 Jakarta is the center of business. All business big and small in certain scale have
an office somewhere in Jakarta. if you live in Jakarta, the good chance is you are
able to create a business, meet many business-related people or even just start
applying as an employee.
The capital city offers a diversity of occupations. This fact also attracts people
from other city trying to find a job in Jakarta.
After the globalization era, more and more foreign worker comes to work in
Indonesia, especially Jakarta. It is really a vibrant city for any workaholic or just
anyone that willing to try their fortune.
 Easy language to learn The national language, Bahasa Indonesia, is relatively
easy to learn since it uses the same alphabet as English and the verbs aren’t
conjugated as they are in English. You should start learning the language before
you get to Indonesia so that you can try out both your vocabulary and accent
when you arrive!

 Nightlife and culture The best place for thriving nightlife is the capital, Jakarta. A
number of the nightclubs feature international acts performing there and you may
even find a band from home performing there! Dance is a very important part of
Indonesian culture and there are number of hotels, especially in Bali, that offer
shows of traditional dance forms such as the Legong, the Baris and the Cecak or
the Monkey Dance.
The nightlife in Indonesian cities is vibrant and modern and there is a thriving
music scene with bands playing almost every night of the week, so it’s not
difficult to have a good time if one knows where to look for it. In Jakarta, the
cultural side of life is very rich with regular art shows, music and film festivals.
International rock bands and famous singers regularly perform gigs hosted in the
city.

Despite alcohol being very expensive, it’s not prohibited and there are many
popular bars and clubs to choose from. There are plenty of excellent places to
eat and drink, or relax with a coffee. Indonesian food is excellent and varied
enough to cater to everyone’s dietary needs. If expats finding themselves craving
Western fast food, there are the usual American fast food joints dotted around
most cities and international food is available in all the major tourist spots.

 Corruption This is one of the main problems plaguing both the government and
expats doing businesses in Indonesia. The government is now taking steps to
counter corruption in the civil and justice systems but progress is slow.
 Traffic Despite being a very populous country, the infrastructure in Indonesia
leaves a lot to be desired. The government is now taking steps to counter
corruption in the civil and justice systems but progress is slow.
One of the greatest disadvantages of living in Jakarta is the traffic. With over 12
million people using the city’s roads daily, congestion is a nightmare and traffic
jams are a normal part of life. The pollution generated by the exhaust fumes
hangs like an umbrella over the city and the public transport system leaves much
to be desired. Motorcycle taxis known as ojeks are good, but not always ideal if
it’s pouring with rain or if one has shopping bags to carry.
 Imported Products If you are craving any favorite supermarket commodities from
your home country, these will probably be quite expensive. As a result, it would
be best if you tried to find local substitutes or have friends who are coming to see
you bring these items for you.
The cost of living really depends on where one comes from and price
comparisons. In general, imported goods, whatever they are, are much more
expensive than Indonesian products. Photographic equipment, clothing, art
supplies and electrical goods can cost a small fortune compared with European
prices.
 Healthcare Most minor medical emergencies can be handled from within
Indonesia. However, for any serious emergencies, Singapore, which has world-
class medical facilities, is just a two-hour flight away. Good private dentists are
available and the dental costs are usually cheaper than what one would expect to
pay in the West.
While you will find that most medical problems can be tackled in Indonesia, you
may still have to visit nearby Singapore for world-class facilities for major
illnesses. You may also find that Indonesia has lower standards of sanitation
than other places you have lived so far, and dengue fever and diarrhoea are
rampant in the country. As a result, you should ensure that you drink bottled
water and be careful about the food you eat so that you don’t have stomach
problems.

Stomach bugs are a part of life in Indonesia and are easily contracted by expats.
Dengue fever is another serious problem, especially in the rainy season, and
internal parasites are not uncommon. Only bottled water should be consumed,
and if possible expats should try not to eat the street food, however tempting it
may look or smell. Fresh juices are sold widely from carts on the roadside in
Indonesia; they are often diluted with water of dubious origin and can cause
serious illness.
  Conservative Environment Indonesia is a secular country by definition, but it is
also the world’s largest Muslim country. Over the past few years, there has been
a slide towards conservative Islam, and this has had an effect on the arts and
culture of the country. There have also been some instances of extremists
bombing places with a large population of Western tourists.
Expats in Indonesia will find themselves having to adjust to and respect the local
customs, whether cultural or religious. Indonesian society is largely Muslim and
conservative. This may take some readjustment, particularly for Western expats.
The dress code is more modest and conservative than what some expats may be
used to. Skirts above the knee are considered indecent, and tighter control over
women's attire is prevalent in Indonesia.
Another thing worth bearing in mind is that Indonesia does not have the drinking
culture that is found in other places, like Europe. Alcohol prices are inflated
compared to most other countries. Bribery and corruption are rife, so be prepared
to carry papers at all times. It is not uncommon to be stopped by police at
random.

1 Philippine peso = 272.73 Indonesian rupiah

1 Philippine peso = 0.019 us dollar
Travel
1. Magkano pasamahe papuntang Indonesia?
7,249 php
2. Gano kalayo yung Indonesia sa Philippines?
1,748 km
3. Ilang oras ang byahe papuntang Indonesia?
3-4 hours
4. Range ng oras ng byahe mo kapag pumunta ka sa mga tourist spot?
4000 idr – 42,000 (15 pesos – 153 pesos) gas 1 liter is 8,731.54 (32 pesos)
5. Magkano dapat pera mo kung magttravel ka doon?
366, 663.00 above
6. Temperature in Indonesia.
22 to 32 degrees Celsius.
Food
1. Magkano pagkain sa Indonesia? Range.
25,000 rp to 150,000 (91.66 php - 549.99 php)
2. Magkano ang imported products? DISADVANTAGE.
Good standard of living:
 3. Magkano upa sa kemang? Sa pondok indah?
5,521,730 – 16, 220, 200 (20, 246.14 – 59, 473.47)
4. Magkano ang paghire ng helper ?
1,200,00 to 3,100,000 idr (4,399.95 to 11, 366.55 php)
5. Magkano standard sahod ng architect?
Gross salary 118,611,111 (434, 903.05 php) – net salary 100, 944, 444 idr
(370, 125.92 php) 8-12 years’ experience.
Nightlife culture
1. Gaano kalaki ang Jakarta?
699.5 sq. kilometer (69, 950 hectares)

Corruption
2. issues about corruption in Indonesia?
Indonesia’s corruption score is ranked 89 out of 180 with a corruption
score of 38 (0 highly corrupted to 100 very clean).
In January 2012, it was reported that Indonesia has lost as much as rp 2.13
trillion to corruption in 2011.
Traffic:
3. ilang oras ang byahe kapag traffic sa Indonesia?
3 hours

Imported products:
4. ilang percent ang idinadagdag sa presyo ng imported products?
0-450 % import tax rate . alcohol beverage 5%-20%
Healthcare:
5. percentage of people na nagkakadengue at nagkakadiarhea kada taon?
The ministry has recorded at least 9,634 dengue cases in 372 cities and
regencies.
Conservative environment:
6. may batas bas an Indonesia about dress code?
While there are no legal laws about clothing, there seems to be an
unwritten women’s dress code in Indonesia.
7. Ano ang mangyayari kapag lumabag ang babae sa dress code ng Indonesia?
8. Ano ang kaparusahan kapag ikaw ay nagcorrupt ? nagbribe?
 Any party who violates. Article 5 of the Anti-Corruption Law is subject to
imprisonment for a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years, and/
or a penalty in a minimum amount of IDR 50 million (183,331.50 php) and a
maximum amount of IDR 250 million (916, 657.50 php)

 President Suharto took over the country’s administration from President

Soekarno in 1967
 After receiving power to lead the country in 1966, Suharto decided to stop the
Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation – a series of military actions under the
command of the previous president, Soekarno, against the creation of Malaysia –
which lasted for 4 years.
 Indonesia, together with Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand,
established the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 8 August
1967.
 By the early 1970s, it became apparent that Indonesia preferred import
substitution and a more inward-looking development strategy, supported by the
increase in international oil prices, which quadrupled in the mid-1970s. The oil
boom that had taken place since 1973 made the country rich enough to afford
many government-led economic projects.
 AFTA and Indonesian trade policy. One major initiative of ASEAN is to
promote free trade in the region, which has been described broadly since the
inception of AFTA, particularly under the CEPT. In this area, Indonesia’s
commitment is quite significant. Indonesia is committed to reducing preferential
tariff rates to zero within the agreed timeline. By 2010, less than 1.3% of
Indonesia’s imports from other ASEAN Member States remained subject to tariffs
while the rest enjoyed duty-free tariffs. The implementation of the ASEAN Trade
in Goods Agreement has reduced the tariff rates even further. One interesting
aspect to examine is how the CEPT rates have affected Indonesia’s trade policy,
particularly in the formation of the most-favored-nation (MFN) rate. Table 1
shows the influence of the ASEAN preferential rate on Indonesia’s MFN tariff
rate. As expected, ASEAN’s CEPT rate decreased significantly during the period
1995–2010 from 14.2% to 2.1%. However, Indonesia’s MFN tariff rate also
followed a similar pattern. The average MFN tariff decreased substantially from
16.5% to 7.1%. The number of MFN lines with zero tariff also followed the same
pattern as the CEPT. In 2010, 98% of tariff lines for imports from other ASEAN
Member States was set to zero, a significant increase from only 68% during the
first 3 years of CEPT implementation. But Indonesia also increased the number
of its duty-free tariff lines for imports from other countries. For many tariff lines,
the MFN rates were eliminated to zero just several years after their CEPT rates.
Moreover, the reduction of MFN rates was also in line with the CEPT. While in
1995 only less than 30% of tariff lines had 5% differences between their MFN
 and CEPT rates, in 2010 this increased to 57% of tariff lines. That indicates that
more MFN tariff rates are not significantly higher than the CEPT rates. While
more rigorous examination is needed, this indicates that the ASEAN CEPT rate
might have had a positive effect on Indonesia’s MFN tariff.
However, ASEAN initiatives on trade barriers have marginal effects on certain
sectors, notably agriculture. Indonesia maintains a list of sensitive products in its
CEPT schedule that includes rice, sugar, soybeans, and wheat flour. This allows
Indonesia to exclude these products from the trade commitments with other
ASEAN Member States. Until recently, imports of various agricultural products
were still prohibited except for certain situations where the government
considered them to be necessary. However, the country agreed to phase out
import duties on several unprocessed agricultural products to 0%–5% under the
ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.
 Trade facilitation. Another important element of commitments in ASEAN is the
promotion of trade facilitation and customs modernization. Indonesia began its
customs modernization when import inspection authority was given back to
Indonesia’s Customs Office in 1997. Previously, since 1985, the government had
asked a survey company, Société Générale de Surveillance, to conduct pre-
shipment inspections and be in charge of trade procedures. This was then
followed by a series of customs reforms and improvements to infrastructure,
institutions, and procedures.
ASEAN introduced programmes to facilitate trade in 1997 in view of AFTA, by
calling for greater harmonization of trade procedures under the ASEAN Customs
Policy Implementation and Work Programme, including the harmonization of tariff
classifications. Indonesia agreed to carry out these efforts as part of its
modernization of customs and trade procedures (Damuri, 2006). The next main
agenda of trade facilitation in ASEAN was the creation of an ASEAN Single
Window, which required the establishment of the Indonesia National Single
Window.
Indonesia has been quite successful in implementing trade facilitation measures,
particularly with regard to the Indonesia National Single Window. Seventeen
major ports, accounting for more than 98% of the value of Indonesia’s foreign
trade, have been connected to the system (Damuri et al., 2015). Although the
system still has a lot of room for improvement, it has facilitated Indonesia’s
private sector in dealing with trade procedures.
 Services reform. Recognizing the importance of services trade, ASEAN
Member States have initiated negotiations concerning the services sector since
1995, when the countries first decided to negotiate the ASEAN Framework
Agreement on Services (AFAS). This services agreement among ASEAN
Member States focuses on liberalization efforts, particularly in Mode 1 and Mode
3.
While the agreement has been in place for more than 2 decades, Indonesia
seems to have encountered difficulties in carrying out its commitments under the
 AFAS. The country committed to liberalizing 104 subsectors in the latest AFAS
Package 9 with a foreign equity limitation of more than 70% by the end of 2015.
Indonesia only managed to follow the commitment for 81 subsectors and seems
to be lagging behind in following the commitments in health-related services,
communications, and logistics, despite these being priority sectors. Under the
current regulatory environment, many subsectors still limit foreign participation to
less than 70%. Indonesia also faces issues related to national treatment
principles in AFAS, especially regarding taxation policy, land use, and
professional qualification requirements, which dictate different treatment for
foreign and domestic firms (Damuri, 2015).
Despite being framed to protect national interests; protectionist policies have cost
Indonesian society dearly. For example, the lack of openness in the healthcare
sector has led to deficient healthcare facilities in several regions and low-quality
service delivery. In another instance, the protectionist regulatory regime in the
maritime sector has imposed high transport and logistics costs on the users of
these services, as support for infrastructure and efficient cargo-handling
processes remains highly insufficient. The lack of competitiveness in the
telecommunications sector has also led to the Internet fixed broadband
penetration rate in Indonesia being among the lowest in the region. ASEAN
initiatives for services have, unfortunately, yet to lead to a better and more open
regulatory environment for Indonesia’s services sector.
 Investment liberalization and facilitation have always been vital to deepening
economic integration in ASEAN and East Asia. In 2009, the Member States
introduced the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA) to
enhance and integrate previous agreements on investment. As a country in
which growth relies on foreign direct investment (FDI), Indonesia is anticipated to
support these commitments. Results show that there have been some progress
and successful implementation of investment liberalization and facilitation in
Indonesia.
In 2007, the government promulgated a new investment law, Law No. 25 on
Capital Investment. The law provides, among others, national treatment to
foreign investors and investments, standard protection for investors, and a list of
obligations and responsibilities of investors. It also specifies that in principle, all
lines of business are open to foreign investment, except for those sectors
specifically mentioned in the so-called ‘negative list’ (Daftar Negatif Investasi,
DNI) and in other laws and regulations. The negative list is also subject to
change every 2–3 years to accommodate new developments. All these features
were adopted following various principles laid down in investment agreements in
ASEAN and other regional initiatives, such as APEC.
The DNI has been reviewed and revised three times since 2007, with the latest
being launched in 2016. The new DNI tends to be more open than the previous
one. It also pays more attention to the commitments Indonesia specified in the
ACIA. This is an improvement from the last DNI, which placed higher restrictions
on several subsectors than in their ACIA descriptions.
Indonesia has made some progress in investment facilitation. It has introduced a
one-stop service center for investment to serve in a more rapid, simple,
transparent, and integrated fashion. The service also integrates all licensing and
non-licensing services related to investments, which used to be scattered across
22 ministries and government agencies. This progress is in line with the AEC
blueprint (ASEAN Secretariat, 2015), which calls for more transparent,
consistent, and predictable investment rules, regulations, policies, and
procedures (Atje and Sasmito, 2015).