Best Cities in Indonesia

Bali (Denpasar)51

Jakarta50

Surabaya46

Affordability

70

70

70

Safety

63

58

64

Healthcare

39

45

44

Career

43

55

41

Culture & food

65

63

47

Public life & spaces

44

22

33

Overall

51

50

46

Objective 0–100 scores from source-backed CrossBorders data. Green marks the category leader; gold is the overall leader.

Which city is the most affordable?

Bali (Denpasar) and Surabaya share the lowest open-market one-bedroom rent on a new lease in this group, at about €241 per month; Jakarta has the highest, at about €320. Against one typical employee's mean net pay, Bali (Denpasar), Jakarta, and Surabaya share the same burden at the 120% ceiling, which is the beyond local pay band; the underlying burden may be higher.

Which city is the safest?

Surabaya edges the field on safety (66), with Bali close behind (64); Jakarta trails (59), its scale bringing more everyday pickpocketing risk. Violent crime is rare across all three — the bigger caveat everywhere is Indonesia's national political stability.

Which city has the best healthcare?

Jakarta leads healthcare (45), its top private hospitals serving expats well, with Surabaya close behind (44). Bali is the weak link (39): island hospitals lag the mainland, and serious cases often mean flying to Singapore.

Which city is best for your career?

Jakarta has the strongest job market by far (55), anchored by a growing tech scene, while Bali (42) and Surabaya (41) trail well behind, both better suited to remote work than local salaries. The gap reflects Jakarta's scale as the national economic hub.

Which city has the best food and culture?

Bali leads culture and food (65), punching above its size on cafes and Balinese ritual, with Jakarta not far off (63). Surabaya is the clear laggard (47) — an 18-point gap — its industrial character leaving a thinner dining and arts scene.

Which city has the best public life?

Bali tops public life (47), its tourist strips kept tidiest even if litter persists elsewhere on the island. Surabaya follows (39), and Jakarta trails badly (31), its megacity sprawl of traffic and flooding leaving almost no walkable public square.