---
title: "Living in Ternate as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ternate
description: "Volcanic spice island in North Maluku with a sultan's palace"
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Ternate, Indonesia

Ternate scores 52.3/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 1149 of 1501 cities. Expect about $1,000 per month (country-level estimate), a nomad visa (Remote worker visa (E33G)), and a measured median download speed of 9.6 Mbps.

Ternate is a small island city wrapped around the active Gamalama volcano, once a centre of the clove trade and still home to a sultan's palace, colonial forts and clear water for snorkelling. Life is slow and cheap and mobile data works in town, but it is remote: most flights connect via Jakarta, Makassar or Manado, eruptions can close the airport, and almost nobody works remotely here.

Known for: Gamalama volcano, Clove and spice history, Sultan's palace and old forts, Remote and slow.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 52.3 |
| Cost of living | 74 |
| Safety | 67 |
| Healthcare | 65 |
| Internet | 46 |
| Visa ease | 54 |
| Getting there & around | 7 |
| Climate | 25 |
| Air quality | 86 |
| Quality of life | 49 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,000 | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 0.41 | country | 2024 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | country | 2025 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.7 | country | 2023 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 9.6 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 6.1 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Starlink residential service | Available | country | 2026-10 | [^9] |
| Nomad visa | Remote worker visa (E33G) (min $5,000/mo) | country | 2026-10-04 | [^10] |
| Visa guide | [Indonesia long-stay visa guide](https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/indonesia) | country | 2026-10-04 | [^10] |
| Entry for US / EU / UK passports | visa on arrival / visa on arrival / visa on arrival | country | 2026-02 | [^11] |
| Non-stop destinations (TTE) | 12 | city | 2026-11 | [^12] |
| Restaurants within 3 km of the centre (OpenStreetMap) | 9 | city | 2026-11 | [^16] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 2 / 1 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^13] |
| Comfortable months | 3 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^14] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 11.5 | city | 2023 | [^15] |
| Human Development Index | 0.728 | country | 2023 | [^17] |
| English proficiency band | low | country | 2024 | [^18] |

## Tax on income from abroad

**Residents pay 5%–35% on worldwide income, and the E33G remote worker visa carries no tax exemption.** Once you are tax resident, Indonesia taxes your worldwide income at 5% to 35%. A one-year stay permit such as the E33G remote worker visa counts as intent to reside, so residence can start on arrival. No law exempts E33G holders. The 4-year foreign-income exemption is only for approved foreign experts. Foreign dividends reinvested in Indonesia are exempt. There is no wealth or inheritance tax.

| Question | Answer |
| --- | --- |
| How residents are taxed | worldwide income |
| Remote work for foreign clients or employers | taxed (5%–35% progressive after an allowance of Rp54 million a year) |
| Investments and pensions from abroad | taxed (5%–35% progressive on foreign interest, gains, rent and pensions; foreign dividends exempt if reinvested in Indonesia) |
| Wealth | no wealth tax; no inheritance tax |
| Tax resident after | 183 days a year |
| Top income tax rate | 35% |

Residency: A foreign national is a domestic tax subject if any one of three tests is met (Directorate General of Taxes regulation PER-23/PJ/2025, in force 9 December 2025). The first is residing in Indonesia: having a home there that you can use at any time, making Indonesia the centre of your personal, social or economic life, or living your daily routine there. The second is being present more than 183 days in any 12-month period, continuously or not, where any part of a day counts as a full day. The third is being in Indonesia during a tax year with the intention to reside, shown for example by a limited stay permit (ITAS) or visa valid for more than 183 days, a contract in Indonesia longer than 183 days, a lease longer than 183 days or moving your family. So the one-year E33G permit normally makes you resident from the year you arrive, without waiting for day 183. A visitor on a 30-day visa on arrival who stays 183 days or fewer in 12 months, with no home in Indonesia, remains a non-resident. A tax treaty can settle dual residence in favour of your home country.

Remote work: A resident's salary from a foreign employer or fees from foreign clients are taxed like any other income on the progressive scale of Article 17 of the Income Tax Law: 5% up to Rp60 million of taxable income, 15% to Rp250 million, 25% to Rp500 million, 30% to Rp5 billion and 35% above. A single person deducts a non-taxable allowance (PTKP) of Rp54 million. No Indonesian payer withholds the tax, so you register for a tax number, pay it yourself and file the annual return within 3 months after the year ends (by 31 March). The 4-year rule that taxes some foreigners only on Indonesian income does not help here, because pay for work, services or activities in Indonesia counts as Indonesian income even when it is paid abroad (Article 4(1b)). Foreign tax paid on the same income is credited under Article 24 of the Income Tax Law, and a treaty with your home country may change the result, so check yours. Freelancers can use the 0.5% turnover tax only if their activity is not on the excluded list of independent professions (see regimes). This profile does not confirm whether a remote worker for a foreign employer must join Indonesia's BPJS social security schemes.

Investments: Residents add foreign interest, capital gains, rent and pensions to their income at 5% to 35%, with credit for foreign tax. Foreign dividends from listed companies are exempt if they are invested in Indonesia, and dividends from unlisted foreign companies are exempt if at least 30% of the company's after-tax profit is invested there (Income Tax Law, Article 4(3)(f), as amended by Law 7/2021). An individual must invest by the end of the third month after the tax year and keep the investment for at least 3 tax years (PMK 18/PMK.03/2021, Article 36); otherwise the dividend is taxed. Indonesian investments mostly pay final taxes withheld at source: dividends from Indonesian companies are exempt if reinvested in Indonesia and otherwise pay a final 10%; bank deposit and savings interest pays 20% (balances up to Rp7,500,000 are exempt); bond interest pays 10%; selling land or a building pays 2.5% of the gross price; and renting out land or buildings pays 10% of gross rent.

On the nomad visa: The E33G remote worker visa gives a one-year limited stay permit (ITAS) to employees of companies established outside Indonesia. Neither the Directorate General of Immigration's E33G page nor any tax regulation found here exempts holders from income tax. Under PER-23/PJ/2025, an ITAS valid for more than 183 days shows intent to reside, so holders are normally tax resident from arrival and owe 5%–35% on worldwide income, including the foreign salary earned while working from Indonesia. Claims that E33G holders are tax-free on foreign income do not appear in any official source checked on 2026-10-27. The 4-year foreign-expert regime needs an Indonesian employer's foreign manpower plan (RPTKA), which an E33G holder does not have.

Schemes for newcomers:

- **Foreign national with certain expertise (taxed only on Indonesian income)** (4 years): Only Indonesian-source income is taxed, so foreign dividends, interest, capital gains, rent and pensions are exempt for 4 tax years counted from when you first became resident (Income Tax Law, Article 4(1a); PMK 81/2024, Articles 442–446). Pay for work done in Indonesia stays taxable at 5%–35% even when paid abroad. Who qualifies: Foreigners who become Indonesian tax residents and work in a listed position for an employer in Indonesia under an approved foreign manpower plan (RPTKA), or who are foreign researchers, and who prove expertise in science, technology or mathematics by certificate, degree or 5 years' experience and have a duty to transfer knowledge. You apply to the Directorate General of Taxes, which decides within 10 working days. You cannot also claim treaty benefits for foreign income.
- **0.5% final tax on small-business turnover (PPh Final UMKM)** (no fixed end): 0.5% of gross turnover as a final tax instead of 5%–35% of profit, and the first Rp500 million of turnover each year is tax-free. Since PP 20/2026 (in force 22 April 2026) individuals can use it with no time limit. Exceeding Rp4.8 billion ends it for later years. Income taxed or owed abroad is excluded, and how it applies to fees from foreign clients is not spelled out. Who qualifies: Resident individuals whose gross business turnover, including turnover earned abroad, is no more than Rp4.8 billion a year. Independent professions are excluded: lawyers, accountants, architects, doctors, consultants and similar experts, artists and online content creators, advisers, teachers and coaches, authors, researchers and translators, project managers, agents and brokers.

Official sources: [Undang-Undang Nomor 7 Tahun 2021 tentang Harmonisasi Peraturan Perpajakan (UU HPP)](https://jdih.kemenkeu.go.id/dok/uu-7-tahun-2021) (JDIH Kementerian Keuangan Republik Indonesia, read 2026-10-27); [Peraturan Direktur Jenderal Pajak PER-23/PJ/2025 tentang Penentuan Subjek Pajak Dalam Negeri dan Subjek Pajak Luar Negeri](https://pajak.go.id/id/node/118835) (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (pajak.go.id), read 2026-10-27); [Peraturan Menteri Keuangan Nomor 81 Tahun 2024 tentang Ketentuan Perpajakan dalam Rangka Pelaksanaan Sistem Inti Administrasi Perpajakan](https://jdih.kemenkeu.go.id/dok/pmk-81-tahun-2024) (JDIH Kementerian Keuangan Republik Indonesia, read 2026-10-27); [Peraturan Menteri Keuangan Nomor 18/PMK.03/2021 (pelaksanaan UU Cipta Kerja di bidang pajak penghasilan)](https://jdih.kemenkeu.go.id/dok/18-pmk-03-2021) (JDIH Kementerian Keuangan Republik Indonesia, read 2026-10-27); [Pengenaan PPh hanya atas penghasilan yang diterima atau diperoleh dari Indonesia oleh WNA (panduan layanan)](https://pajak.go.id/panduan-layanan-pajak/konten/layanan-digital/2025/layanan-administrasi/pengenaan-pph-hanya-atas-penghasilan-yang-diterima-atau-diperoleh-dari-indonesia-oleh-wna/pengenaan-pph-hanya-atas-penghasilan-yang-diterima-atau-diperoleh-dari-indonesia-oleh-wna) (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (pajak.go.id), read 2026-10-27); [Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 20 Tahun 2026 tentang Perubahan atas PP 55 Tahun 2022](https://jdih.kemenkeu.go.id/dok/pp-20-tahun-2026) (JDIH Kementerian Keuangan Republik Indonesia, read 2026-10-27); [E33G Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh](https://www.imigrasi.go.id/wna/daftar-visa-indonesia/E33G) (Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi, Kementerian Imigrasi dan Pemasyarakatan Republik Indonesia, read 2026-10-27); [PP 131 Tahun 2000: Pajak Penghasilan atas Bunga Deposito dan Tabungan serta Diskonto Sertifikat Bank Indonesia](https://pajak.go.id/en/node/57574) (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (pajak.go.id), read 2026-10-27); [PP 91 Tahun 2021: Pajak Penghasilan atas Penghasilan berupa Bunga Obligasi](https://pajak.go.id/en/node/70382) (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (pajak.go.id), read 2026-10-27); [PP 34 Tahun 2016: Pajak Penghasilan atas Penghasilan dari Pengalihan Hak atas Tanah dan/atau Bangunan](https://pajak.go.id/en/node/63052) (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (pajak.go.id), read 2026-10-27); [PPh atas Kontrakan Bukan Pajak Baru (article on PP 34/2017)](https://www.pajak.go.id/en/node/120386) (Direktorat Jenderal Pajak (pajak.go.id), read 2026-10-27); [Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2022 tentang Hubungan Keuangan antara Pemerintah Pusat dan Pemerintahan Daerah](https://jdih.kemenkeu.go.id/dok/uu-1-tahun-2022) (JDIH Kementerian Keuangan Republik Indonesia, read 2026-10-27).

Not yet reviewed by a person. General information, not tax advice. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live.

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 27.4 | 206 | 81 | no |
| Feb | 27.4 | 166 | 80 | no |
| Mar | 27.6 | 191 | 79 | no |
| Apr | 27.9 | 195 | 79 | no |
| May | 28 | 244 | 79 | no |
| Jun | 27.5 | 215 | 80 | no |
| Jul | 27 | 159 | 81 | no |
| Aug | 27 | 116 | 80 | yes |
| Sep | 27.2 | 119 | 79 | yes |
| Oct | 27.8 | 135 | 77 | yes |
| Nov | 27.9 | 186 | 78 | no |
| Dec | 27.7 | 229 | 80 | no |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sultan Babullah Airport | TTE | 12 | 0 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 12, of which 0 international (Wikipedia, 2026-11).

## Similar cities

- [Jayapura](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/jayapura) (52.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/jayapura-vs-ternate)
- [Manado](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/manado) (51.9) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/manado-vs-ternate)
- [Balikpapan](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/balikpapan) (51.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/balikpapan-vs-ternate)
- [Makassar](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/makassar) (54.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/makassar-vs-ternate)
- [Surakarta](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/surakarta) (53) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/surakarta-vs-ternate)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Ternate as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $1,000 per month in Ternate (a country-level estimate for Indonesia). That is a 74/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Ternate safe for digital nomads?

Ternate scores 67/100 on safety. Indonesia records 0.41 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2024) and a political-stability score of 52.7/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Indonesia have a digital nomad visa?

Yes. Indonesia offers the Remote worker visa (E33G) with a minimum income of about $5,000 per month. Verify current rules with the issuing authority before applying. Full guide: https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/indonesia

### How fast is the internet in Ternate?

Measured median download speed in Ternate was 9.6 Mbps (upload 6.1 Mbps) across 7,725 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Is Starlink available in Ternate?

Yes. Starlink's availability map lists residential service as available in Indonesia (checked 2026-10), so a dish can serve as a backup line in Ternate. Check the exact address on starlink.com before ordering, since capacity varies by area.

### Which airports serve Ternate and how many nonstop flights are there?

Ternate is served by Sultan Babullah Airport (TTE) with 12 nonstop destinations, of which 0 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-11.

### When is the best time of year to be in Ternate?

The most comfortable months are Aug, Sep, Oct. Mean temperatures range from 81°F (27°C) in Jul to 82°F (28°C) in May (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Ternate or Jayapura: which is better for digital nomads?

Jayapura is the city with the closest factor profile to Ternate in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Plan a trip

[Plan a trip to Ternate](https://dashboard.navoy.io/trip/new?utm_source=nostos&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=plan_trip&utm_content=ternate&destination=Ternate%2C+Indonesia) on Navoy, the AI travel planner behind Nostos.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, dataUNODC. UNODC data, free to reuse with attribution. https://data.unodc.org/datareport/hom-victim (retrieved 2026-10-12)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. https://www.starlink.com/map (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^10]: Nostos long-stay visa guides, Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/visas (retrieved 2026-10-04)
[^11]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^12]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^13]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04), Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis. CC BY 4.0. https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/surface-pm2-5/ (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^16]: OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. https://overpass-api.de/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
[^17]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^18]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ternate