Bengaluru vs Jakarta
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Bengaluru edges it, 48 to 43, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Bengaluru is stronger on climate, internet; Jakarta on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Bengaluru | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 70 ✓ | 61 |
| Safety | 49 | 50 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 53 | 53 ✓ |
| Internet | 60 ✓ | 46 |
| Visa ease | 6 | 22 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 30 ✓ | 24 |
| Climate | 83 ✓ | 50 |
| Air quality | 45 ✓ | 36 |
| Quality of life | 38 | 45 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Bengaluru | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $938 ✓ | $1,146 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $550 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Bengaluru | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 3.6 ✓ | 4.1 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.5 | 55.5 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 ✓ | 67 |
| Life expectancy | 67.3 yrs | 68.3 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Bengaluru | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 32.6 Mbps ✓ | 15.8 Mbps |
| Upload | 9.5 Mbps ✓ | 8.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Bengaluru | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $4,998/mo |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Bengaluru | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 107 ✓ | 98 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Bengaluru | Jakarta |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 10 ✓ | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 29.6 µg/m³ ✓ | 33.8 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Bengaluru or Jakarta?
- Bengaluru is cheaper: about $938 per month versus $1,146 for one person.
- Is Bengaluru or Jakarta safer?
- Jakarta scores higher on safety (50 vs 49), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Bengaluru or Jakarta?
- Bengaluru: a measured median of 32.6 Mbps versus 15.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.