Asia · 20 cities
Indonesia for digital nomads: 20 cities compared (2026)
Indonesia has 20 cities in the dataset. Denpasar scores highest under balanced weights at 60/100; Surabaya is the cheapest with a city-level price at $922 a month. Indonesia has a dedicated remote-work visa, the Remote worker visa (E33G).
Dataset 2026.10.7. How scoring works.
Cities in Indonesia, ranked
Balanced weights, every factor equal. Open a city for the full breakdown with sources, or rank them with your own weights.
| # | City | Score | Cost/mo | Internet | Comfortable months | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denpasar Bali's working capital: cheaper and more local than the beach towns | 60 | $1,025 | 17.9 Mbps | 8/12 | Real-city markets and warungs · Sanur 15 minutes away |
| 2 | Seminyak (Bali) Bali's upmarket beach strip: boutiques, beach clubs and traffic | 60 | $1,000* | 17.9 Mbps | 8/12 | Beach clubs and sunset bars · Boutique shopping |
| 3 | Sanur (Bali) Calm east-coast Bali beach town with a long seaside path | 59 | $1,000* | 11.8 Mbps | 8/12 | Flat beachfront promenade · Quiet, family-friendly pace |
| 4 | Ubud (Bali) Bali's rice-terrace town for yoga, art and slow work | 59 | $1,025 | 17 Mbps | 8/12 | Rice terraces · Yoga and wellness |
| 5 | Canggu (Bali) Surf, cafés and coworking on Bali's west coast | 59 | $1,025 | 17.9 Mbps | 8/12 | Surf breaks · Coworking scene |
| 6 | Uluwatu (Bali) Clifftop surf village on Bali's southern tip | 59 | $1,000* | 17 Mbps | 7/12 | World-class reef breaks · Clifftop cafés and beach clubs |
| 7 | Amed (Bali) Quiet black-sand diving coast under Mount Agung | 59 | $1,000* | 17.9 Mbps | 7/12 | Snorkelling from the beach · USS Liberty wreck at Tulamben |
| 8 | Nusa Penida Rugged island of cliffs and manta rays, 45 minutes from Sanur | 58 | $1,000* | 17.9 Mbps | 7/12 | Kelingking cliff · Manta ray diving |
| 9 | Kuta (Lombok) Surf town with Bali's landscape and a fraction of the crowds | 57 | $1,000* | 11.8 Mbps | 7/12 | Surf breaks on every bay · Mandalika circuit |
| 10 | Gili Trawangan Car-free party island off Lombok with turtles in the shallows | 56 | $1,000* | 6.2 Mbps | 7/12 | No motor vehicles · Snorkelling with turtles |
| 11 | Malang Cool student city in East Java's highlands, the base for Bromo | 56 | $1,000* | 10.2 Mbps | 6/12 | Mount Bromo trips · Universities and cafés |
| 12 | Yogyakarta Java's cultural capital on a student budget | 56 | $1,000* | 11.4 Mbps | 6/12 | Borobudur and Prambanan · Batik and arts |
| 13 | Labuan Bajo Harbour town on Flores and the gateway to Komodo | 55 | $1,000* | 9.5 Mbps | 6/12 | Komodo National Park boats · Sunset over the harbour |
| 14 | Makassar Eastern Indonesia's big port city, gateway to Toraja and Sulawesi's reefs | 55 | $1,000* | 10.5 Mbps | 5/12 | Losari Beach sunsets · Seafood |
| 15 | Jakarta Indonesia's megacity, cheap and chaotic | 53 | $1,127 | 15.8 Mbps | 6/12 | Very low cost · Malls and food |
| 16 | Manado North Sulawesi's capital and the gateway to Bunaken diving | 52 | $1,000* | 6.6 Mbps | 3/12 | Bunaken marine park · Minahasa highlands |
| 17 | Semarang Central Java's port capital with a restored Dutch old town | 51 | $1,000* | 11.4 Mbps | 4/12 | Kota Lama old town · Lawang Sewu |
| 18 | Surabaya Indonesia's second city, business-first and cheap | 50 | $922 | 14.5 Mbps | 3/12 | Cheap living · Few tourists |
| 19 | Bandung Cool highland city with Indonesia's creative scene | 47 | $1,025 | 10.8 Mbps | 1/12 | Cool climate · Creative and café scene |
| 20 | Medan North Sumatra's big, hectic city and the road to Lake Toba | 47 | $1,000* | 14.4 Mbps | 3/12 | Lake Toba and Bukit Lawang gateway · Chinese-Indonesian food |
* national estimate
National figures shared by every city
These come from country-level sources and apply to every city in Indonesia; city pages add the local numbers.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 0.41 per 100,000 people | Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), 2024 |
| Political stability | 53 (percentile, World Bank WGI) | Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), 2025 |
| Health coverage index | 67 (WHO UHC index, 0–100) | UHC service coverage index, 2023 |
| Life expectancy | 68.3 years | Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, 2021 |
| Human Development Index | 0.728 | Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), 2023 |
| English proficiency | low | EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), 2024 |
| Starlink | available | Starlink availability map, 2026-10 |
Visas and entry
What three common passports get at the border, from the passport index. Pick your own passport on the ranker for the full picture.
| Passport | Entry rule |
|---|---|
| US passport | visa on arrival |
| EU passport | visa on arrival |
| UK passport | visa on arrival |
Compare cities in Indonesia
Head-to-head pages for the pairs people look at most.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Indonesia good for digital nomads?
- Denpasar scores 60/100 under balanced weights, which ranks it 602 of 1,000 cities in the dataset. Indonesia's 20 cities average 55.4/100. Strongest factors in Denpasar: air quality and climate; weakest: quality of life.
- What is the cheapest city in Indonesia for a remote worker?
- Surabaya, at about $922 a month for one person including rent (WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages), 2026-09). Jakarta is the most expensive city-priced option at $1,127.
- Does Indonesia have a digital nomad visa?
- Yes: the Remote worker visa (E33G). Minimum income $5,000/month. Details, documents and official sources are in the Indonesia visa guide.
- How long can a US, EU or UK citizen stay in Indonesia without a visa?
- US passport: visa on arrival. EU passport (Germany as reference): visa on arrival. UK passport: visa on arrival. Source: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), 2026-02.
- Which city in Indonesia has the fastest internet?
- Denpasar, with a measured median download of 17.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024). Measured speeds run below advertised plans everywhere; 40 Mbps measured is already good.
- How safe is Indonesia?
- Indonesia records 0.41 homicides per 100,000 people (Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), 2024) and sits at the 53th percentile for political stability (World Bank WGI, 2025). These are national figures; city pages note local caveats.
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