Indonesia (ID)
Bali and beyond — Indonesia is a vast tropical archipelago of 17,000+ islands offering affordable living, extraordinary cultural diversity, world-class nature, and a rapidly growing digital economy that attracts digital nomads, retirees, and professionals from around the globe.
Daily Life
Practical day-to-day information for living in Indonesia.
🛒 Supermarkets
Premium supermarket chain popular with expats. Excellent imported goods, wines, international cheeses, and foreign-brand products. Locations in Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya. Higher prices — 30–50% above standard supermarkets.
Well-stocked premium supermarket with good imported meat, dairy, and international products. Popular with Jakarta expat communities in Sudirman and Kebayoran. Reasonable English-language labelling.
Mid-range hypermarket chain operated by Trans Corp (acquired former Carrefour Indonesia stores in 2012; Carrefour branding was removed; now fully rebranded as Transmart). Good selection of local and imported goods. Electronic payment widely accepted.
Hypermarket format with comprehensive grocery and household range. Part of Lippo Group. Found in major malls across Java, Sumatra, and Bali. Good for weekly shopping in one trip.
Ubiquitous convenience store chain with 20,000+ outlets nationwide — the Indonesian 7-Eleven equivalent. Open 24/7. Sells Indomie instant noodles, snacks, toiletries, beverages, phone credits, and top-up services. QRIS payment accepted.
Main competitor to Indomaret — equally ubiquitous. Open 24 hours. BPJS Kesehatan top-up, PLN electricity token purchase, BPJS contributions, and phone credit available in-store. Essential for neighbourhood daily shopping.
Traditional wet markets — Pasar Santa, Pasar Minggu, Pasar Senen in Jakarta; Pasar Badung in Bali. Freshest vegetables, fish, meat, and tropical fruits at lowest prices. Cash only, bargaining expected. Open 5am–noon typically.
Mid-range supermarket with decent imported product range. Part of Dairy Farm International. Found in Jakarta and Bandung.
Opening Hours
Shopping malls open 10:00–22:00 (sometimes 23:00) daily including weekends and public holidays. Government offices: Monday–Thursday 08:00–16:00, Friday 08:00–11:30. Banks: Monday–Friday 08:00–16:00, Saturday 08:00–12:00. Traditional warungs open from 06:00 (breakfast) and some run 24 hours. Friday 12:00–13:30 prayers cause temporary closures at Muslim-owned businesses. Ramadan hours: many restaurants open only after iftar (dusk, ~18:00–18:30).
Sunday Rules
No formal Sunday closing laws. Most shopping malls, supermarkets, and restaurants operate normally on Sundays — often busiest day for malls. Some government offices closed. Churches and Hindu temples hold services. Sunday morning markets (pasar kaget) pop up in residential neighbourhoods — good source of fresh produce and local snacks.
Recycling
Formal kerbside recycling collection is not available in most Indonesian cities. Waste separation is encouraged by government but implementation is inconsistent. Jakarta has introduced three-bin system in some areas: organic (green), non-organic (yellow), and hazardous (red). Most waste collected as single mixed stream. Informal recyclers (pemulung) separate recyclable materials from mixed waste. Bank Sampah (Waste Banks) accept sorted recyclable materials (plastic, paper, metal) and exchange for cash or goods — an innovative community recycling system. Specific e-waste drop-offs at Samsung, Sony service centres. Plastic bag reduction campaigns ongoing — many supermarkets charge Rp200–500 for bags.
Dining Out
Eating out is central to Indonesian social life and remarkably affordable. Warungs (simple family-run eateries) serve full meals for Rp15,000–30,000. Street food (kaki lima/mobile stalls): Rp8,000–20,000 per dish. Mid-range restaurants in malls: Rp60,000–200,000 per person. International restaurants in Jakarta: Rp150,000–500,000+ per person. Bali tourist restaurants: significantly higher (Rp80,000–300,000 for local dishes). Eating with hands (right hand only) common for nasi padang and some traditional dishes. Halal certification (label halal MUI) displayed at most restaurants — pork is rare and clearly labelled in non-Muslim areas. Alcohol available in tourist areas, luxury hotels, and licensed restaurants — significantly more expensive than food.
Utilities & Internet
Electricity: PLN (Perusahaan Listrik Negara) operates the national grid. Two systems: postpaid (PLN meters, monthly billing) and prepaid (token-based Listrik Prabayar). Prepaid tokens (token PLN) purchased at Indomaret, Alfamart, ATMs, or via GoJek GoTagihan/GoPay. Typical 2-bed apartment: Rp300,000–700,000/month. Power cuts (pemadaman) occur occasionally in Jakarta and more frequently outside major cities. Water: PDAM (municipal water — Rp50,000–150,000/month) not drinkable from tap. Buy bottled water (galon/gallon 19L for Rp8,000–15,000) or install water filter (Coway, Sharp). Gas (LPG): Pertamina Bright Gas 12kg cylinder Rp150,000–200,000 for cooking. Many apartments use gas piping (PGN) at Rp80,000–200,000/month.
Cultural Tips for Expats
- → Gotong royong — the principle of communal cooperation and mutual assistance — is deeply embedded in Indonesian society. Participating in neighbourhood activities (kerja bakti, RT/RW meetings) builds social capital and acceptance.
- → Jam karet (rubber time) — Indonesian concept of flexible time. Social events start 30–60 minutes late; this is normal, not rude. Build this into your expectations and planning.
- → Face saving (menjaga muka) is critical. Indonesians rarely say an outright "no" — expect "maybe", "we'll see", or "it's difficult" as polite refusals. Pushing for direct answers can cause embarrassment.
- → Lebaran (Eid al-Fitr) is Indonesia's equivalent of Christmas — the biggest holiday. Businesses may close for 1–2 weeks, domestic workers return to their villages, and everything slows significantly. Stock up on essentials beforehand.
- → Wayang (shadow puppet theatre), batik (hand-dyed fabric — UNESCO intangible heritage), gamelan music, and pencak silat (martial arts) are important cultural treasures. Attending performances shows respect and builds connections.
- → The call to prayer (adhan) sounds 5 times daily from mosques across Indonesia — particularly audible at Fajr (dawn, 4:30–5:00am). This is normal and not a disturbance under Indonesian law.
- → Indonesian cuisine uses sambal (chilli paste) extensively. Always ask "pedas?" (spicy?) and "tidak pedas" (not spicy) to control heat level — even mild Indonesian sambal can be intense for newcomers.
- → Plastic bag use is declining but not eliminated. Bring reusable bags to wet markets and supermarkets. Eco-awareness is growing particularly among urban millennials.
- → Power banks are essential travel accessories in Indonesia — urban malls and airports have charging points but public USB charging is less reliable than in Japan or Singapore.
Quiet Hours
Indonesia does not have nationally standardised quiet hours legislation. Local noise ordinances (Perda) vary by province and municipality. In practice, neighbourhoods follow social norms — residential areas generally observe informal quiet after 22:00–23:00. Construction noise is a common complaint in rapidly developing Jakarta and Bali.
Informal social norm in residential areas — loud music and events should wind down
Mosque loudspeakers are legally protected. Events and loud music should reduce during prayer calls.
Drumming (bedug/kentongan) and loud mosque announcements for sahur are legal and cultural — expect early morning noise during Ramadan.
- •Expecting noise enforcement similar to European countries — Indonesia rarely enforces quiet hours through fines
- •Complaining directly about mosque loudspeakers — this is culturally inappropriate and may cause conflict
- •Playing loud music at villa or Airbnb in residential Bali areas — local RT/RW can ask you to leave
Social exclusion and conflict with neighbours are the main consequences of excessive noise rather than formal fines. In extreme cases, local RT/RW chairman can mediate or request compliance.
Postal Services
PT Pos Indonesia is the national postal service, handling regular mail and parcels. Generally reliable within Java; slower to outer islands. Online shopping has dramatically boosted courier services — JNE, J&T Express, SiCepat, and Anteraja are faster and more reliable than Pos Indonesia for parcels.
No widespread parcel locker network. Deliveries go directly to home address or to warung/security post if resident is absent. Online shoppers specify "leave with security" (titip satpam) in delivery notes.
Passport or KITAS required for registered mail and parcel collection at Pos Indonesia offices.
Pos Indonesia: Surat Tercatat (registered letter) Rp8,000–15,000 within Indonesia. EMS (Express Mail Service) for international. DHL, FedEx, and UPS offices in Jakarta and Bali for international express shipping.
No national mail forwarding service. Private companies offer forwarding services for a fee. Notify all correspondents of address changes directly.
- →Use JNE, J&T Express, or SiCepat for online shopping — they offer tracking and cash-on-delivery (COD)
- →For international packages, DHL is most reliable. Indonesian customs (Bea Cukai) applies duty on goods above IDR 3 million value
- →Tokopedia and Shopee (major e-commerce platforms) integrate directly with JNE/J&T — tracking via marketplace app
- →Fragile or high-value items: insure through J&T or JNE at checkout