Medan vs Madiun
Single · Comfortable · $3,000/mo
Medan is approximately 48% less expensive than Madiun based on cost of living including rent. This makes Medan a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Medan has a FIRE Score of 75/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 42.07, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Medan is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
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Best in rowIndonesia
Medan
Indonesia
Madiun
Estimates from published local prices. N/A means no figure is published for that city.
About these cities
About Medan
Medan is a brutally cheap place to live, with a 1-bedroom outside the center at $89/mo and a monthly public transport pass at $6/mo, but the average local net salary of $216/mo means most expats are living on foreign income, not local wages. The catch is that both the Indonesia Retirement Visa (KITAS) and the Indonesia Remote Worker Visa (E33G) demand a minimum monthly income of $2,000/mo, which is nearly ten times what a local earns. Add limited English, a small expat community, fair healthcare, and a hot, humid climate with rain year-round, and Medan suits self-sufficient remote workers who want maximum savings over comfort. The FIRE score of 77/100 is the real draw here; the retiree score of 51/100 tells you this is not a soft landing.
About Indonesia
Skip this if you need English-speaking doctors or a fast path to citizenship, both weak here. But budget retirees can live well on $429.70/mo excl. rent plus sub-$320 rent, and the $2,000/mo Retirement KITAS is achievable. Best suited for low-cost-focused retirees, not remote workers facing the $387/mo nomad visa threshold.
Madiun ranks meaningfully higher on safety. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Medan is approximately 48% less expensive than Madiun based on cost of living including rent. This makes Medan a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Medan has a FIRE Score of 75/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 42.07, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Medan is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Medan
Medan is a brutally cheap place to live, with a 1-bedroom outside the center at $89/mo and a monthly public transport pass at $6/mo, but the average local net salary of $216/mo means most expats are living on foreign income, not local wages. The catch is that both the Indonesia Retirement Visa (KITAS) and the Indonesia Remote Worker Visa (E33G) demand a minimum monthly income of $2,000/mo, which is nearly ten times what a local earns. Add limited English, a small expat community, fair healthcare, and a hot, humid climate with rain year-round, and Medan suits self-sufficient remote workers who want maximum savings over comfort. The FIRE score of 77/100 is the real draw here; the retiree score of 51/100 tells you this is not a soft landing.
About Indonesia
Skip this if you need English-speaking doctors or a fast path to citizenship, both weak here. But budget retirees can live well on $429.70/mo excl. rent plus sub-$320 rent, and the $2,000/mo Retirement KITAS is achievable. Best suited for low-cost-focused retirees, not remote workers facing the $387/mo nomad visa threshold.
$2,646/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Madiun
Madiun is cheap enough to be almost absurd: a one-bedroom outside the center runs $234/mo, an inexpensive restaurant meal costs $1, and a monthly transport pass is $13. The catch is that local net salaries average $135/mo, so anyone relying on local wages will find even these prices punishing, while remote workers earning abroad can live comfortably on a mid-range budget of $491/mo. Internet averages 19 Mbps and English proficiency is limited, which keeps the digital nomad score at 46/100 and makes daily life harder without Bahasa Indonesia. It suits frugal long-stayers who want a quiet, safe (safety index 61/100) inland base with decent air quality (52) and a short 9 km hop to SOC, not anyone chasing big-city amenities or a strong expat scene.
About Indonesia
Skip this if you need English-speaking doctors or a fast path to citizenship, both weak here. But budget retirees can live well on $429.70/mo excl. rent plus sub-$320 rent, and the $2,000/mo Retirement KITAS is achievable. Best suited for low-cost-focused retirees, not remote workers facing the $387/mo nomad visa threshold.
$2,582/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Which visa fits your move?
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| Metric | Medan | Madiun |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $230.5 | $340.02 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $89.41 | $233.76 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $488.94 | N/A |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $209.55 | N/A |
| Safety Index | 42.07 | 91.18 |
| Internet Speed | 20Mbps | 19.4Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Medan | Madiun |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $350/mo | $415/mo |
| Excluding rent | $261/mo | $181/mo |
| Rent | $89.00/mo | $234/mo |
| Groceries | $89.00/mo | $76.00/mo |
| Dining out | $17.00/mo | $11.00/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $41.00/mo | $36.00/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $111/mo | $45.00/mo |
| Transport | $3.00/mo | $13.00/mo |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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