Job Discussion Forums

jaganath69 · Joined: 05 Aug 2004 Posts: 32 Location: Korea

Do any of you have a spouse and kids and manage to do alright working a teaching job in Indonesia? What would be a reasonable salary for a family of three living in Jakarta? Do any of you manage to save money at the end of the month? Sorry for so many questions, but we are considering making the move from Korea.

beefer · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 238 Location: java

i have a family and support them quite well... i don't live in jakarta though.

on another note, judging from your previous posts it seems like you started working here last year some time......prices/ costs/ salaries haven't changed that much..with the previous experience here, you should already have a good idea what the answers to your questions are.

jaganath69 · Joined: 05 Aug 2004 Posts: 32 Location: Korea

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

guruengerish · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 424 Location: Australia

Let me get this right.

you want to BRING children to the world's third most polluted city?

the very city that the Swiss government are spending zillions of rupiahs each year on kids with polluted and lead related illnesses?

the same city that accepts air monitoring devices but says it cannot afford to read the pollution levels each day (salaries must have skyrocketed)

wow. I pity the kids. Rolling Eyes

wailing_imam · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 580 Location: Malaya

Guru,

Please post the source for the pollution statistic. I think a few cities in India and plenty of cities in China have filthier air than Jakarta (although the air in Jakarta is indeed quite poor).

guruengerish · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 424 Location: Australia

ok, attached are a couple of sites; it makes pretty gloomy reading.

As you say, China may now have overtaken Indonesia.

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-70611.html

DOC]
1. jakarta a city in crisis
File Format: Microsoft Word - View as HTML
Jakarta: A City in Crisis. By Walter Hook. Congestion, air pollution and traffic fatalities are common in the U.S., where three people out of five own a ...
www.itdp.org/ST/ST8/ST8JAKARTA.doc

The Mega-Cities Project: Global Network - Jakarta, Indonesia
Jakarta is currently the third most polluted city in the world. Air pollution, 70% of which is caused by motor vehicles, has crossed the safety threshold. ...
www.megacitiesproject.org/network_jakarta.asp - 21k -

wailing_imam · Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 580 Location: Malaya

The recent World Bank survey put Datong in Shanxi province in 3rd place. It is said to be hellish beyond belief.

17 out of the top 20 worst polluted cities in the world are in China.

Chester · Joined: 15 May 2004 Posts: 383 Location: Australia

I read in th Jakarta post a couple of years ago that the WHO stats determined that tha air in jakarta was safe to breath something like 25 days of the year. Not the healthiest environment, particularly for kids.

jondeg · Joined: 30 May 2007 Posts: 27

Hi, Allow me to answer your questions. I am Indonesian, currently living in S.Korea with 2 daughters Although my previous job in Indonesia is not a teacher , I worked in one private company ( multy /international trade) where the pay is average higher than employees from local own's company (before leaving to S.Korea, my last salary$1200 tax free) Now I am just a home maker Laughing

Being in Indonesia ,I have seen, some neighbours, friends, with average pay from 600k - 1.2 m rupiahs(+/- 60 - 120 US$ a month) majority those work as a clerk or sales girl or newbies frm University , they can life comfortly. while my pay can be say 1000 time higher than them, but I do not feel myshelf richer than them or spending more or life like a Queen. And each month my saving almost show zero ?? wonder where the money goes,still feel short of money , So I can say its all depand on how you manage your money.

Living in S.Korea, the range salary fr teacher is average 2300 - 3000 US$.
You can enjoy healthy food ( free frm formalin , MSG .. etc ). Less crime.
Your family will be cover by Med (in Indonesia, the med only cover fr the employee , and not include your family ). And saving ( if you do not go to western pub/bar /restaurant often ) Razz

.

The only thing bother me is education fr my kids. Yes, they can go to public school in Korea ( its free), however I do not see people will speak korea unless in Korea. So I do home schooling fr them for time being. But sooner or later , they still need to go to school for proper education/graduation.

People in Indonesia see/treat a foreigner ( western, they call " Bule " ) like a super star. " Bule" can do anything ( thats what one of my bule friend say, and He loves Indonesia ). Being in S.korea, you know the answer...

Average pay fr teacher in Indonesia goes frm US$ 650 - 900 or more ??
and if I am not wrong, you can do private for those rich kids ( I heard one of my friend said, her bule's friend teachs fr private and earn up to 1600 US$ a month )

If your wife is korean, maybe she can find a job which company owns by korean, and the average pay is better than the local one.

Hope you can get the answer, otherwise PM me, I will try to give you answer.
thx
======

guruengerish · Joined: 28 Mar 2004 Posts: 424 Location: Australia

A visit to the fourth-largest urban area on Earth (with approximately 23 million inhabitants) may be hazardous to your health. Although there are no exact statistics to prove it and, in any case, one can hardly rely on official data, the city of Jakarta is rapidly collapsing. It is terribly polluted, but the local press stubbornly refrains from conducting any serious investigation that would analyze the amount of pollutants in the air. Visitors get often sick, unless they remain in fully-sheltered, luxury hotels equipped with air conditioners and air purifiers. Eventually most succumb to coughing spells, poisoned by the grayish substance hanging over the capital; a substance that can be, if one uses some imagination, still described as "air."......

According to some unofficial statistics (it seems that pollution is yet another "sensitive issue," with almost no reliable official data available), Jakarta is the third most polluted city in the world after Katmandu (Nepal) and New Delhi (India). This unflattering position is shared with the Chinese city of Chongqing.

According to an article titled "Cities of the Future" in online ....

http://www.worldpress.org/Asia/2928.cfm

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

I'd be more concerned about visas for my wife and kid than anything else to do with money.

Have you sorted out visas for them?

Michael_Indonesia · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:00 am Post subject:

The Sarge is right. Make sure you have a way of getting your dependents' visas arranged before you make the trip. I've been lucky to have a couple of employers here that are willing to eat that cost, though I think that is more the exception than the rule. They may be willing to sponsor them if you're willing to cough up he money for it.

As for living here on a teacher's salary, it's not that hard. Indonesia is a really cheap place to live, so it depends on your salary, which can vary widely depending on whether you work at a language school, a national-plus school, or an international school. Seriously, that can be the difference between $800 a month with no housing for your family to over $2000 a month with housing, transportation, and other benefits.

I have a wife and two kids. When I started out at a language mill, times were definitely tight. I had to teach private lessons and take any extra work that came my way. Luckily, we had money saved up from back home, so we were able to rent a house, buy a car, etc. when we first arrived, so we saved a lot of money that way. Now that I'm making some decent coin, we're able to enjoy life a little more and save up for a rainy day.

Good luck!