Job Discussion Forums

[ghost]

Folks

I'm interested in the Australia Centre in Medan, but I understand that their salary is between 6.5 million to 8 million per month. That does not seem very high as it converts to between $696 to $857 u.s. per month.

Can one live well in Medan on that amount? Is Medan much cheaper than places like Jakarta, Bandung, Yogya and Surabaya?

What is the quality of life like in Medan. It is close to Lake Toba and Samosir, I think. Are those places easy to get to on weekends?

Does anyone actually work there, and can they recommend it?

Currently in Korea, I net 2.7 million won per month ($2800 u.s.) with free housing, and am able to save $1500-$1700 u.s. per month. If I make the move to Indonesia, I feel that the much lower salary in Indonesia would have to be compensated by a high quality of life, and friendly locals, both of which are lacking, in my opinion, in Korea.

Thanks for any feedback you may have.

Ghost in Korea

[ezekiel]

Hey Ghost...

I have been living and teaching English in Medan for over 3 years and in Sumatera for longer, so I'll fill you in a bit..Medan always demands a second look, when I first arrived from Penang I was ready to get straight back on the boat..a tropical paradise it is not; it is a medium sized, hot, crowded, noisy, busy and smoke filled city...parts of it, however, make it an attractive city, it is quite modern, boasting some good restaurants, hotels (there are three more being built including a Marriott), nightclubs, golf courses, and shopping malls, the most modern and by far the most popular being Sun Plaza..

The difference I see between here and Jakarta is that Jkt centre is developed whereas the Medan center is continually being renovated and redeveloped..which in my 7 years contact with the city has genuinely improved it..it is a developing provincial 'capital'...it is near the beach which makes for sea breezes and air but the beaches are nothing to speak of unless you like eating seafood in the scorching hot sun; there are no trees on the shoreline..there is NO SURF!...actually the beaches near Medan are sandy but much of the eastern coastline here is swampy..

Half a day's journey from Medan are the main attractions..the volcanic farming town of Brastagi, Bukit Lawang and Bohorok which are homes to Orang hutan sanctuaries and stunning rainforest, and Lake Toba, all of them well worth many visits but none of which you will end up going to for the weekend very much (it's just too far)...roads between towns are not bad but have bad patches and seem to have been built to snake round any and all obstacle..they are also incredibly busy with trucks and buses..

..back in Medan, another thing I appreciate here is that one can actually get around here whereas Jakarta always seems a logistical and expensive nightmare if you don't live close to work..there are no freeways in Medan so the town still seems like a collection of villages (which really it is) you can even walk around with relative ease..it is as safe as you allow it to be (I have never been robbed, abused or threatened or had anything stolen and only a couple of times mildly taunted in the street)..Medan people are quite open, out-spoken, emotional but friendly..they consist mainly of Sumaterans (Batak, Padang, Karo), Javanese, Achehnese, Chinese, Indians (and a fair amount of westerners)..they look forward to weekends and love their food and socializing!
Poverty in the city is common and seen daily, as is huge wealth

As for money, that all depends on how you live..(by the way 6.5 is definately on the low side if I remember your credentials! I got 5 million 5 years ago outside Medan as an inexperienced illegal teacher!!)

I feel that you will have a shock in adapting from your Korean salary Ghost but you may be able to put away a few million a month..my family and I live on 10 million without saving very much but living very comfortably, with tight moments now and again!

Rent for a decent house in Medan=15-25 million per year (can get a tiny terraced house for 10),
Good used car 50-100 million,
Average 'Becak' ride= 5000-20,000 rupiah
Bottle of Bir Bintang=13,000 rupiah
Canister of LPG 'calor gas'=75,000
Litre of petrol=4,500 rupiah
Gym fees per month=300,000 rupiah
...but all this adds up, naturally...From what you have said about Korea though I have no doubt that Indonesia will compensate you for you 'quality of life' deficiency..this is of course all just one man's opinion..just make sure you negotiate for the money and the time you need to do the things you want to do!

salam

ezekiel

[ghost]

Thank you, Sir.

Your description of Medan is interesting and intriguing, and I look forward to the multi-cultural mix which dominates the city.

I am willing to live in a place for relatively low pay, but I feel, at this stage, that offering just $700 u.s, no matter how cheap the place, is pushing things a bit far. Yes, the place may be cheap, but judging from some of the prices you quote, they are not that cheap when taking that kind of salary into account, and also, important, is that when vacations roll around, there will be hardly any money in the bank to go anywhere! One has to think about that. At least in Korea, money is not an issue, and even on the lowest of salaries (2.0 won with free accommodation) most teachers are able to save around $1000 a month, which comes in handy for vacations. But money is not everything.

In a few days I will be in Bali, and then move up to Java and Sumatra and we shall see how things develop as I travel.

I no longer set goals or predictions in that department, because time and again, places that were portrayed in a certain way by some people, turned out to be completely different from my perspective.

For example, most people hated Managua, Nicaragua, and spent as little time as possible there when travelling through Central America. I actually elected domicile there for a few weeks, attracted by the genuine vibe of the city, and the rarity of tourists made it a very genuine, unadulterated Central American city. It had a certain 'vibe' that made it an exciting place to live in.

Medan might offer some of the same delights, and the fact that it is not a tourist mecca suits me.

My own thought about salaries for qualified certified teachers in Indonesia, is that the base salary, these days, should be around $2000 u.s per month, with free accommodation. Less than $1500, and it would be very hard. This would be for International or top tier National Plus schools, not language mills.

Perhaps I have been spoilt by the money Koreans throw at us for 'teaching' English in the 'Hermit Kingdom' (Korea).

Thank you.

Ghost in Korea (www.gifle.go.kr)

[ezekiel]

I'm all for Ghost and the 'Campaign for $2000 per month! you get my vote!

[MrMrLuckyKhan]

Hey Ghost!!!

I just read in another post that you are NOT coming to Indo now.... pitty...

But, I just wanted to comment on Medan.

I have visited Medan for over a week now. I dont particularly love Medan, but I can tell it is the kind of city that would grow on me, lol... The MAIN thing I hate is the Pollution, which seems to even burn my eyes, lol.... Oh well... Also, find it amusing that EVERY time I get a becak and offer a slightly-higher-than-the-going-rate for a local ride, they ALWAYS (without exception, lol) say they cant do it for that price, and then SOON as I walk away, they always start yelling, "OK, OK, come come..." and end up taking me, LOL!!!

I left America in May 2007, and have been on holiday since just traveling around SE Asia. I was in Indonesia for the past 4 months, and get a great vibe from the WHOLE country (except maybe Kuta Beach on Bali, lol).

[sherlock]

I think I know the school you are talking about and it doesn't surprise me Khan

[KCA420]

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[MrMrLuckyKhan]

[ezekiel]

[cariduit]

I know the OP has changed plans, but for other posters thought I might share that I taught at Australia Centre Medan some years back. It's a great place to teach. School has good credentials - connected with Australian university and has a good Aussie boss who looks after teachers well.

I also agree that Medan is the sort of place that GROWS on you. There are some great places to go to nearby when you've had enough of the pollution.

[malu]

I went to Medan for a visit having heard that it was a dump and I was pleasantly surprised. It seems to me to be a very liveable kind of city with the benefits of some modernity but without the traffic hell of Jakarta.

It's not the sort of place you'd go for a luxury exotic holiday, but would you really want to live and work full time in a tourist trap? ...taxi mister! Mister, buy Rolex - original only ten dollar! Taxi! You look in my shop! What you want Mister? I got Levis only twenty dollar, boss...