Medan International School
American
Fee not published
Confirmed on its own website
Cost of Living inMedan, Sumatra, Indonesia
North Sumatra, Indonesia2.5MUpper middle incomeRemote-work friendly
Image credit: Gunawan Kartapranata
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Your money goes 4.3x further
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Indonesia: $15,091/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 75% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.
Overall
4.0x further
Prices are 75% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
13x further
Prices are 92% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
3.1x further
Prices are 67% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
7.5x further
Prices are 87% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Income Category
Upper Middle
World Bank GNI
GDP per Capita
$15,091
PPP, International $
City Population
2.5M
Child Education
Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost — the two paths a relocating family weighs.
Public schools
This describes Indonesia as a whole. Enrollment rules and school quality can vary within the country, so check with schools in Medan, Sumatra.
Quality
Limited public-school fit
Expat access
Possible, rarely the expat choice
hardInstruction
Indonesian
Local-language fluency usually matters.
PISA / outcomes
Qualitative only
Using curated quality notes for now.
Why this quality rating
Indonesia's public system is not the route most expat families choose when they have alternatives.
Why the expat-access rating looks like this
Resident access may be possible, but Indonesian-medium instruction and uneven quality make the public path a hard sell for foreign families.
📋 Homeschooling
Legal (recognized alternative)Registration requiredPeriodic assessment
Homeschooling is recognized under the Indonesian National Education System. Must register with the local education office. Students can take national exams (Paket A/B/C equivalency exams) to receive official certificates. Growing community in Bali and Jakarta.
Homeschool legality in Indonesia — check current regulations before committing.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
International & private schools
1 confirmed school
1 more suggested by AI, not verified
- American1
Schools' websites are found with Wikidata and OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), and each is checked on the school's own site.
Childcare & Domestic Help
Estimate-only country fallback for the family-support costs we track in Indonesia.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$350-$675
Estimate-only country fallback
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$610-$1,150
Estimate-only country fallback
Source: curated family relocation research(derived country fallback)
Getting Around
The concrete mobility picture for Medan: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.
Walkability score: 44/100 (car leaning). This is derived from the verified mobility profile and is used by the walkability gate.
Walkability
44/100
mobility profile bus only
Airport
Kualanamu international airport and rail corridor
The current local family mobility queue lists Medan as a Indonesia follow-up city; keep family air access modeled through kualanamu international airport and rail corridor while adding direct mobility and walkability coverage instead of relying only on broader country coverage.
Urban transit
Bus-led mobility with central errand access
buscommuter railwalking
Medan remains road-led, but airport rail, regional rail, buses, and central errands make direct family mobility coverage more accurate than leaving the city uncovered.
Rideshare
Grab, Gojek, and taxis available
Taxis or app-booked rides are the practical fallback for airport transfers and neighborhoods beyond fixed-route service.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
Healthcare
System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Indonesia.
Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.
180 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 7 months ago
Healthcare system
LimitedDoctor staffing is lighter, hospital capacity looks tighter, and maternal outcomes are weaker weigh on this rating.
Public care
LimitedCountry-level outcomes are weaker weigh on this rating.
Private care
GoodA meaningful tracked hospital and clinic network and a clearly private facility base help, but self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse.
UHC coverage
67/100
2023
Physicians
0.52/1k
2023
Hospital beds
1.37/1k
2023
Out of pocket
31%
2023
Outcome signals
Life expectancy
71.3 yrs
2024
Maternal mortality
140/100k
2023
Neonatal mortality
9.2/1k
2024
International patient readiness
MixedA visible private hospital base and multiple facilities have websites help, but price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedMultiple facilities have crawlable websites help, but published self-pay prices are scarce.
Facility coverage
Clinic: 64Pharmacy: 46Hospital: 44Dentist: 15Doctor: 8Physiotherapy: 2Laboratory: 1
Self-pay pricing visibility
No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Indonesia yet.
This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.
Notable facilities
Rumah Sakit Columbia Asia
Hospital · Emergency
RSU. Mitra Medika-Amplas
Hospital · Emergency
general
Rumah Sakit Umum Mitra Medika Bandar Klippa (Tembung)
Hospital · Emergency
general
Rumah Sakit Santa Elisabeth Medan
Hospital · Emergency
Puskesmas
Hospital · Emergency
Puskesmas
Hospital · Emergency
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-11-01
Safety & Governance
City-level perceived-crime data is not sourced for Medan, Sumatra yet. Showing Indonesia national safety and governance signals until a matched city row lands.
Street Safety
Safety Index44/100
Crime Index56/100
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
Political Stability-0.55
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2023 annual wages in Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia · Source: BPS Sakernas (region-adjusted)
Price Comparison vs. US
beer
$3.00Estimated61% cheaper
big mac
$2.38Estimated62% cheaper
bread 500g
$1.14Estimated66% cheaper
budget hotel
$71.35Survey-verified97% more
childcare preschool
$265.69Estimated83% cheaper
cinema
$4.00Estimated76% cheaper
coca cola
$0.55Estimated74% cheaper
eggs dozen
$1.79Estimated63% cheaper
gasoline liter
$0.83Estimated19% cheaper
inexpensive meal
$3.49Estimated83% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$19.50Estimated71% cheaper
iphone
$1099.00Estimated10% more
jeans
$30.00Estimated41% cheaper
latte
$2.80Estimated47% cheaper
luxury hotel
$71.35Survey-verified85% cheaper
mcmeal
$3.50Estimated65% cheaper
milk liter
$1.45Estimated19% more
monthly pass
$9.36Estimated87% cheaper
nike shoes
$60.00Estimated34% cheaper
rent 1br
$508.90Estimated72% cheaper
rent 2br
$650.00Estimated85% cheaper
rent 3br
$1454.50Estimated54% cheaper
subway fare
$0.25Estimated90% cheaper
taxi km
$0.36Estimated81% cheaper
utilities basic
$76.20Estimated64% cheaper
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
visa on arrival
US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival.
Long-Term Visa Programs
digital nomad
B211A Remote Worker Visa
12 monthsMin. $5,000/mo income
Migrated from legacy digital_nomad_visas row 32
retirement
Retirement KITAS12 monthsRenewableMin. $1,500/mo income
Quick comparison FAQ
Structured from the deltas already shown on this page — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Medan compared with the US?
Your money goes about 4.3x further in Medan than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Indonesia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
Is Medan cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Medan is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 75% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Medan. We are using the country-level cost index for Indonesia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How does rent in Medan compare with New York City?
Rent in Medan is about 92% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Indonesia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Medan?
Groceries in Medan are about 67% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 87% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Indonesia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.
About Medan, Sumatra
Medan is the capital of North Sumatra and Indonesia's largest city outside Java, serving as the gateway to Lake Toba and the commercial hub for the surrounding palm oil, rubber, and tobacco economy. It has a distinct demographic mix with significant Batak, Javanese, Malay, Indian, and Chinese-Indonesian communities, and the food scene reflects that layering. Kualanamu International Airport gives the city direct connections to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and other regional hubs, which makes Medan a practical base for anyone working across Sumatra or northern ASEAN. For relocators, the main trade-offs are heavy traffic, limited rail infrastructure, and air quality that drops sharply during the regional haze season tied to land clearing fires across Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Tropical climate: hot and humid year-round with rainy season Nov-MarInternet quality: adequate for streaming/work but occasional connectivity issuesGrowing expat community: smaller than major hubs but welcoming and supportiveWalkability: low in most areas, scooter/taxi reliance requiredFood scene: exceptional local cuisine and street food, very affordableNightlife: moderate options, more local bars than tourist clubsCoworking: several options available, reasonable ratesSafety: generally safe for tourists/expats with standard precautions
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