The large population of Jakarta gives it an advantage in terms of labor and consumption. But on the other hand, Jakarta must also improve the quality of life of its citizens in order to compete with other cities such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Here are some comparisons between Jakarta, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in terms of quality of life.

1. Jakarta is the most polluted city. Jakarta's pollution levels are twice as bad as Kuala Lumpur.

Source: Statista; Year of Statistics Singapore 2019; Department of Statistics Malaysia 2019

2. Jakarta's congestion reduced by almost 10 percent from 2017 to 2019. During the same period, congestion in Mumbai did not decrease significantly. In contrast, congestion in Kuala Lumpur increased by 2 percent.

Source: World Bank

3. Of the three, Kuala Lumpur is the safest city.

source: statista; Year of Statistics Singapore 2019; Department of Statistics Malaysia 2019

4. In 2017-2019, the environmental conditions of Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta simultaneously declined.

Source: UNDP

5. Kuala Lumpur's accessibility is the best among the three cities. Mumbai and Jakarta's rankings dropped in 2017-2019.

Source: BPS Jakarta 2019, Year of Statistics Singapore 2019; ceicdata.com

6. In 2015-2019, the ranking of cultural interaction facilities in Kuala Lumpur continued to improve.

In 2015-2019, the ranking of cultural interaction facilities in Kuala Lumpur continued to improve.

7. Teachers in Jakarta (1 teacher/student) handle more students than Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

Source: BPS Jakarta 2019; Year of Statistics Singapore 2019; Department of Statistics Malaysia 2019

8. 50% of Singapore universities are in the Top 1,000 Universities

Source: QS World University Rankings

9. Jakarta's unemployment rate is still the highest compared to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Source: BPS Jakarta; Year of Statistics Singapore; Department of Statistics Malaysia

Tourism was the second largest contributor to Indonesia's foreign exchange in 2019. The Indonesian government predicts that tourism will be the largest contributor in the following year. Jakarta as a business center also has its own charm for tourists.

Despite being the biggest contributor, Indonesia's tourism is still lagging behind other cities in neighboring countries such as Singapore and Bangkok. For example, the number of foreign tourists. Here are some comparisons between Jakarta, Singapore and Bangkok in terms of tourism:

1. The number of international passengers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is very small compared to Changi Airport and Bangkok (2018).

2. The length of stay of foreign tourists in Jakarta is the shortest (in 2019)

3. The number of foreign tourists in Bangkok is 8 times larger than Jakarta (in 2019)

4. Jakarta has the least number of hotel rooms. The hotel room occupancy rate in Jakarta is also the lowest (in 2016).

5. Total expenditure of foreign tourists in Jakarta is 10 times less than Bangkok (2019)

6. Singapore is ranked second on the Safe Cities Index, while Bangkok and Jakarta are below the average of the 60 cities surveyed (in 2019).

Source

• 1: Airport Council International; BPS Indonesia
• 2,3: BPS Jakarta 2019; BPS Bali 2019; Year of Statistic of Singapore 2019; Mastercard Global Destination Index, 2019.
• 4: BPS Jakarta 2019; Year of Statistic of Singapore 2019; Krungsri Research, 2019
• 5: Mastercard Global Destination Index, 2016
• 6: The Economist - Safe Cities Index 2019

The livability index marks the success of spatial planning. The higher the index number, the more comfortable people live in a city and the more integrated the spatial planning is. There are at least seven principles of a livable city, ranging from environmental quality to the availability of public facilities and social facilities. The Jakarta Property Institute chose Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai to compare their livability levels. All three are metropolitan cities as well as economic centers. Check out the full story!

1. Jakarta is a highly polluted city, a far cry from Kuala Lumpur

Source: iqair

2. In 2017, Mumbai was the most congested city in the world. While in 2019, Mumbai has dropped in rank but is not much different from Jakarta

Source: tomtom

3. Kuala Lumpur is the safest city compared to Jakarta and Mumbai

Source: Safe Cities Index by The Economist

4. Based on environmental conditions, Jakarta has dropped in the rankings but Mumbai is also not better than Jakarta

Source: Global Power City Index by Mori Memorial Foundation

5. Kuala Lumpur's accessibility is excellent, Jakarta and Mumbai are still far behind

Source: Global Power City Index by Mori Memorial Foundation

6. Mumbai has the lowest cultural interaction facilities, but Jakarta is not much better than Mumbai

Source: Global Power City Index by Mori Memorial Foundation

Jakarta as the center of government and business makes it an urbanization magnet for job seekers. The city will also continue to receive new graduates. That's why congestion and housing supply are challenges that Jakarta must solve.

In the context of the region, how does Jakarta's urban condition compare to other cities in neighboring countries? Here is a comparison between Jakarta, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

1. Jakarta is the most densely populated city when compared to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

2. Jakarta's population is almost twice that of Singapore and six times that of Kuala Lumpur.

3. Singapore has a larger area than Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.

4. Singapore has the highest GDP (USD) per Capita, followed by Kuala Lumpur and then Jakarta.

5. House prices in Jakarta are the most expensive compared to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

6. Jakarta is the 7th most congested city in the world, far ahead of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

7. Motorcycles dominate Jakarta's roads

8. Singapore has the most daily train passengers compared to Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta

Source

• 1-4,7: BPS DKI Jakarta 2019; Yearbook of Singapore 2019, BPS Malaysia 2019.
• 5: World Bank Report, Realizing Indonesia's Urban Potential
• 6: Tomtom.com, 2018
• 8: BPS DKI Jakarta 2019; Yearbook of Singapore 2019, Urban Transport System in Greater KL 2019

A city's productivity is linked to the reliability of its health facilities. Especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, reliable health facilities determine the speed or slowness of recovery of economic activities. This is because a resilient city means that it is ready to face various challenges including disease outbreaks.

The Jakarta Property Institute compared three major cities with a population of more than 5 million people, namely Jakarta, Singapore and Hong Kong. How does the condition of Jakarta compare to developed cities like these two cities? Are the health facilities in Jakarta reliable enough?

Let's check together!

Source: Health Profile Book of DKI Jakarta Province 2018; Year Book of Statistics Singapore 2019;
Health Facts of Hong Kong 2019 Edition

1. Jakarta has met WHO standards but Singapore and Hong Kong are still better than Jakarta.

Ratio of nurses vs. population (2018)

*WHO international standards indicate that 1 inpatient bed serves 1,000 patients.

2. Singapore provides better maternity hospital beds than Jakarta and Hong Kong. 1 bed for 30 women.

Ratio of maternity home beds vs female population aged 25-39 years (2018)

*WHO international standards indicate that a maternity home bed serves 100 patients.

3. There are fewer doctors in Jakarta than Singapore and Hong Kong. More than 500 people must be served by one doctor in Jakarta.

Ratio of doctors vs. population (2018)

*WHO international standards indicate that a maternity home bed serves 100 patients.

4. Hong Kong is the best country in terms of inpatient bed facilities compared to Singapore and Jakarta.

Ratio of inpatient beds vs population (2018)

*WHO international standards indicate that 1 inpatient bed serves 1,000 patients.

5. Jakarta, Singapore and Hong Kong do not meet WHO standards for ICU bed capacity.

Ratio of ICU beds vs population (2018)

*WHO international standards indicate that 1 ICU bed serves 1,000 patients.

6. People in Hong Kong have a life expectancy of 84 years, better than Singapore and Jakarta.

Life expectancy (2018)

7. For every 1,000 babies born, Jakarta has 3 infant deaths.

Infant mortality rate/1,000 live births (2018)

Having a comfortable and livable place to live is a human need. As a metropolitan city, Jakarta is a magnet for workers to live in the city center. But what is the current housing condition in Jakarta? When compared to other cities in neighboring countries, housing in Jakarta is still not good enough.

Here's how Jakarta compares to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

1. Housing affordability in Jakarta is the worst compared to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

House price to income ratio
(house price to income) | 2019

Source: Time to Act Report, World Bank 2019.

2. Jakarta's home ownership rate is still far below Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Percentage of home ownership (rate of home ownership) | 2019

Source: Central Bureau of Statistics 2020, Housing; Department of Statistics Singapore 2020, Households; Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal 2020, Housing Statistics.

3. The percentage of people renting for living in Singapore is the lowest compared to Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur.

Percentage of rented houses/flats | 2019

Source: Central Bureau of Statistics 2020, Housing; Department of Statistics Singapore 2020, Households; Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal 2020, Housing Statistics.

4. The expenditure on housing and household amenities (water, electricity, gas, etc.) incurred by Jakartans is the highest compared to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Percentage of expenditure on housing and related expenses | 2019

Source: Badan Pusat Statistik Provinsi DKI Jakarta 2019, Social and Culture; Department of Statistics Singapore 2019, Household Expenditure Survey Global Data Lab 2020; Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal 2020, Household Expenditure Survey Report By State And Administrative District.

5. Jakarta has more household members than Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Average household members (average number of members per household) | 2019

Source: Badan Pusat Statistik Provinsi DKI Jakarta 2019, Social and Culture; Department of Statistics Singapore 2019, Household Expenditure Survey Global Data Lab 2020; Department of Statistics Malaysia Official Portal 2020, Household Expenditure Survey Report By State And Administrative District.