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For expats, Jakarta is looking just a little better these days. The Big Durian clawed its way up in this year’s ranking according to a livability index in Asia — from a shameful 39th last year to a more respectable 38th place.

According to a report from human resources consultancy ECA International, Jakarta has overtaken its close rival in the survey, Burma’s affable Rangoon, which placed just ahead of Jakarta last year. Still, not quite as nice as New Delhi, which came in at 37. Singapore retained its No. 1 ranking this year, not just for Asia but for the whole world.

The survey indicated that the city-state’s sweet spot at the top is due to world-class infrastructure, health services and air quality, as well as low crime.

Yayat Supriyatna, an urban planner from Trisakti University, told the Jakarta Globe that the capital’s placement near the bottom of the charts was probably due to factors such as accessibility, investment climate and service standards.

“We all know that in Jakarta, traffic jams are everywhere and for expats to get permits is sometimes difficult,” he said.

Expats in Denpasar, ranked No. 24 this year (down two spots from 2009), have easier access to activities and better communication with local residents, Yayat said.

“Here in Jakarta, expats are clustered in a specific area while in Denpasar and other big cities overseas, expats can more easily move around,” he said.

Arie Budhiman, Jakarta’s tourism agency head, told the Globe that the city still lacks adequate promotion abroad.

Arie said for 2010, the city budgeted only Rp 23 billion ($2.5 million) for tourism which includes domestic as well as overseas promotion. “That’s not enough compared to other world cities that have big budgets for promotion,” he said. “Jakarta has other priorities to focus on.”


Arie said accessibility remains a key barrier for the city due to problems with public transportation system.

He said moving up one place in the ranks this year was still a positive sign.

“People come here not only for leisure purposes, but also for business. So Jakarta is like a living organism with many facilities,” he said.

Arie said the city was working hard to boost the city’s facilities for residents and foreigners, including improvements to infrastructure and tourism.

Other Asian cities including Hong Kong and Beijing lagged far behind Singapore largely because of poor air quality, the survey said.

“Air pollution remains a significant problem in a number of Asian locations. New Delhi, Beijing and Hong Kong are among the worst locations studied in terms of air quality,” ECA International said.

“Health facility provision is also a problem for many parts of the region,” it said.

Hong Kong placed eighth on the list of the best locations for expats in the world, the survey said. Beijing took the 100th spot and New Delhi ranked 185th overall.

Within the top 15, Kobe, Japan, placed third followed by Yokohama, Tokyo and Copenhagen, with Australia’s administrative capital Canberra taking the seventh spot. Sydney took second place after Singapore on the global ranking list.