Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Bangkok vs Makassar

Bangkok vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 44% cheaper Bangkok +240 Mbps Moderate / N/A

Bangkok

Anantachai Saothong/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,490

Bangkok

$839

Makassar

Internet

272

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Bangkok

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Bangkok

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

High

Bangkok

N/A

Makassar

Population

5.8m

Bangkok

1.3m

Makassar

Bangkok (Thailand) and Makassar (Indonesia) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Makassar is the clear budget winner at $839/mo — 44% cheaper than Bangkok's $1490/mo, a saving of $7812 per year.

For families, Bangkok costs $2771.781463850045/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Bangkok leads on internet connectivity at 272 Mbps (ranked #12 globally) versus Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

Both Bangkok and Makassar share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Bangkok and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Bangkok is January (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 470), while Makassar peaks in August (35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 374). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

BangkokMakassar

Nomad$1,490/mo$839/mo

Expat$1,153/mo$683/mo

Local$792/mo$514/mo

Family$2,772/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

BangkokMakassar

City Speed

272 Mbps#12

32 Mbps

Country Speed238 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

BangkokMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateModerateN/A

Humidity6085

Quality of Life

BangkokMakassar

SafetyModerateN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Bangkok

Makassar

Jan

35°

0mm470

36°

11mm87

Feb

38°

0mm455

37°

4mm210

Mar

39°

0mm465

37°

6mm179

Apr

42°

0mm440

38°

3mm282

May

41°

4mm398

38°

1mm346

Jun

38°

4mm393

36°

1mm348

Jul

36°

8mm326

35°

0mm372

Aug

39°

5mm398

35°

0mm374

Sep

38°

9mm397

37°

0mm354

Oct

38°

3mm407

37°

1mm330

Nov

37°

0mm467

37°

6mm271

Dec

35°

0mm470

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Bangkok?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1490
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 272 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2771.781463850045/mo for families
Major city energy with 5.8m residents
Peak season in January — 35 degrees, score 470

Who Should Choose Makassar?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $839
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1800.101453918562/mo for families
Peak season in August — 35 degrees, score 374

Overall Verdict

Overall, Bangkok edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1490/mo it runs 44% cheaper than Makassar's $839/mo, with 272 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Bangkok Makassar

ItemBangkokMakassarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.74$1.3

53%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$28.8$9.72

66%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.76$3.24

44%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.13$1.78

16%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.3$2.07

10%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$4.32$2.92

32%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.51$0.5

Water (0.33L)$0.27$0.26

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.65$1.24

25%

White bread (500g)$1.91$1

48%

White rice (1kg)$1.45$0.82

43%

Eggs (12)$2$1.47

27%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.08$3.65

16%

Beef round (1kg)$12.16$7.45

39%

Local cheese (1kg)$16.97$5.94

65%

Apples (1kg)$2.88$2.51

13%

Bananas (1kg)$1.41$0.86

39%

Oranges (1kg)$1.93$2.28

15%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.53$0.8

48%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.52$1.02

33%

Onions (1kg)$1.27$1.73

27%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.19$1.04

13%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.47$0.45

Wine, mid-range bottle$20.16$12.96

36%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.65$2.27

27%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.84$3.52

19%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$4.32$2.07

52%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.27$0.32

75%

Monthly transport pass$37.44$9.72

74%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.01$0.58

43%

Taxi per 1km$1.18$0.45

62%

Taxi 1hr waiting$5.18$3.57

31%

Gasoline (1L)$1.21$0.81

33%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$57,600.86$24,955.34

57%

Toyota Corolla (new)$26,234.16$31,761.34

17%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$79.55$51.2

36%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$15.46$41.59

63%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.04$0.18

78%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$57.33$25.12

56%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$10.37$9.18

11%

Cinema, 1 ticket$7.63$2.92

62%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$512.24$53.8

89%

International primary school/yr$14,520.66$4,861.43

67%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$56.55$45.36

20%

Summer dress (chain store)$38.02$22.69

40%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$83.6$75.35

10%

Men's leather business shoes$96.88$47.97

50%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$594.58$170.15

71%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$285.95$77.78

73%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$2,044.33$421.32

79%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$961.21$162.05

83%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$5,534.11$1,296.38

77%

Price per m², outside centre$2,578.84$421.32

84%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$629.84$231.19

63%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$5.64$10.67

47%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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