Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Beijing vs Makassar

Beijing vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 66% cheaper Beijing +277 Mbps High / N/A

Beijing

Road Trip with Raj/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$2,438

Beijing

$839

Makassar

Internet

309

Mbps

Safety

High

Beijing

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Beijing

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

High

Beijing

N/A

Makassar

Population

21.7m

Beijing

1.3m

Makassar

Beijing (China) 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 — 66% cheaper than Beijing's $2438/mo, a saving of $19188 per year.

For families, Beijing costs $3789.742956091357/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Beijing leads on internet connectivity at 309 Mbps (ranked #4 globally) versus Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Beijing and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Beijing is May (around 26 degrees, 0mm rain, score 465), 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

BeijingMakassar

Nomad$2,438/mo$839/mo

Expat$1,813/mo$683/mo

Local$1,083/mo$514/mo

Family$3,790/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

BeijingMakassar

City Speed

309 Mbps#4

32 Mbps

Country Speed244 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

BeijingMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateModerateN/A

Humidity2385

Quality of Life

BeijingMakassar

SafetyHighN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Beijing

Makassar

Jan

-3°

0mm405

36°

11mm87

Feb

0°

0mm405

37°

4mm210

Mar

11°

0mm425

37°

6mm179

Apr

20°

0mm445

38°

3mm282

May

26°

0mm465

38°

1mm346

Jun

33°

0mm425

36°

1mm348

Jul

35°

1mm451

35°

0mm372

Aug

35°

1mm413

35°

0mm374

Sep

27°

0mm465

37°

0mm354

Oct

17°

0mm425

37°

1mm330

Nov

10°

0mm415

37°

6mm271

Dec

-2°

0mm405

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Beijing?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 309 Mbps
High safety rating for peace of mind
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Major city energy with 21.7m residents
Peak season in May — 26 degrees, score 465

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, Beijing edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $2438/mo it runs 66% cheaper than Makassar's $839/mo, with 309 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Beijing Makassar

ItemBeijingMakassarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$4.27$1.3

70%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$31.32$9.72

69%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.69$3.24

43%

Cappuccino (regular)$4.62$1.78

61%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.42$2.07

31%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$4.13$2.92

29%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.52$0.5

Water (0.33L)$0.42$0.26

38%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$2.01$1.24

38%

White bread (500g)$2.17$1

54%

White rice (1kg)$1.25$0.82

34%

Eggs (12)$1.94$1.47

24%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.95$3.65

Beef round (1kg)$12.8$7.45

42%

Local cheese (1kg)$13.04$5.94

54%

Apples (1kg)$2.03$2.51

19%

Bananas (1kg)$1.89$0.86

54%

Oranges (1kg)$1.98$2.28

13%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.48$0.8

46%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.88$1.02

14%

Onions (1kg)$1$1.73

42%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.88$1.04

15%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.64$0.45

30%

Wine, mid-range bottle$12.81$12.96

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.03$2.27

55%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.44$3.52

31%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$4.27$2.07

52%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.71$0.32

55%

Monthly transport pass$42.71$9.72

77%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.99$0.58

71%

Taxi per 1km$0.43$0.45

Taxi 1hr waiting$11.39$3.57

69%

Gasoline (1L)$1.2$0.81

32%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$24,200.32$24,955.34

Toyota Corolla (new)$22,446.36$31,761.34

29%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$55.64$51.2

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$20.83$41.59

50%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.04$0.18

78%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$57.48$25.12

56%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$30.37$9.18

70%

Cinema, 1 ticket$8.54$2.92

66%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$980.31$53.8

95%

International primary school/yr$27,318.57$4,861.43

82%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$67.19$45.36

32%

Summer dress (chain store)$43.68$22.69

48%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$86.62$75.35

13%

Men's leather business shoes$122.09$47.97

61%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,199.13$170.15

86%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$673.25$77.78

88%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$2,784.82$421.32

85%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,453.74$162.05

89%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$17,761.99$1,296.38

93%

Price per m², outside centre$9,644.53$421.32

96%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,562.35$231.19

85%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$4.94$10.67

54%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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