Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Busan vs Makassar

Busan vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 55% cheaper Busan +118 Mbps High / N/A

Busan

Pang Yuhao/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,864

Busan

$839

Makassar

Internet

150

Mbps

Safety

High

Busan

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Busan

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

Moderate

Busan

N/A

Makassar

Population

3.4m

Busan

1.3m

Makassar

Busan (South Korea) 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 — 55% cheaper than Busan's $1864/mo, a saving of $12300 per year.

For families, Busan costs $2376.087874275796/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Busan leads on internet connectivity at 150 Mbps (ranked #60 globally) versus Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Busan and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Busan is June (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 459), 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

BusanMakassar

Nomad$1,864/mo$839/mo

Expat$1,181/mo$683/mo

Local$679/mo$514/mo

Family$2,376/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

BusanMakassar

City Speed

150 Mbps#60

32 Mbps

Country Speed199 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

BusanMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateN/A

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity4185

Quality of Life

BusanMakassar

SafetyHighN/A

HealthcareModerateN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Busan

Makassar

Jan

4°

0mm399

36°

11mm87

Feb

5°

0mm395

37°

4mm210

Mar

9°

0mm407

37°

6mm179

Apr

18°

0mm419

38°

3mm282

May

21°

0mm439

38°

1mm346

Jun

27°

0mm459

36°

1mm348

Jul

31°

3mm387

35°

0mm372

Aug

36°

0mm459

35°

0mm374

Sep

33°

0mm446

37°

0mm354

Oct

22°

1mm435

37°

1mm330

Nov

15°

0mm419

37°

6mm271

Dec

3°

0mm399

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Busan?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 150 Mbps
High safety rating for peace of mind
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2376.087874275796/mo for families
Major city energy with 3.4m residents
Peak season in June — 27 degrees, score 459

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, Busan edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1864/mo it runs 55% cheaper than Makassar's $839/mo, with 150 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Busan Makassar

ItemBusanMakassarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$6.15$1.3

79%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$36.49$9.72

73%

McMeal or equivalent combo$4.99$3.24

35%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.35$1.78

47%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$3.07$2.07

33%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$4.61$2.92

37%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.32$0.5

62%

Water (0.33L)$0.74$0.26

65%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$2.01$1.24

38%

White bread (500g)$2.49$1

60%

White rice (1kg)$4.1$0.82

80%

Eggs (12)$2$1.47

27%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$6.15$3.65

41%

Beef round (1kg)$25.61$7.45

71%

Local cheese (1kg)$13.83$5.94

57%

Apples (1kg)$5.22$2.51

52%

Bananas (1kg)$2.89$0.86

70%

Oranges (1kg)$4.96$2.28

54%

Tomatoes (1kg)$4.61$0.8

83%

Potatoes (1kg)$3.59$1.02

72%

Onions (1kg)$2.88$1.73

40%

Lettuce (1 head)$1.79$1.04

42%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.01$0.45

55%

Wine, mid-range bottle$9.99$12.96

23%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.94$2.27

15%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.6$3.52

26%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.46$2.07

40%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1$0.32

68%

Monthly transport pass$46.09$9.72

79%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.54$0.58

77%

Taxi per 1km$0.92$0.45

51%

Taxi 1hr waiting$8.11$3.57

56%

Gasoline (1L)$1.34$0.81

40%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$26,119.83$24,955.34

Toyota Corolla (new)—$31,761.34

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$141.08$51.2

64%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$22.28$41.59

46%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.1$0.18

44%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$52.68$25.12

52%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$11.52$9.18

20%

Cinema, 1 ticket$9.22$2.92

68%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$409.72$53.8

87%

International primary school/yr$25,351.6$4,861.43

81%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$58.19$45.36

22%

Summer dress (chain store)$36.3$22.69

37%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$72.98$75.35

Men's leather business shoes$90.91$47.97

47%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$414.87$170.15

59%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$325.95$77.78

76%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$926.49$421.32

55%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$625.56$162.05

74%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$7,259.92$1,296.38

82%

Price per m², outside centre$9,080.43$421.32

95%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,910.04$231.19

88%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3.69$10.67

65%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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