Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Cebu vs Makassar

Cebu vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 39% cheaper Cebu +62 Mbps Moderate / N/A

Cebu

Toa Heftiba/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,368

Cebu

$839

Makassar

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Cebu

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Cebu

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

High

Cebu

N/A

Makassar

Population

922.6k

Cebu

1.3m

Makassar

Cebu (Philippines) 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

Budget-conscious nomads take note: Makassar costs $839/mo, saving 39% compared to Cebu's $1368/mo — that's $6348 per year.

For families, Cebu costs $1899.198205293466/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Cebu's 94 Mbps (global #0) — considerably faster than Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Cebu and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Cebu is March (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 433), 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

CebuMakassar

Nomad$1,368/mo$839/mo

Expat$836/mo$683/mo

Local$543/mo$514/mo

Family$1,899/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

CebuMakassar

City Speed

94 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed94 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

CebuMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateModerateN/A

Humidity7585

Quality of Life

CebuMakassar

SafetyModerateN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Cebu

Makassar

Jan

35°

1mm396

36°

11mm87

Feb

34°

1mm385

37°

4mm210

Mar

35°

0mm433

37°

6mm179

Apr

38°

0mm413

38°

3mm282

May

39°

1mm356

38°

1mm346

Jun

38°

9mm278

36°

1mm348

Jul

36°

12mm247

35°

0mm372

Aug

38°

6mm354

35°

0mm374

Sep

37°

5mm365

37°

0mm354

Oct

38°

6mm278

37°

1mm330

Nov

37°

2mm375

37°

6mm271

Dec

35°

5mm247

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Cebu?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1368
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1899.198205293466/mo for families
Peak season in March — 35 degrees, score 433

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

For the typical digital nomad, Cebu is the stronger pick. At $1368/mo it beats Makassar's $839/mo by 39%, and the 94 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Cebu Makassar

ItemCebuMakassarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant—$1.3

—

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

—

McMeal or equivalent combo—$3.24

—

Cappuccino (regular)—$1.78

—

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)—$2.07

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$2.92

—

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)—$0.5

—

Water (0.33L)—$0.26

—

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)—$1.24

—

White bread (500g)—$1

—

White rice (1kg)—$0.82

—

Eggs (12)—$1.47

—

Chicken fillets (1kg)—$3.65

—

Beef round (1kg)—$7.45

—

Local cheese (1kg)—$5.94

—

Apples (1kg)—$2.51

—

Bananas (1kg)—$0.86

—

Oranges (1kg)—$2.28

—

Tomatoes (1kg)—$0.8

—

Potatoes (1kg)—$1.02

—

Onions (1kg)—$1.73

—

Lettuce (1 head)—$1.04

—

Water (1.5L bottle)—$0.45

—

Wine, mid-range bottle—$12.96

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)—$2.27

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$3.52

—

Cigarettes (pack of 20)—$2.07

—

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket—$0.32

—

Monthly transport pass—$9.72

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)—$0.58

—

Taxi per 1km—$0.45

—

Taxi 1hr waiting—$3.57

—

Gasoline (1L)—$0.81

—

Volkswagen Golf (new)—$24,955.34

—

Toyota Corolla (new)—$31,761.34

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo—$51.2

—

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo—$41.59

—

Mobile prepaid per minute—$0.18

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly—$25.12

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)—$9.18

—

Cinema, 1 ticket—$2.92

—

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$53.8

—

International primary school/yr—$4,861.43

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)—$45.36

—

Summer dress (chain store)—$22.69

—

Nike running shoes (mid-range)—$75.35

—

Men's leather business shoes—$47.97

—

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$170.15

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$77.78

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$421.32

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$162.05

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre—$1,296.38

—

Price per m², outside centre—$421.32

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary—$231.19

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)—$10.67

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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