Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Chennai vs Makassar

Chennai vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 27% cheaper Chennai +29 Mbps Moderate / N/A

Chennai

Ahamed Sameel/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,147

Chennai

$839

Makassar

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Chennai

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Chennai

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

High

Chennai

N/A

Makassar

Population

6.7m

Chennai

1.3m

Makassar

Chennai (India) 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 — 27% cheaper than Chennai's $1147/mo, a saving of $3696 per year.

For families, Chennai costs $1103.650118129872/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Chennai leads on internet connectivity at 61 Mbps (ranked #0 globally) versus Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Chennai and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Chennai is January (around 32 degrees, 0mm rain, score 440), 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

ChennaiMakassar

Nomad$1,147/mo$839/mo

Expat$564/mo$683/mo

Local$315/mo$514/mo

Family$1,104/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

ChennaiMakassar

City Speed

61 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed61 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

ChennaiMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighN/A

ClimateModerateN/A

Humidity7485

Quality of Life

ChennaiMakassar

SafetyModerateN/A

HealthcareHighN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Chennai

Makassar

Jan

32°

0mm440

36°

11mm87

Feb

35°

0mm440

37°

4mm210

Mar

37°

0mm420

37°

6mm179

Apr

41°

0mm400

38°

3mm282

May

40°

2mm386

38°

1mm346

Jun

40°

1mm374

36°

1mm348

Jul

38°

2mm376

35°

0mm372

Aug

39°

2mm359

35°

0mm374

Sep

39°

2mm410

37°

0mm354

Oct

37°

2mm368

37°

1mm330

Nov

32°

2mm348

37°

6mm271

Dec

31°

2mm358

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Chennai?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1147
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1103.650118129872/mo for families
Major city energy with 6.7m residents
Peak season in January — 32 degrees, score 440

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, Chennai edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1147/mo it runs 27% cheaper than Makassar's $839/mo, with 61 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Chennai Makassar

ItemChennaiMakassarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.18$1.3

40%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$12.28$9.72

21%

McMeal or equivalent combo$4.91$3.24

34%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.63$1.78

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.21$2.07

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$4.3$2.92

32%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.44$0.5

12%

Water (0.33L)$0.18$0.26

31%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.61$1.24

51%

White bread (500g)$0.5$1

50%

White rice (1kg)$0.68$0.82

17%

Eggs (12)$0.85$1.47

42%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.19$3.65

13%

Beef round (1kg)$5.8$7.45

22%

Local cheese (1kg)$6.15$5.94

Apples (1kg)$2.5$2.51

Bananas (1kg)$0.78$0.86

Oranges (1kg)$1.35$2.28

41%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.51$0.8

36%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.5$1.02

51%

Onions (1kg)$0.45$1.73

74%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.63$1.04

39%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.37$0.45

18%

Wine, mid-range bottle$5.53$12.96

57%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.81$2.27

20%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.12$3.52

11%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$4.42$2.07

53%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.31$0.32

Monthly transport pass$12.28$9.72

21%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.23$0.58

53%

Taxi per 1km$0.25$0.45

44%

Taxi 1hr waiting$1.23$3.57

66%

Gasoline (1L)$1.32$0.81

39%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$12,281.76$24,955.34

51%

Toyota Corolla (new)$24,164.54$31,761.34

24%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$33.92$51.2

34%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$9.48$41.59

77%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.01$0.18

94%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$17.77$25.12

29%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$6.3$9.18

31%

Cinema, 1 ticket$2.46$2.92

16%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$71.79$53.8

25%

International primary school/yr$1,281.91$4,861.43

74%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$29.1$45.36

36%

Summer dress (chain store)$28.48$22.69

20%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$46.45$75.35

38%

Men's leather business shoes$34.67$47.97

28%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$180.73$170.15

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$107.59$77.78

28%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$439.84$421.32

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$259.71$162.05

38%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,948.95$1,296.38

33%

Price per m², outside centre$690.3$421.32

39%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$552.68$231.19

58%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$7.78$10.67

27%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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