Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Dili vs Semarang

Dili vs Semarang

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Semarang 59% cheaper Moderate / Moderate

Dili

Tanushree Rao/Unsplash

Semarang

Supri Yanto/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$2,035

Dili

$825

Semarang

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Dili

Moderate

Semarang

Air Quality

5/5

Dili

5/5

Semarang

Healthcare

Moderate

Dili

Moderate

Semarang

Population

192.7k

Dili

1.6m

Semarang

Dili (East Timor) and Semarang (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: Semarang costs $825/mo, saving 59% compared to Dili's $2035/mo — that's $14520 per year.

For families, Dili costs $4023/mo compared to Semarang's $1605.588646314858/mo.

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Dili and Semarang.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Dili is July (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 415), while Semarang peaks in July (35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 397). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

DiliSemarang

Nomad$2,035/mo$825/mo

Expat$1,467/mo$603/mo

Local$1,149/mo$459/mo

Family$4,023/mo$1,606/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

DiliSemarang

City Speed

0 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed0 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

DiliSemarang

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionHighModerate

ClimateN/AModerate

Humidity7788

Quality of Life

DiliSemarang

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareModerateModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Dili

Semarang

Jan

37°

2mm323

34°

8mm237

Feb

38°

3mm251

35°

5mm222

Mar

38°

3mm312

36°

6mm253

Apr

38°

2mm323

37°

5mm319

May

38°

1mm371

37°

1mm373

Jun

35°

0mm410

36°

1mm368

Jul

35°

0mm415

35°

0mm397

Aug

35°

0mm415

36°

0mm397

Sep

37°

0mm380

36°

0mm397

Oct

38°

1mm371

37°

0mm382

Nov

40°

4mm333

36°

7mm319

Dec

38°

8mm220

34°

15mm207

Who Should Choose Dili?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 192.7k residents
Peak season in July — 35 degrees, score 415

Who Should Choose Semarang?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $825
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1605.588646314858/mo for families
Peak season in July — 35 degrees, score 397

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Semarang is the stronger pick. At $825/mo it beats Dili's $2035/mo by 59%, and the 32 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Dili Semarang

ItemDiliSemarangDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$5$1.3

74%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$40$9.72

76%

McMeal or equivalent combo$7$3.24

54%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.88$1.34

53%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.75$2.48

10%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3$2.59

14%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.25$0.42

66%

Water (0.33L)$0.88$0.2

77%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.79$1.13

37%

White bread (500g)$1.98$0.97

51%

White rice (1kg)$2.94$0.81

72%

Eggs (12)$2.4$1.29

46%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$8.5$2.96

65%

Beef round (1kg)$14.5$7.24

50%

Local cheese (1kg)$6$6.15

Apples (1kg)$5$2.3

54%

Bananas (1kg)$2.17$1.3

40%

Oranges (1kg)$3.67$1.15

69%

Tomatoes (1kg)$2.33$0.86

63%

Potatoes (1kg)$1$1.15

13%

Onions (1kg)$2.33$1.38

41%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.83$0.55

34%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.53$0.36

32%

Wine, mid-range bottle$13.5$12.15

10%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.94$2.03

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.33$2.98

11%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$1.62$1.94

16%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.25$0.23

Monthly transport pass—$18.18

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3$0.58

81%

Taxi per 1km$3$0.32

89%

Taxi 1hr waiting$15$2.11

86%

Gasoline (1L)$0.98$0.79

19%

Volkswagen Golf (new)—$23,334.86

—

Toyota Corolla (new)—$27,914.38

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$112.5$40.19

64%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$82.5$28.38

66%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.11$0.1

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$64$29.17

54%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$11.25$12.15

Cinema, 1 ticket$6$3.24

46%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$333.33$75.62

77%

International primary school/yr$18,666.67$6,009.65

68%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$61.67$32.39

47%

Summer dress (chain store)$50$22.69

55%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$76.25$64.82

15%

Men's leather business shoes$62.5$37.81

40%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$680$259.28

62%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$625$194.46

69%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$2,450$680.6

72%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,566.67$550.96

65%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$4,666.67$1,215.36

74%

Price per m², outside centre$4,000$378.11

91%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$3,500$269

92%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)—$8.69

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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