Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Guilin vs Semarang

Guilin vs Semarang

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Semarang 34% cheaper Guilin +212 Mbps N/A / Moderate
Nomad Cost

$1,255

Guilin

$825

Semarang

Internet

244

Mbps

32

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Guilin

Moderate

Semarang

Air Quality

5/5

Guilin

5/5

Semarang

Healthcare

N/A

Guilin

Moderate

Semarang

Population

804.6k

Guilin

1.6m

Semarang

Guilin (China) 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

The monthly savings are substantial — Semarang at $825/mo costs 34% less than Guilin at $1255/mo, adding up to $5160 over a year.

For families, Guilin costs $2022.972197644196/mo compared to Semarang's $1605.588646314858/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Guilin has a clear edge at 244 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Semarang's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Guilin and Semarang.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Guilin is September (around 37 degrees, 1mm rain, score 386), 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

GuilinSemarang
Nomad$1,255/mo$825/mo
Expat$789/mo$603/mo
Local$578/mo$459/mo
Family$2,023/mo$1,606/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

GuilinSemarang
City Speed
244 Mbps
32 Mbps
Country Speed244 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

GuilinSemarang
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionN/AModerate
ClimateN/AModerate
Humidity6588

Quality of Life

GuilinSemarang
SafetyN/AModerate
HealthcareN/AModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Guilin
Semarang
Jan
14°
2mm284
34°
8mm237
Feb
7°
4mm131
35°
5mm222
Mar
20°
5mm202
36°
6mm253
Apr
30°
16mm191
37°
5mm319
May
32°
3mm314
37°
1mm373
Jun
35°
18mm129
36°
1mm368
Jul
39°
2mm273
35°
0mm397
Aug
39°
3mm303
36°
0mm397
Sep
37°
1mm386
36°
0mm397
Oct
26°
0mm386
37°
0mm382
Nov
22°
0mm386
36°
7mm319
Dec
12°
0mm346
34°
15mm207

Who Should Choose Guilin?

  • Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1255
  • Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 244 Mbps
  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $2022.972197644196/mo for families
  • Peak season in September — 37 degrees, score 386

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

The data favors Semarang as the more well-rounded choice. At $825/mo versus Guilin's $1255/mo, that is a 34% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Guilin Semarang
ItemGuilinSemarangDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$4.27$1.3
70%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$21.35$9.72
54%
McMeal or equivalent combo$4.63$3.24
30%
Cappuccino (regular)$1.99$1.34
33%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.42$2.48
43%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.85$2.59
9%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.66$0.42
36%
Water (0.33L)$0.26$0.2
23%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$1.42$1.13
20%
White bread (500g)$1.47$0.97
34%
White rice (1kg)$0.83$0.81
2%
Eggs (12)$2.26$1.29
43%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$2.85$2.96
4%
Beef round (1kg)$9.25$7.24
22%
Local cheese (1kg)$4.27$6.15
31%
Apples (1kg)$0.85$2.3
63%
Bananas (1kg)$0.5$1.3
62%
Oranges (1kg)$0.71$1.15
38%
Tomatoes (1kg)$0.43$0.86
50%
Potatoes (1kg)$0.43$1.15
63%
Onions (1kg)$0.71$1.38
49%
Lettuce (1 head)$0.14$0.55
75%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.93$0.36
61%
Wine, mid-range bottle$9.4$12.15
23%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.78$2.03
62%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.85$2.98
38%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.2$1.94
39%
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$0.28$0.23
18%
Monthly transport pass$28.47$18.18
36%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$1$0.58
42%
Taxi per 1km$0.38$0.32
16%
Taxi 1hr waiting$3.7$2.11
43%
Gasoline (1L)—$0.79
—
Volkswagen Golf (new)$14,235.48$23,334.86
39%
Toyota Corolla (new)$21,353.23$27,914.38
24%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$35.59$40.19
11%
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$17.08$28.38
40%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.05$0.1
50%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$42.71$29.17
32%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$2.14$12.15
82%
Cinema, 1 ticket$5.69$3.24
43%
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo—$75.62
—
International primary school/yr—$6,009.65
—
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$58.37$32.39
45%
Summer dress (chain store)$27.05$22.69
16%
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$92.46$64.82
30%
Men's leather business shoes$62.28$37.81
39%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$143.07$259.28
45%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$99.65$194.46
49%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$427.06$680.6
37%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$170.83$550.96
69%
🏗️Buy2 items
Price per m², city centre$1,850.61$1,215.36
34%
Price per m², outside centre—$378.11
—
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$465.03$269
42%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$5$8.69
42%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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