Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Haikou vs Semarang

Haikou vs Semarang

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Semarang 32% cheaper Haikou +212 Mbps N/A / Moderate

Haikou

Letian Zhang/Unsplash

Semarang

Supri Yanto/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,222

Haikou

$825

Semarang

Internet

244

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Haikou

Moderate

Semarang

Air Quality

5/5

Haikou

5/5

Semarang

Healthcare

N/A

Haikou

Moderate

Semarang

Population

830.2k

Haikou

1.6m

Semarang

Haikou (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

Budget-conscious nomads take note: Semarang costs $825/mo, saving 32% compared to Haikou's $1222/mo — that's $4764 per year.

For families, Haikou costs $1867.560346734502/mo compared to Semarang's $1605.588646314858/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Haikou's 244 Mbps (global #0) — considerably faster than Semarang's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Haikou and Semarang.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Haikou is March (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 373), 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

HaikouSemarang

Nomad$1,222/mo$825/mo

Expat$705/mo$603/mo

Local$534/mo$459/mo

Family$1,868/mo$1,606/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

HaikouSemarang

City Speed

244 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed244 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

HaikouSemarang

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AModerate

ClimateN/AModerate

Humidity7288

Quality of Life

HaikouSemarang

SafetyN/AModerate

HealthcareN/AModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Haikou

Semarang

Jan

22°

0mm341

34°

8mm237

Feb

25°

0mm353

35°

5mm222

Mar

27°

0mm373

36°

6mm253

Apr

35°

0mm373

37°

5mm319

May

34°

4mm301

37°

1mm373

Jun

38°

3mm363

36°

1mm368

Jul

37°

4mm291

35°

0mm397

Aug

37°

1mm368

36°

0mm397

Sep

35°

1mm322

36°

0mm397

Oct

30°

1mm345

37°

0mm382

Nov

26°

0mm361

36°

7mm319

Dec

19°

0mm353

34°

15mm207

Who Should Choose Haikou?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1222
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 244 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1867.560346734502/mo for families
Peak season in March — 27 degrees, score 373

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 Haikou's $1222/mo by 32%, and the 32 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Haikou Semarang

ItemHaikouSemarangDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.28$1.3

43%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$14.24$9.72

32%

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.91$3.24

17%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.56$1.34

62%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.42$2.48

43%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$4.98$2.59

48%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.5$0.42

16%

Water (0.33L)$0.28$0.2

29%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$2.46$1.13

54%

White bread (500g)$1.71$0.97

43%

White rice (1kg)$1$0.81

19%

Eggs (12)$2.73$1.29

53%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.27$2.96

31%

Beef round (1kg)$15.66$7.24

54%

Local cheese (1kg)—$6.15

—

Apples (1kg)$2.21$2.3

Bananas (1kg)$0.96$1.3

26%

Oranges (1kg)$0.43$1.15

63%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.52$0.86

43%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.28$1.15

76%

Onions (1kg)$0.28$1.38

80%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.28$0.55

49%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.43$0.36

16%

Wine, mid-range bottle—$12.15

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.62$2.03

69%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.64$2.98

45%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.49$1.94

44%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.28$0.23

18%

Monthly transport pass$8.54$18.18

53%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$2.85$0.58

80%

Taxi per 1km$0.28$0.32

12%

Taxi 1hr waiting$2.56$2.11

18%

Gasoline (1L)$1.16$0.79

32%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$21,182.4$23,334.86

Toyota Corolla (new)$16,769.4$27,914.38

40%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$31.79$40.19

21%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$6.41$28.38

77%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.01$0.1

90%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$68.33$29.17

57%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$4.98$12.15

59%

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.55$3.24

42%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$1,850.61$75.62

96%

International primary school/yr$28,470.97$6,009.65

79%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$56.94$32.39

43%

Summer dress (chain store)$32.03$22.69

29%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$128.12$64.82

49%

Men's leather business shoes$64.06$37.81

41%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$284.71$259.28

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$123.37$194.46

37%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$474.52$680.6

30%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$332.16$550.96

40%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$3,558.87$1,215.36

66%

Price per m², outside centre$2,135.32$378.11

82%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,174$269

77%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$4.75$8.69

45%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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