Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Harbin vs Makassar

Harbin vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 35% cheaper Harbin +212 Mbps N/A / N/A

Harbin

Yu S/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,293

Harbin

$839

Makassar

Internet

244

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Harbin

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Harbin

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

N/A

Harbin

N/A

Makassar

Population

10.6m

Harbin

1.3m

Makassar

Harbin (China) 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

The monthly savings are substantial — Makassar at $839/mo costs 35% less than Harbin at $1293/mo, adding up to $5448 over a year.

For families, Harbin costs $1690.218368080517/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

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

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Harbin and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Harbin is September (around 20 degrees, 0mm rain, score 361), 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

HarbinMakassar

Nomad$1,293/mo$839/mo

Expat$772/mo$683/mo

Local$483/mo$514/mo

Family$1,690/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

HarbinMakassar

City Speed

244 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed244 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

HarbinMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity4885

Quality of Life

HarbinMakassar

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Harbin

Makassar

Jan

-18°

0mm321

36°

11mm87

Feb

-12°

0mm321

37°

4mm210

Mar

-1°

0mm321

37°

6mm179

Apr

12°

0mm341

38°

3mm282

May

17°

0mm341

38°

1mm346

Jun

25°

4mm319

36°

1mm348

Jul

31°

1mm353

35°

0mm372

Aug

30°

4mm309

35°

0mm374

Sep

20°

0mm361

37°

0mm354

Oct

8°

0mm331

37°

1mm330

Nov

-2°

0mm321

37°

6mm271

Dec

-17°

0mm321

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Harbin?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1293
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 244 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1690.218368080517/mo for families
Major city energy with 10.6m residents
Peak season in September — 20 degrees, score 361

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

The data favors Harbin as the more well-rounded choice. At $1293/mo versus Makassar's $839/mo, that is a 35% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Harbin Makassar

ItemHarbinMakassarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.85$1.3

54%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$17.08$9.72

43%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.69$3.24

43%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.37$1.78

25%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$0.71$2.07

66%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.14$2.92

27%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.46$0.5

Water (0.33L)$0.25$0.26

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.35$1.24

White bread (500g)$1.57$1

36%

White rice (1kg)$0.71$0.82

13%

Eggs (12)$1.79$1.47

18%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.56$3.65

Beef round (1kg)$11.39$7.45

35%

Local cheese (1kg)$13.52$5.94

56%

Apples (1kg)$1.42$2.51

43%

Bananas (1kg)$1.99$0.86

57%

Oranges (1kg)$3.06$2.28

25%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.9$0.8

11%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.57$1.02

44%

Onions (1kg)$1.64$1.73

Lettuce (1 head)$0.5$1.04

52%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1$0.45

55%

Wine, mid-range bottle$7.12$12.96

45%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.47$2.27

79%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.7$3.52

23%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$1.78$2.07

14%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.5$0.32

36%

Monthly transport pass$19.22$9.72

49%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.21$0.58

52%

Taxi per 1km$0.27$0.45

40%

Taxi 1hr waiting$3.42$3.57

Gasoline (1L)$1.16$0.81

30%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$17,082.58$24,955.34

32%

Toyota Corolla (new)$14,947.26$31,761.34

53%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$56.94$51.2

10%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$11.86$41.59

71%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.02$0.18

89%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$21.35$25.12

15%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$14.95$9.18

39%

Cinema, 1 ticket$4.27$2.92

32%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$189.81$53.8

72%

International primary school/yr$8,185.4$4,861.43

41%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$85.41$45.36

47%

Summer dress (chain store)$30.61$22.69

26%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$92.53$75.35

19%

Men's leather business shoes$92.53$47.97

48%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$284.71$170.15

40%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$170.83$77.78

54%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$683.3$421.32

38%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$313.18$162.05

48%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$2,242.09$1,296.38

42%

Price per m², outside centre$1,475.75$421.32

71%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$661.75$231.19

65%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$5.8$10.67

46%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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