Ipoh vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 49% cheaper Ipoh +103 Mbps N/A / N/A
Nomad Cost

$1,652

Ipoh

$839

Makassar

Internet

135

Mbps

32

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Ipoh

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Ipoh

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

N/A

Ipoh

N/A

Makassar

Population

657.9k

Ipoh

1.3m

Makassar

Ipoh (Malaysia) 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 49% less than Ipoh at $1652/mo, adding up to $9756 over a year.

For families, Ipoh costs $1678.139417126139/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Ipoh has a clear edge at 135 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Ipoh and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Ipoh is September (around 36 degrees, 9mm rain, score 380), 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

IpohMakassar
Nomad$1,652/mo$839/mo
Expat$768/mo$683/mo
Local$479/mo$514/mo
Family$1,678/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

IpohMakassar
City Speed
135 Mbps
32 Mbps
Country Speed135 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

IpohMakassar
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionN/AN/A
ClimateN/AN/A
Humidity8285

Quality of Life

IpohMakassar
SafetyN/AN/A
HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Ipoh
Makassar
Jan
36°
12mm211
36°
11mm87
Feb
37°
4mm287
37°
4mm210
Mar
38°
11mm287
37°
6mm179
Apr
37°
12mm195
38°
3mm282
May
37°
14mm180
38°
1mm346
Jun
36°
8mm287
36°
1mm348
Jul
35°
0mm376
35°
0mm372
Aug
34°
19mm149
35°
0mm374
Sep
36°
9mm380
37°
0mm354
Oct
35°
11mm211
37°
1mm330
Nov
35°
19mm149
37°
6mm271
Dec
34°
11mm195
33°
16mm41

Who Should Choose Ipoh?

  • Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 135 Mbps
  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $1678.139417126139/mo for families
  • Peak season in September — 36 degrees, score 380

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 Ipoh as the more well-rounded choice. At $1652/mo versus Makassar's $839/mo, that is a 49% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Ipoh Makassar
ItemIpohMakassarDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.28$1.3
43%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$22.79$9.72
57%
McMeal or equivalent combo$3.42$3.24
5%
Cappuccino (regular)$1.98$1.78
10%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$4.1$2.07
50%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$5.7$2.92
49%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.54$0.5
7%
Water (0.33L)$0.35$0.26
26%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$1.38$1.24
10%
White bread (500g)$0.7$1
30%
White rice (1kg)$1.17$0.82
30%
Eggs (12)$1.25$1.47
15%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.63$3.65
1%
Beef round (1kg)$6.06$7.45
19%
Local cheese (1kg)$9.33$5.94
36%
Apples (1kg)$2.04$2.51
19%
Bananas (1kg)$1.07$0.86
20%
Oranges (1kg)$2.19$2.28
4%
Tomatoes (1kg)$1.01$0.8
21%
Potatoes (1kg)$0.74$1.02
27%
Onions (1kg)$0.92$1.73
47%
Lettuce (1 head)$0.91$1.04
13%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.62$0.45
27%
Wine, mid-range bottle$13.68$12.96
5%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.63$2.27
14%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.9$3.52
18%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.99$2.07
48%
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$0.57$0.32
44%
Monthly transport pass$16.87$9.72
42%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.68$0.58
15%
Taxi per 1km$0.34$0.45
24%
Taxi 1hr waiting$6.84$3.57
48%
Gasoline (1L)$0.47$0.81
42%
Volkswagen Golf (new)$33,478.75$24,955.34
25%
Toyota Corolla (new)$22,792.02$31,761.34
28%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$42.45$51.2
17%
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$23.13$41.59
44%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.06$0.18
67%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$45.58$25.12
45%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$5.32$9.18
42%
Cinema, 1 ticket$3.42$2.92
15%
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo$142.07$53.8
62%
International primary school/yr$3,585.94$4,861.43
26%
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$45.01$45.36
1%
Summer dress (chain store)$18.23$22.69
20%
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$55.56$75.35
26%
Men's leather business shoes$46.72$47.97
3%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$307.69$170.15
45%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$182.34$77.78
57%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$797.72$421.32
47%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$341.88$162.05
53%
🏗️Buy2 items
Price per m², city centre$2,207.98$1,296.38
41%
Price per m², outside centre$1,103.99$421.32
62%
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$936.41$231.19
75%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$4.14$10.67
61%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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