Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Jinan vs Semarang

Jinan vs Semarang

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Semarang 24% cheaper Jinan +212 Mbps N/A / Moderate
Nomad Cost

$1,090

Jinan

$825

Semarang

Internet

244

Mbps

32

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Jinan

Moderate

Semarang

Air Quality

5/5

Jinan

5/5

Semarang

Healthcare

N/A

Jinan

Moderate

Semarang

Population

3.0m

Jinan

1.6m

Semarang

Jinan (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 24% less than Jinan at $1090/mo, adding up to $3180 over a year.

For families, Jinan costs $1728.661761046287/mo compared to Semarang's $1605.588646314858/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

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

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Jinan and Semarang.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Jinan is April (around 24 degrees, 0mm rain, score 374), 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

JinanSemarang
Nomad$1,090/mo$825/mo
Expat$655/mo$603/mo
Local$494/mo$459/mo
Family$1,729/mo$1,606/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

JinanSemarang
City Speed
244 Mbps
32 Mbps
Country Speed244 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

JinanSemarang
Air Quality Score5/55/5
PollutionN/AModerate
ClimateN/AModerate
Humidity2488

Quality of Life

JinanSemarang
SafetyN/AModerate
HealthcareN/AModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Jinan
Semarang
Jan
0°
0mm314
34°
8mm237
Feb
1°
0mm314
35°
5mm222
Mar
13°
0mm334
36°
6mm253
Apr
24°
0mm374
37°
5mm319
May
27°
0mm374
37°
1mm373
Jun
35°
0mm334
36°
1mm368
Jul
37°
3mm313
35°
0mm397
Aug
38°
0mm339
36°
0mm397
Sep
30°
0mm374
36°
0mm397
Oct
20°
0mm354
37°
0mm382
Nov
12°
0mm334
36°
7mm319
Dec
1°
0mm314
34°
15mm207

Who Should Choose Jinan?

  • Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1090
  • Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 244 Mbps
  • Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
  • Family-friendly at $1728.661761046287/mo for families
  • Major city energy with 3.0m residents
  • Peak season in April — 24 degrees, score 374

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 Jinan's $1090/mo, that is a 24% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Jinan Semarang
ItemJinanSemarangDiff
🍽️Restaurants8 items
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.85$1.3
54%
Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$21.35$9.72
54%
McMeal or equivalent combo$4.27$3.24
24%
Cappuccino (regular)$2.73$1.34
51%
Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.14$2.48
54%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.99$2.59
23%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.42$0.42
=
Water (0.33L)$0.25$0.2
20%
🛒Markets19 items
Milk (1L)$1.91$1.13
41%
White bread (500g)$1.11$0.97
13%
White rice (1kg)$0.59$0.81
27%
Eggs (12)$1.09$1.29
16%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$2.96$2.96
=
Beef round (1kg)$6.41$7.24
11%
Local cheese (1kg)$14.59$6.15
58%
Apples (1kg)$1.19$2.3
48%
Bananas (1kg)$0.85$1.3
35%
Oranges (1kg)$1.36$1.15
15%
Tomatoes (1kg)$0.81$0.86
6%
Potatoes (1kg)$0.38$1.15
67%
Onions (1kg)$0.36$1.38
74%
Lettuce (1 head)$0.71$0.55
23%
Water (1.5L bottle)$0.57$0.36
37%
Wine, mid-range bottle$11.39$12.15
6%
Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.78$2.03
62%
Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.42$2.98
52%
Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.85$1.94
32%
🚌Transport8 items
One-way local transport ticket$0.28$0.23
18%
Monthly transport pass$5.69$18.18
69%
Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.42$0.58
59%
Taxi per 1km$0.21$0.32
34%
Taxi 1hr waiting$5.69$2.11
63%
Gasoline (1L)$1.17$0.79
32%
Volkswagen Golf (new)$16,370.81$23,334.86
30%
Toyota Corolla (new)$18,506.13$27,914.38
34%
⚡Utilities3 items
Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$67.77$40.19
41%
Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$8.12$28.38
71%
Mobile prepaid per minute$0.02$0.1
80%
🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items
Fitness club, monthly$72.6$29.17
60%
Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$4.75$12.15
61%
Cinema, 1 ticket$5.34$3.24
39%
👶Childcare2 items
Preschool, full-day private/mo$565.86$75.62
87%
International primary school/yr$9,359.83$6,009.65
36%
👗Clothing4 items
Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$54.89$32.39
41%
Summer dress (chain store)$32.03$22.69
29%
Nike running shoes (mid-range)$78.97$64.82
18%
Men's leather business shoes$74.69$37.81
49%
🏠Rent4 items
1-bedroom apartment, city centre$289.67$259.28
10%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$215.43$194.46
10%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre$552.56$680.6
19%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$410.78$550.96
25%
🏗️Buy2 items
Price per m², city centre$4,270.65$1,215.36
72%
Price per m², outside centre$1,565.9$378.11
76%
💰Finance2 items
Average monthly net salary$782.95$269
66%
Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$5.17$8.69
41%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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