Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Kaesong vs Makassar

Kaesong vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 79% cheaper Makassar +30 Mbps N/A / N/A

Kaesong

Steve Barker/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$3,908

Kaesong

$839

Makassar

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Kaesong

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Kaesong

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

N/A

Kaesong

N/A

Makassar

Population

192.6k

Kaesong

1.3m

Makassar

Kaesong (North Korea) 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

Budget-conscious nomads take note: Makassar costs $839/mo, saving 79% compared to Kaesong's $3908/mo — that's $36828 per year.

For families, Kaesong costs $1216.375/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Makassar's 32 Mbps (global #0) — considerably faster than Kaesong's 2 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Kaesong and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Kaesong is June (around 30 degrees, 0mm rain, score 367), 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

KaesongMakassar

Nomad$3,908/mo$839/mo

Expat$513/mo$683/mo

Local$348/mo$514/mo

Family$1,216/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

KaesongMakassar

City Speed

2 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed0 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

KaesongMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity3785

Quality of Life

KaesongMakassar

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Kaesong

Makassar

Jan

-1°

0mm307

36°

11mm87

Feb

2°

0mm307

37°

4mm210

Mar

7°

0mm314

37°

6mm179

Apr

19°

0mm347

38°

3mm282

May

22°

0mm347

38°

1mm346

Jun

30°

0mm367

36°

1mm348

Jul

33°

6mm187

35°

0mm372

Aug

37°

1mm305

35°

0mm374

Sep

32°

1mm315

37°

0mm354

Oct

19°

0mm347

37°

1mm330

Nov

9°

0mm317

37°

6mm271

Dec

-2°

0mm307

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Kaesong?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1216.375/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 192.6k residents
Peak season in June — 30 degrees, score 367

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

For the typical digital nomad, Makassar is the stronger pick. At $839/mo it beats Kaesong's $3908/mo by 79%, and the 32 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Kaesong Makassar

ItemKaesongMakassarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant—$1.3

—

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

—

McMeal or equivalent combo—$3.24

—

Cappuccino (regular)—$1.78

—

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)—$2.07

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$2.92

—

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)—$0.5

—

Water (0.33L)—$0.26

—

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)—$1.24

—

White bread (500g)—$1

—

White rice (1kg)—$0.82

—

Eggs (12)—$1.47

—

Chicken fillets (1kg)—$3.65

—

Beef round (1kg)—$7.45

—

Local cheese (1kg)—$5.94

—

Apples (1kg)—$2.51

—

Bananas (1kg)—$0.86

—

Oranges (1kg)—$2.28

—

Tomatoes (1kg)—$0.8

—

Potatoes (1kg)—$1.02

—

Onions (1kg)—$1.73

—

Lettuce (1 head)—$1.04

—

Water (1.5L bottle)—$0.45

—

Wine, mid-range bottle—$12.96

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)—$2.27

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$3.52

—

Cigarettes (pack of 20)—$2.07

—

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket—$0.32

—

Monthly transport pass—$9.72

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)—$0.58

—

Taxi per 1km—$0.45

—

Taxi 1hr waiting—$3.57

—

Gasoline (1L)—$0.81

—

Volkswagen Golf (new)—$24,955.34

—

Toyota Corolla (new)—$31,761.34

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo—$51.2

—

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo—$41.59

—

Mobile prepaid per minute—$0.18

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly—$25.12

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)—$9.18

—

Cinema, 1 ticket—$2.92

—

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$53.8

—

International primary school/yr—$4,861.43

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)—$45.36

—

Summer dress (chain store)—$22.69

—

Nike running shoes (mid-range)—$75.35

—

Men's leather business shoes—$47.97

—

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$170.15

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$77.78

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$421.32

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$162.05

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre—$1,296.38

—

Price per m², outside centre—$421.32

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary—$231.19

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)—$10.67

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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