Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Kandy vs Makassar

Kandy vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 3% cheaper N/A / N/A

Kandy

Supun Batagoda/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$864

Kandy

$839

Makassar

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Kandy

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Kandy

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

N/A

Kandy

N/A

Makassar

Population

109.3k

Kandy

1.3m

Makassar

Kandy (Sri Lanka) 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

Both cities sit in a similar price range — Kandy at $864/mo and Makassar at $839/mo — so cost alone is not a deciding factor here.

For families, Kandy costs $814.877953278922/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Makassar's 32 Mbps (global #0) — considerably faster than Kandy's 24 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Kandy and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Kandy is March (around 34 degrees, 0mm rain, score 396), 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

KandyMakassar

Nomad$864/mo$839/mo

Expat$484/mo$683/mo

Local$233/mo$514/mo

Family$815/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

KandyMakassar

City Speed

24 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed24 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

KandyMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity7985

Quality of Life

KandyMakassar

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Kandy

Makassar

Jan

30°

1mm325

36°

11mm87

Feb

31°

0mm382

37°

4mm210

Mar

34°

0mm396

37°

6mm179

Apr

37°

1mm366

38°

3mm282

May

32°

7mm217

38°

1mm346

Jun

30°

1mm325

36°

1mm348

Jul

29°

2mm294

35°

0mm372

Aug

30°

2mm325

35°

0mm374

Sep

30°

2mm304

37°

0mm354

Oct

30°

4mm304

37°

1mm330

Nov

32°

11mm294

37°

6mm271

Dec

30°

1mm325

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Kandy?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $864
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $814.877953278922/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 109.3k residents
Peak season in March — 34 degrees, score 396

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 Kandy's $864/mo by 3%, and the 32 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Kandy Makassar

ItemKandyMakassarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$1.08$1.3

17%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$6.78$9.72

30%

McMeal or equivalent combo$4.34$3.24

25%

Cappuccino (regular)$0.99$1.78

44%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.11$2.07

46%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.11$2.92

62%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.36$0.5

28%

Water (0.33L)$0.21$0.26

19%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.09$1.24

12%

White bread (500g)$0.41$1

59%

White rice (1kg)$0.56$0.82

32%

Eggs (12)$1.22$1.47

17%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.36$3.65

Beef round (1kg)$4.72$7.45

37%

Local cheese (1kg)$10.21$5.94

42%

Apples (1kg)$2.44$2.51

Bananas (1kg)$0.65$0.86

24%

Oranges (1kg)$2.31$2.28

Tomatoes (1kg)$2.58$0.8

69%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.81$1.02

21%

Onions (1kg)$0.66$1.73

62%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.77$1.04

26%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.34$0.45

24%

Wine, mid-range bottle$6.78$12.96

48%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.84$2.27

63%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.12$3.52

40%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$4.34$2.07

52%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.14$0.32

56%

Monthly transport pass$5.76$9.72

41%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.41$0.58

29%

Taxi per 1km$0.41$0.45

Taxi 1hr waiting$0.27$3.57

92%

Gasoline (1L)$0.83$0.81

Volkswagen Golf (new)$24,406.97$24,955.34

Toyota Corolla (new)$35,254.52$31,761.34

10%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$10.85$51.2

79%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$5.42$41.59

87%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.01$0.18

94%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$11.53$25.12

54%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)—$9.18

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$3.25$2.92

10%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$15.82$53.8

71%

International primary school/yr$623.73$4,861.43

87%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$10.85$45.36

76%

Summer dress (chain store)$8.59$22.69

62%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$32.54$75.35

57%

Men's leather business shoes$11.3$47.97

76%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$117.52$170.15

31%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$63.28$77.78

19%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$311.87$421.32

26%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$542.38$162.05

70%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,313.57$1,296.38

Price per m², outside centre$875.71$421.32

52%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$167.23$231.19

28%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$18$10.67

41%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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