Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Ko Samui vs Makassar

Ko Samui vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 51% cheaper Ko Samui +206 Mbps N/A / N/A

Ko Samui

big.tiny.belly/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,728

Ko Samui

$839

Makassar

Internet

238

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Ko Samui

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Ko Samui

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

N/A

Ko Samui

N/A

Makassar

Population

62.5k

Ko Samui

1.3m

Makassar

Ko Samui (Thailand) 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 51% compared to Ko Samui's $1728/mo — that's $10668 per year.

For families, Ko Samui costs $2650.343647723892/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Ko Samui's 238 Mbps (global #0) — considerably faster than Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Ko Samui and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Ko Samui is March (around 33 degrees, 0mm rain, score 406), 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

Ko SamuiMakassar

Nomad$1,728/mo$839/mo

Expat$1,432/mo$683/mo

Local$757/mo$514/mo

Family$2,650/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

Ko SamuiMakassar

City Speed

238 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed238 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

Ko SamuiMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity7485

Quality of Life

Ko SamuiMakassar

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Ko Samui

Makassar

Jan

30°

2mm328

36°

11mm87

Feb

31°

0mm397

37°

4mm210

Mar

33°

0mm406

37°

6mm179

Apr

37°

0mm406

38°

3mm282

May

35°

2mm338

38°

1mm346

Jun

34°

1mm359

36°

1mm348

Jul

32°

4mm328

35°

0mm372

Aug

33°

4mm318

35°

0mm374

Sep

32°

2mm354

37°

0mm354

Oct

32°

6mm226

37°

1mm330

Nov

30°

8mm179

37°

6mm271

Dec

28°

2mm338

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Ko Samui?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 238 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2650.343647723892/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 62.5k residents
Peak season in March — 33 degrees, score 406

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, Ko Samui is the stronger pick. At $1728/mo it beats Makassar's $839/mo by 51%, and the 238 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Ko Samui Makassar

ItemKo SamuiMakassarDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.3$1.3

43%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$23.04$9.72

58%

McMeal or equivalent combo$7.01$3.24

54%

Cappuccino (regular)$2.36$1.78

25%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$1.87$2.07

10%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.88$2.92

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.74$0.5

32%

Water (0.33L)$0.29$0.26

10%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.68$1.24

26%

White bread (500g)$1.41$1

29%

White rice (1kg)$0.58$0.82

29%

Eggs (12)$1.51$1.47

Chicken fillets (1kg)$2.09$3.65

43%

Beef round (1kg)$8.35$7.45

11%

Local cheese (1kg)$14.4$5.94

59%

Apples (1kg)$2.9$2.51

13%

Bananas (1kg)$1.13$0.86

24%

Oranges (1kg)$1.73$2.28

24%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1.4$0.8

43%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.11$1.02

Onions (1kg)$1.14$1.73

34%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.58$1.04

44%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.49$0.45

Wine, mid-range bottle$17.28$12.96

25%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.45$2.27

36%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.3$3.52

35%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.89$2.07

47%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.44$0.32

78%

Monthly transport pass—$9.72

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.44$0.58

60%

Taxi per 1km$1.15$0.45

61%

Taxi 1hr waiting$8.93$3.57

60%

Gasoline (1L)$1.23$0.81

34%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$34,560.51$24,955.34

28%

Toyota Corolla (new)$20,160.3$31,761.34

37%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$60.34$51.2

15%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$17.91$41.59

57%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.02$0.18

89%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$43.2$25.12

42%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$14.4$9.18

36%

Cinema, 1 ticket$7.2$2.92

59%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$432.01$53.8

88%

International primary school/yr$9,120.14$4,861.43

47%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$57.6$45.36

21%

Summer dress (chain store)$17.28$22.69

24%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$93.6$75.35

19%

Men's leather business shoes$72$47.97

33%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$551.82$170.15

69%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$292$77.78

73%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,008.01$421.32

58%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$828.01$162.05

80%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,008.01$1,296.38

22%

Price per m², outside centre$576.01$421.32

27%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$417.61$231.19

45%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3.82$10.67

64%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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