Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Langkawi vs Makassar

Langkawi vs Makassar

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 38% cheaper Langkawi +103 Mbps N/A / N/A

Langkawi

Jesse Vermeulen/Unsplash

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,363

Langkawi

$839

Makassar

Internet

135

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Langkawi

N/A

Makassar

Air Quality

5/5

Langkawi

5/5

Makassar

Healthcare

N/A

Langkawi

N/A

Makassar

Population

65.0k

Langkawi

1.3m

Makassar

Langkawi (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 38% less than Langkawi at $1363/mo, adding up to $6288 over a year.

For families, Langkawi costs $1781.856925846742/mo compared to Makassar's $1800.101453918562/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

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

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Langkawi and Makassar.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Langkawi is January (around 35 degrees, 1mm rain, score 390), 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

LangkawiMakassar

Nomad$1,363/mo$839/mo

Expat$857/mo$683/mo

Local$509/mo$514/mo

Family$1,782/mo$1,800/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

LangkawiMakassar

City Speed

135 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed135 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

LangkawiMakassar

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity6485

Quality of Life

LangkawiMakassar

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Langkawi

Makassar

Jan

35°

1mm390

36°

11mm87

Feb

39°

0mm351

37°

4mm210

Mar

41°

1mm330

37°

6mm179

Apr

40°

7mm220

38°

3mm282

May

39°

11mm209

38°

1mm346

Jun

37°

6mm311

36°

1mm348

Jul

36°

1mm332

35°

0mm372

Aug

35°

22mm163

35°

0mm374

Sep

35°

9mm201

37°

0mm354

Oct

36°

9mm224

37°

1mm330

Nov

36°

8mm224

37°

6mm271

Dec

35°

2mm332

33°

16mm41

Who Should Choose Langkawi?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1363
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 135 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1781.856925846742/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 65.0k residents
Peak season in January — 35 degrees, score 390

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 Langkawi as the more well-rounded choice. At $1363/mo versus Makassar's $839/mo, that is a 38% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Langkawi Makassar

ItemLangkawiMakassarDiff

🍽️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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