Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Macau vs Semarang

Macau vs Semarang

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Semarang 83% cheaper Macau +212 Mbps N/A / Moderate

Macau

lf.Franciz !!!/Unsplash

Semarang

Supri Yanto/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$4,803

Macau

$825

Semarang

Internet

244

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Macau

Moderate

Semarang

Air Quality

5/5

Macau

5/5

Semarang

Healthcare

N/A

Macau

Moderate

Semarang

Population

567.9k

Macau

1.6m

Semarang

Macau (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 83% less than Macau at $4803/mo, adding up to $47736 over a year.

For families, Macau costs $18820.67963768678/mo compared to Semarang's $1605.588646314858/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

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

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Macau and Semarang.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Macau is October (around 31 degrees, 0mm rain, score 403), 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

MacauSemarang

Nomad$4,803/mo$825/mo

Expat$6,244/mo$603/mo

Local$5,377/mo$459/mo

Family$18,821/mo$1,606/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

MacauSemarang

City Speed

244 Mbps

32 Mbps

Country Speed244 Mbps32 Mbps

Environment & Health

MacauSemarang

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AModerate

ClimateN/AModerate

Humidity4588

Quality of Life

MacauSemarang

SafetyN/AModerate

HealthcareN/AModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Macau

Semarang

Jan

21°

0mm383

34°

8mm237

Feb

22°

0mm369

35°

5mm222

Mar

25°

0mm359

36°

6mm253

Apr

32°

6mm208

37°

5mm319

May

31°

11mm208

37°

1mm373

Jun

36°

7mm193

36°

1mm368

Jul

38°

3mm239

35°

0mm397

Aug

38°

5mm301

36°

0mm397

Sep

37°

6mm393

36°

0mm397

Oct

31°

0mm403

37°

0mm382

Nov

26°

0mm399

36°

7mm319

Dec

18°

0mm383

34°

15mm207

Who Should Choose Macau?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 244 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Peak season in October — 31 degrees, score 403

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 Macau's $4803/mo, that is a 83% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Macau Semarang

ItemMacauSemarangDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant—$1.3

—

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

—

McMeal or equivalent combo—$3.24

—

Cappuccino (regular)—$1.34

—

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)—$2.48

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$2.59

—

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)—$0.42

—

Water (0.33L)—$0.2

—

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)—$1.13

—

White bread (500g)—$0.97

—

White rice (1kg)—$0.81

—

Eggs (12)—$1.29

—

Chicken fillets (1kg)—$2.96

—

Beef round (1kg)—$7.24

—

Local cheese (1kg)—$6.15

—

Apples (1kg)—$2.3

—

Bananas (1kg)—$1.3

—

Oranges (1kg)—$1.15

—

Tomatoes (1kg)—$0.86

—

Potatoes (1kg)—$1.15

—

Onions (1kg)—$1.38

—

Lettuce (1 head)—$0.55

—

Water (1.5L bottle)—$0.36

—

Wine, mid-range bottle—$12.15

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)—$2.03

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$2.98

—

Cigarettes (pack of 20)—$1.94

—

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket—$0.23

—

Monthly transport pass—$18.18

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)—$0.58

—

Taxi per 1km—$0.32

—

Taxi 1hr waiting—$2.11

—

Gasoline (1L)—$0.79

—

Volkswagen Golf (new)—$23,334.86

—

Toyota Corolla (new)—$27,914.38

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo—$40.19

—

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo—$28.38

—

Mobile prepaid per minute—$0.1

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly—$29.17

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)—$12.15

—

Cinema, 1 ticket—$3.24

—

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$75.62

—

International primary school/yr—$6,009.65

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)—$32.39

—

Summer dress (chain store)—$22.69

—

Nike running shoes (mid-range)—$64.82

—

Men's leather business shoes—$37.81

—

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$259.28

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$194.46

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$680.6

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$550.96

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre—$1,215.36

—

Price per m², outside centre—$378.11

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary—$269

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)—$8.69

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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