Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Makassar vs Manila

Makassar vs Manila

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 43% cheaper Manila +54 Mbps N/A / Low

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Manila

German Rivera De La Torre/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$839

Makassar

$1,474

Manila

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Makassar

Low

Manila

Air Quality

5/5

Makassar

5/5

Manila

Healthcare

N/A

Makassar

High

Manila

Population

1.3m

Makassar

1.8m

Manila

Makassar (Indonesia) and Manila (Philippines) 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 43% less than Manila at $1474/mo, adding up to $7620 over a year.

For families, Makassar costs $1800.101453918562/mo compared to Manila's $2347.104818186649/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Manila has a clear edge at 86 Mbps (#96 globally) compared to Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Makassar and Manila.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Makassar is August (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 374), while Manila peaks in June (40 degrees, 6mm rain, score 449). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

MakassarManila

Nomad$839/mo$1,474/mo

Expat$683/mo$1,059/mo

Local$514/mo$671/mo

Family$1,800/mo$2,347/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

MakassarManila

City Speed

32 Mbps

86 Mbps#96

Country Speed32 Mbps94 Mbps

Environment & Health

MakassarManila

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AHigh

ClimateN/AModerate

Humidity8566

Quality of Life

MakassarManila

SafetyN/ALow

HealthcareN/AHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Makassar

Manila

Jan

36°

11mm87

34°

0mm444

Feb

37°

4mm210

35°

0mm439

Mar

37°

6mm179

36°

1mm425

Apr

38°

3mm282

40°

0mm419

May

38°

1mm346

41°

1mm347

Jun

36°

1mm348

40°

6mm449

Jul

35°

0mm372

37°

10mm264

Aug

35°

0mm374

38°

6mm264

Sep

37°

0mm354

36°

9mm210

Oct

37°

1mm330

37°

3mm356

Nov

37°

6mm271

37°

1mm449

Dec

33°

16mm41

34°

2mm377

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

Who Should Choose Manila?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1474
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2347.104818186649/mo for families
Peak season in June — 40 degrees, score 449

Overall Verdict

The data favors Manila as the more well-rounded choice. At $1474/mo versus Makassar's $839/mo, that is a 43% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Makassar Manila

ItemMakassarManilaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$1.3$3.59

64%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$9.72$28.71

66%

McMeal or equivalent combo$3.24$3.59

10%

Cappuccino (regular)$1.78$2.97

40%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.07$1.26

39%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.92$1.93

34%

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.5$0.99

49%

Water (0.33L)$0.26$0.51

49%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.24$1.67

26%

White bread (500g)$1$1.24

19%

White rice (1kg)$0.82$0.9

Eggs (12)$1.47$1.77

17%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$3.65$4.21

13%

Beef round (1kg)$7.45$6.96

Local cheese (1kg)$5.94$5.33

10%

Apples (1kg)$2.51$2.7

Bananas (1kg)$0.86$1.4

39%

Oranges (1kg)$2.28$3.04

25%

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.8$1.45

45%

Potatoes (1kg)$1.02$1.74

41%

Onions (1kg)$1.73$1.75

Lettuce (1 head)$1.04$1.35

23%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.45$0.65

31%

Wine, mid-range bottle$12.96$8.97

31%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$2.27$1.18

48%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.52$1.62

54%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$2.07$2.69

23%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.32$0.54

41%

Monthly transport pass$9.72$12.04

19%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$0.58$0.72

19%

Taxi per 1km$0.45$0.24

47%

Taxi 1hr waiting$3.57$2.15

40%

Gasoline (1L)$0.81$1.4

42%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$24,955.34$23,324.66

Toyota Corolla (new)$31,761.34$18,370.66

42%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$51.2$98.89

48%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$41.59$37.97

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.18$0.15

17%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$25.12$50.24

50%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$9.18$5.94

35%

Cinema, 1 ticket$2.92$5.74

49%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$53.8$258.66

79%

International primary school/yr$4,861.43$11,021.54

56%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$45.36$39.02

14%

Summer dress (chain store)$22.69$28.23

20%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$75.35$72.61

Men's leather business shoes$47.97$65.07

26%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$170.15$541.63

69%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$77.78$278.1

72%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$421.32$1,704.49

75%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$162.05$712.56

77%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,296.38$3,578.46

64%

Price per m², outside centre$421.32$2,634.92

84%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$231.19$429.13

46%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$10.67$7.8

27%

Lower is better for all cost items.

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

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