Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Makassar vs Palawan

Makassar vs Palawan

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Makassar 41% cheaper Palawan +62 Mbps N/A / N/A

Makassar

Arief Hidayat/Unsplash

Palawan

Mario von Rotz/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$839

Makassar

$1,434

Palawan

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Makassar

N/A

Palawan

Air Quality

5/5

Makassar

5/5

Palawan

Healthcare

N/A

Makassar

N/A

Palawan

Population

1.3m

Makassar

849.5k

Palawan

Makassar (Indonesia) and Palawan (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 41% less than Palawan at $1434/mo, adding up to $7140 over a year.

For families, Makassar costs $1800.101453918562/mo compared to Palawan's $2271.741962248663/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Palawan has a clear edge at 94 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Makassar's 32 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

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

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Makassar and Palawan.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Makassar is August (around 35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 374), while Palawan peaks in February (35 degrees, 0mm rain, score 392). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

MakassarPalawan

Nomad$839/mo$1,434/mo

Expat$683/mo$962/mo

Local$514/mo$649/mo

Family$1,800/mo$2,272/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

MakassarPalawan

City Speed

32 Mbps

94 Mbps

Country Speed32 Mbps94 Mbps

Environment & Health

MakassarPalawan

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity8579

Quality of Life

MakassarPalawan

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Makassar

Palawan

Jan

36°

11mm87

35°

2mm323

Feb

37°

4mm210

35°

0mm392

Mar

37°

6mm179

36°

0mm390

Apr

38°

3mm282

38°

1mm369

May

38°

1mm346

40°

1mm303

Jun

36°

1mm348

37°

7mm231

Jul

35°

0mm372

37°

9mm231

Aug

35°

0mm374

38°

8mm231

Sep

37°

0mm354

36°

3mm297

Oct

37°

1mm330

38°

8mm215

Nov

37°

6mm271

37°

2mm302

Dec

33°

16mm41

36°

11mm215

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 Palawan?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1434
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2271.741962248663/mo for families
Peak season in February — 35 degrees, score 392

Overall Verdict

The data favors Palawan as the more well-rounded choice. At $1434/mo versus Makassar's $839/mo, that is a 41% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Makassar Palawan

ItemMakassarPalawanDiff

🍽️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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